Instagram is the ideal platform for salons to showcase beautiful haircuts, styling, and colors to attract new clients. But simply posting pretty pictures won’t get you the explosive growth you want.

You need an strategic hashtag plan.

Hashtags make your content discoverable so it can reach and resonate with more potential customers. They allow you to tap into active communities of users interested in beauty, hair, and salon services. This is especially important for engagement with Instagram reels.

But choosing the right hashtags that align with your target audience and aesthetic takes research and analysis.

In this post, we’ll cover everything salons need to know about crafting an Instagram hashtag strategy for maximum growth.

Why Instagram Hashtags Are Critical for Salons

There are over 1 billion monthly active Instagram users. And 90% of them follow at least one business. So there’s a huge opportunity to convert Instagram visitors into loyal clients.

But with so much competition, using relevant hashtags is crucial for exposure. Here’s why they’re especially important for salons:

• Increased Discoverability - Hashtags get your posts seen by people outside your followers. Top hashtags can put your content in front of millions.

• Attract Ideal New Followers - People search hashtags looking for content related to their interests. Your ideal clients are likely using beauty and salon hashtags.

• Community Building - Active hashtags allow you to engage with potential new clients and establish your brand as a thought leader.

• Brand Awareness - More eyes on your page and posts raises your visibility and recognition in your area.

• Social Proof - Trending hashtags show people care about a topic and your content. They signal you’re worth following.

The most successful salon Instagram accounts incorporate hashtags into their larger growth strategy. Yours should too.

How to Research the Best Instagram Hashtags for Salons

Choosing the wrong hashtags can feel like shouting into the void. But do your research properly, and it’s like tapping into a megaphone that dramatically amplifies your reach.

Here are effective tactics to research and identify the highest potential hashtags:

Analyse Competitors and Leaders

Start by looking at larger salons, both locally and nationally, that have a strong Instagram presence. Which hashtags are they using repeatedly that align with your target audience? Make a list of ones to test.

Explore Related Hashtags

Type a top hashtag into Instagram’s search bar, then scroll down on the page to view “Related Hashtags.” This shows associated tags people commonly use together that you may want to incorporate.

Leverage Hashtag Analytics Tools

Analytics providers like RiteTag and Display Purposes offer data-driven insight on hashtag performance to inform your choices. Metrics like usage, reach, and engagement help optimise your list.

Run Hashtag Experiments

Test different groupings of hashtags and analyse the engagement. Are certain ones consistently performing better in terms of driving profile visits, likes, and comments? Double down on those.

Stay on Top of Trends

Regularly search some variation of “beauty hashtag trends” or “top hair hashtags” to swap outdated tags for up-and-coming ones aligned to current trends.

Tips for Successfully Using Instagram Hashtags for Your Salon

Once you’ve honed a targeted list of proven Instagram hashtags, incorporate them into your posts strategically:

• Place 5-10 hashtags at the end of your caption separated by line breaks. Avoid giant blocks of tags.

• Prioritise niche hashtags under 1M posts for better visibility over super generic ones.

• Use a mix of most popular hashtags and a few very specific ones that fit the post.

• Develop hashtag sets to rotate based on themes like hair trends, beauty, treatments.

• Monitor performance weekly and drop tags with low engagement. Swap in fresh options.

• Create branded hashtags clients can use to share their experience.

• Reply to others using your hashtags to connect and boost engagement.

• Use hashtags in Stories for additional discovery potential.

The Instagram algorithm favors accounts that spark meaningful engagement. So use hashtags to fuel likes, comments, shares, and clicks.

Top Instagram Hashtags for Salons to Boost Reach

Based on current Instagram trends, here are some of the top-performing hashtags salons should be leveraging:

#hairstyles - One of the most popular general hashtags at over 400M posts

#haircut - Broad appeal hashtag with over 154M posts

#haircolor - Great for showcasing vivid and trendy colors

#balayage - Still a sought-after hair painting technique

#hairinspo - For inspiring hair ideas

#hairgoals - Appeals to those wanting to change their hair

#hairdesign - Styling focused hashtag

#hairdo - Another broad hairstyle hashtag

#hairtrend - For the latest hot hairstyles

#hairtransformation - Before and after photos showing big changes

#ombreshair - Ombre coloring still widely followed

#fashionhair - Combines hair and style

#modernsalon - Brand-building hashtag

Keep testing combinations of trending and niche hashtags within your target categories to leverage your Instagram growth. Enlist the help of a social media marketing for salon agency if you need additional assistance developing your strategic hashtag approach. With consistent optimisation, explosive organic growth is within reach this year!