Social media users in Australia are some of the most active in the world with Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram as the top social networks. In this post, we’ll dive deeper into how people are really using Instagram in Australia.
Australia Instagram statistics
- 9,700,000 monthly active users (that’s 1 in 3 Australians using IG!)
- More than half of the users are female (57%)
- Most users are between ages 18 and 44 (Facebook, Instagram, FB Messenger combined)
3 reasons you need an Instagram hashtags strategy
IG hashtags can do a lot for your brand. They give your audience an organic way to discover your content. The result? Hashtags help you build brand awareness and grow your social media presence.
Here are some examples of the different ways you can use Instagram hashtags.
Expand your organic reach
Simply posting a photo or video on Instagram is not enough, especially if you’re still on the journey of building your own community of followers. Instagram hashtags are a good and free way to organically expand your reach. Of course, there are also other ways such as tagging other Instagram accounts into your photo/video or pumping some advertising $$$ to boost your IG posts.
Find influencers within your industry or niche
The thing is, your target audience is most likely using and/or following hashtags within your industry or niche. To maximize your chances of reaching this audience, not only should you ride on these hashtags for your own Instagram posts, but you should also find potential influencers who are creating high engagement via those hashtags and potentially collaborate with them.
Download the ultimate list of Instagram Influencers in Australia
Curate user-generated content
Consumer behavior is changing and social media has contributed to this shift. As consumers crave for more authenticity from brands, they became desensitized to brands doing all the talking. Consumers want to hear from fellow consumers. As marketers, you can tell your story better by encouraging customers to share and create content around your brand — be it a product launch, campaign, or an event. Read more about how you can track social mentions during an event.
"Using hashtags can definitely increase the reach of posts and increase their exposure to audiences that do not yet follow your profile. However, it is important to be strategic. While it is recommended to have a branded hashtag for your business, it is also important to use hashtags that align with the interests and location of your target audience. For example, local businesses aiming to attract local people or visitors through their doors should be using hashtags targeting local areas. For example, use the hashtag #coolumbeach so that your brand features in the gallery of other posts using that local hashtag.
Also, using hashtags in Instagram Stories can be highly effective, because your story then appears in the Instagram Story of that particular hashtag. To avoid looking spammy, use the text tool to create the hashtag and then use the eyedropper tool to colour it to match a solid background. That way your story can use multiple hashtags and they will not be highly visible." - Dr. Karen Sutherland, Social Media Lecturer & Consultant at the University of the Sunshine Coast
The ultimate list of Instagram hashtags in Australia
It’s important to think back to your brand or business when it comes to deciding which hashtags to use in your Instagram posts. Find a balance between generic hashtags and ones that are more specific to your industry or niche. Remember that at the end of the day, your goal is to drive a key metric — whether that’s website visit or product purchases.
I've listed some of the most popular Instagram hashtags in Australia to help you get started!
1. #Australia
It comes with no surprise that the country’s top hashtag is #Australia with over 55 million posts.
Here’s an irresistible #Australia photo that popped in my newsfeed recently:
2. #travel
Australians love to #travel. Fun facts!
According to a previous survey done by Kayak.com.au, 1 in 3 Aussies book their holidays online whilst on the job. This got me really curious so I looked up the Australian Tourism statistics and I discovered that there were 9.2 million international visitors to Australia in 2018 and an estimated 1004 people arrive in Australia every hour.
3. #love
While this hashtag is not uniquely Australian, #love seems to be a very popular one in Australia.
4. #instagood
Another generic hashtag here — #instagood is commonly used for possibly anything to drive traffic, likes and comments. I would group this together with the #instadaily and #igers types of hashtags. Each with millions of posts globally.
5. #photography
Another popular Instagram hashtag in Australia is #photography. It has over 450 million posts.
6. #fashion
Beauty and fashion are the top verticals on Instagram and Australia is definitely up there when it comes to #fashion posts. Check out some of the must-follow fashion bloggers in Australia.
7. #nature
Australia is not just Insta famous but also world-famous for its nature and wildlife.
8. #beautiful
With IG being home to almost all things #beautiful, this hashtag is home to 600 million posts globally. And it’s one of the hashtags that seems to be used a lot down under.
9. #Sydney
Next up is one of Australia’s largest cities, Sydney. With over 28 million posts, #Sydney is proving to be one of the most Instagrammable cities in Oz.
10. #Melbourne
Not so far behind is Melbourne with the hashtag #Melbourne that has 27 million posts. The city is also repeatedly referred to as the coffee capital of the world, and isn't it that not a day goes by where there’s no coffee post on IG?
BONUS!
Here are some uniquely Australian hashtags with 1+ million posts:
#aussie 7.1m
#australianshepherd 5m
#seeaustralia 4.4m (also Tourism Australia’s successful social media campaign!)
#australiagram 2.8m
#australian 2.3m
#australianmade 1.5
#australiancattledog 1.4m
#sydneyharbour 1m
Want to copy all these hashtags for your next IG post? Here you go!
#australia #travel #love #instagood #photography #fashion #nature #beautiful #photooftheday #sydney #melbourne #aussie #australianshepherd #seeaustralia #australiagram #australia
"Instagram has helped me a lot to be able to share the local talent that Melbourne has and the variety of designers and makers, and also to find beautiful design. The power of hashtags is incredible to reach out and find the niche markets. In Melbourne we have a great culture and design niche, so it is very handy to be able to narrow the search with the hashtags #meanwhileinmelbourne #madeinmelbourne" - Manuela Millan @meanwhile_in_melbourne
Instagram best practices for your business
However, first things first. Before you start thinking about leveraging Instagram to grow your brand, you first need to make sure your Instagram business profile is set up properly.
- Set up an Instagram business account. Make sure your Instagram account is set to Business. This will give you access to Instagram insights that are not available to regular IG accounts. From there you will know which of your IG posts created more engagement, and which would help you in optimizing your Instagram content strategy.
- Optimize your Instagram bio. Add your contact details and website link to your profile. This is a prime spot on your Instagram page because this is the only spot where you can add a clickable link. Make the most out of it.
- Join in the conversation. You may have the nicest photo or best hashtag in your IG post, but if you don’t engage with your followers, those won’t be enough. Make sure to acknowledge your followers, reply to them, and tailor your posts to relate to them better.
- Always keep an eye for opportunities. Whether that’s finding hashtags to ride on, influencers to collaborate with, or trends to include in your posts — always be on the lookout.
- Constantly monitor and measure. Monitor your pages and your competitors’. Measure regularly to understand what’s working and not working.
If you want more in-depth details and tips, check out our ultimate guide to using Instagram for business.
Brands that are on top of their Instagram game
Take inspiration from these brands that have optimized their Instagram bio page with catchy descriptions, hashtags & links.
Virgin Australia
Here’s a great way to curate user-generated content - Virgin Airlines encouraging travelers to post using #virginaustralia (163k posts).
With a sizable network of followers, this is a great example of a brand that successfully created its own branded hashtag #WITCHERYSTYLE (23k posts).
A short, witty, and full of local love here in the IG page of #BaileyNelson (18.5k posts) eyewear.
By the looks of it, we can easily tell that Yellowtrace’s niche is all about #interiors, #architecture & #design.
A great example of how an international brand can localize social media efforts including a dedicated IG account and hashtag for ANZ. #GoProANZ(167k posts)
Staying true to its origins, Jurlique sticks to its love for nature with the #NatureEvolved hashtag (1.8k posts).
Who says Instagram is not for B2B? Here’s Canva, a design tool for non-designers, spreading the #canvalove.
Another great example of content curation encouraging the community to explore Australia and share their experiences using the hashtag #SeeAustralia (4.4m posts).
Conclusion
With over one billion users globally and 95 million posts per day, there’s no doubt that Instagram is one of the most successful social networks of our time. It’s also no surprise that brands and businesses have flocked to the platform to unlock more awareness, more engagement, and more sales. Make sure to tap into the power of hashtags and get your brand out there!
Source: Digital 2019 - Australia
