What is Tagging on Instagram and How it Can Help You Gain More Exposure

“(Person) tagged you in a post.” If you’ve ever gotten a notification like this, you may wonder what tagging is, especially if you’re new to the platform. Whether you’re an aspiring influencer, own a small business, or are trying to grow a personal account, tagging on Instagram can be beneficial, and we’re here to tell you how. This post will tell you all there is to know about tagging, so let’s get started.

What is “Tag” in Instagram?

When you’re uploading a photo, Reel, or other type of post, you have the option to “Tag” someone. You may have taken a selfie with that person and want to tell others who they are, or you may be using a business’s product and want to tag the business.

You can tag someone before uploading a post but you can edit your post if you forgot to tag the person, or they ask you to do so. After you tag a person, that person gets a notification, and your post will be in the “Tagged” section of their profile.

That sounds pretty straightforward, right? That being said, Instagram does have some similar features that people may mistake for tagging. Let’s look at them now.

What is Mentioning? Tagging Vs. Mentioning Explained

Tagging and mentioning are pretty similar, but there are some subtle differences to keep in mind.

How They’re Alike

Both tagging and mentioning involve typing in a user’s name and then getting a notification. Each function can be a great tool for attracting more attention to the account you’re tagging or mentioning, such as giving the person tagged a shoutout.

How They’re Different

Mentioning someone is not public on their profile. There is no “Mentions” tab like there is for tagging. Instead, the mention will only be public in the comment section or Story.

Therefore, tagging is more about collaboration or credit, while mentioning is more about shouting out someone in the comments section. Alternatively, you may mention someone so they can see a post, as an alternative to sending the post via a DM.

Collaborators

We should also mention another similar feature: collaboration. This option is good if you and the other account worked on a project together and you share equal credit. When you invite someone to be a collaborator and share it, you’ll  Once you go to tag an account (more on that in a second,) you’ll see an option that says “Invite collaborators.” After typing in the collaborator’s name, the person will get a choice to accept the invite as the collaborator. If they accept, the photo or video will be on their account as well. The person can also remove this at any time.

Shopping Tags

Finally, it’s worth mentioning what shopping tags are. These tags are not people but instead products. If you own a qualified business account, putting shopping tags on the products you’re uploading can land you more sales. When someone clicks on the product tags, it allows the user to buy the product.

Many people don’t want to leave Instagram, log into their shopping accounts, or create a new one and miss their notifications. Shopping tags solve those pain points and may lead to more sales. That being said, it’s also beneficial to link to your website in your bio. Giving users as many avenues as possible to buy your products is a great thing.

How to Tag Someone on Instagram and Get the Most Benefits

When you upload content, you should see the “Tag people” option below the option to insert a caption. This will be on the screen after you edit your photo with filters, music, etc. On the “Tag people”  screen, there is also an option to invite a person as a collaborator, which we have already discussed.

That’s all there is to it. It’s not rocket science. That being said, double-check to make sure that you’re tagging the right account. Some accounts have similar handles, or your finger may have chosen the wrong one by mistake when Instagram suggests accounts to tag.

Now, let’s discuss how you can get the most benefits from tagging.

How to Add Tags to Someone and Get the Most Benefits

Tag Relevant Accounts

Some people think that if they tag as many people as possible, they’ll get a following. This is regardless if a person has had involvement in the post. But all this will do is make users irritated at you, and your account may be flagged as spam. Tag only those who are relevant to the post.

Use Location Tags as Well

Unless you want to be private, location tags can help you become more discoverable. For example, if you’re taking a photo of someone at a convention, tagging the venue can make your post more visible to people in the area.

Product Tags for Businesses

Again, you shouldn’t just use tags for people or accounts. If you sell products and are eligible for product tags, use them as much as you can. If someone sees a stunning photo or video of your product being used, having a tag to buy the product can help grab hold of the FOMO (fear of missing out) while it’s still hot.

Location Tags, Too

A location tag tells users where the picture was taken. For example, if your business is brick-and-mortar, taking a photo of the business and tagging its location can give users an idea of where your business is located. Another example is if you’re at a restaurant and you enjoy it. Tagging the location can give the restaurant more exposure. That being said, you don’t have to use this, especially if you’re a private person.

Invite People to Tag

One way to grow your business is to ask people to tag your account when they use your product. You can then give them a shoutout or feature them in some way. People love to get exposure on Instagram, and this can be a fun way for both accounts to benefit.

Take a Look at Your Insights

On Instagram, you should always look at your Insights. These will give you information about user engagement, which you can then use to see if your tagging campaign is working. If you’re noticing more likes, followers, or other engagements, then great. However, if you’ve noticed the opposite, your tagging campaign may need a little work.

Depending on the situation, you may need to tag more or less, or you may need to utilize all of Instagram’s available tags.

Why Tag an Account on Instagram?

Tagging someone on Instagram has many benefits, including:

Credit and Acknowledgement

If someone paints you a picture, is featured in your photo shoot, or has helped you in some way, you may want to give them credit. In many practices, such as photography, crediting the artist is the right thing to do and is expected.

Gain Potential Collaborations

If you’re a content creator, you may tag someone you’re mutual friends with and invite them to collaborate. Tagging them in public puts them in the hot seat, making them more likely to collaborate. Ideally, you should only do this with people you know, but sometimes, tagging someone you don’t know may not be a bad idea, especially if they’re known to collaborate with many different people. It’s on a case-by-case basis.

Increased Exposure

If you own a business, tagging accounts using your products can be a mutual benefit. You can gain more engagement, while the user tagged can potentially gain more followers. It’s a win-win for all.

Contest Entry

Some accounts you follow may have a contest, and one of the rules may be to tag someone to be considered. You may tag someone for this purpose, and this may make the other user want to tag someone else as well, helping the account to gain more exposure.

With Great Tagging Comes Great Responsibility

That being said, you shouldn’t abuse the tag feature. Don’t tag a bunch of random users. And if you’re trying to collaborate with a user and they don’t respond, take the hint and leave them alone. Abusing the tag option can lead to users getting upset at you, rightfully so, and possibly penalizing your account.

Final Thoughts

Tagging is a useful option on Instagram. It lets others see who is in the photo or gives users an idea of what products you’re using. It can benefit not only your account but others as well. That being said, knowing the differences between tagging and mentioning and knowing when to tag and when not to tag is vital for your campaign. We hope this article helped.

Don't forget to share this post!