Tag Power: Why Tag Someone on Instagram?

Why tag someone on Instagram? Is tagging different from mentioning? What’s the best way to use tagging on Instagram to reach a wider audience? How do you tag Instagram posts? Here’s your comprehensive guide to Instagram tagging so you’ll never miss an opportunity to get more attention for your posts!

What’s the Difference Between Tagging and Mentioning?

What does it mean to tag someone on instagram? And why is it different to mentioning? Well, most people use these two terms interchangeably as they function the same way. When you tag someone on Instagram posts or mention them in captions or comments, the post reaches a broader audience. For example, the followers of the tagged/mentioned accounts. For brands/businesses, tagging and mentioning are simple ways to get more followers on Instagram. Here are the main differences between mentioning and tagging on Instagram.

What Happens When You Tag Someone on Instagram? 

Tagging an account on Instagram is a function available on the photo you’re posting. Typically for photos featuring groups of people or if the photo you’re posting is of/for somebody else. The tags identify the people in the image. 

Only the person who shared the photo or video can tag. Anyone in the comments section of a post can do mentioning. For public Instagram posts, the tagged Instagram accounts are visible to anyone. 

Wondering if there is a way to view private Instagram account posts? Well, no as the tagged accounts are only visible to the followers of the person who shared the photo/video. Also, the followers of the tagged accounts. Said person may also restrict the appearance of the tagged post on the tagged person’s profile. The archive and unarchive features on Instagram will affect visibility, too, because followers cannot see archived images.

What Is Mentioning and How Do You Do It?

On the other hand, mentioning requires typing the @ symbol followed by the Instagram handle of the person. Use Instagram mentions in the caption or the comments. If you are asking, what is an Instagram handle? The answer is that it’s another way to say your Instagram username. 

Both tagging and mentioning can undergo restrictions by the person you’re tagging or mentioning. The person who publishes a post can restrict mentions in the comments. For example, whether or not the post is available to view by a mentioned person and/or their followers. 

Why Should I Tag Someone on Instagram?

First, let’s answer the question, “Why tag someone on Instagram?” Here are the reasons why:

If you have set up an Instagram store, product tags provide more information about the tagged products. This makes customer purchases more convenient. Learning how to advertise your product or business on Instagram is another way to enhance your growth. 

As previously mentioned, tagging on Instagram expands the visibility of your post. Get people to share your content on Instagram for greater reach and engagement. Tagging is a tool you can use to facilitate this. Another way is to learn how to Boost an Instagram post. 

Tagging on Instagram encourages more conversations in the comments section. Knowing who to tag on Instagram to get noticed is an important skill to gain more followers and likes. You can get more engagement on a tagged post from the followers of the people you tagged.

Tagged content appears on a separate tab on the tagged Instagram account’s profile. This tab essentially serves as a gallery of user-generated content for businesses. 

You can also use a clickable location tag. This helps people who do an Instagram search for that location to discover you. Don’t forget to tag the locations of events you attend.  

If your business has no physical location, you can still tag a greater geographic area. This is possible wherever you’re situated, such as your city and even general locations where your products are for sale. Learn when the best time to post on Instagram is so your tagged posts have ideal visibility.

Instagram stories support both tags and mentions. Learning how to repost a story on Instagram and tagging yourself or your business creates a community with your followers.

Why Tag Someone on Instagram Instead of Mentioning Them?

Now let’s look at why you should tag someone on Instagram instead of mentioning them:

• Mentioned accounts get a notification in their Activity feed. Activity feed notifications, however, only show the 100 most recent activities. Tagging an influencer, a celebrity, or a business? Remember that your mention can easily disappear in the hundreds of notifications they typically receive. 
• Tags, on the other hand, appear in a separate notification. A tagged photo or video automatically appears on the tagged person’s profile by default. Users can also opt to approve and manually add posts they’re tagged in. Either way, you can be sure that the tagged person will see your post. 
• You need to limit the mentions in a caption to keep it engaging and relevant to the content. In comparison, you can have multiple tags in a photo/video and the tags won’t detract from content quality.
• Mentions done in a post’s caption or comments will not make the post appear on the mentioned person’s profile. Depending on the mentioned person’s privacy settings, the mention may be automatically visible to their followers. Alternatively, it may be visible only when they reply to the mention.
• Have you heard about purchasing Instagram mentions or had this transaction been recommended to you? Buying Instagram mentions is not a risk worth taking. There are no trusted sites to buy Instagram mentions. In addition, you may expose your IG account and the accounts of your followers to bots or fake accounts. Be careful as these can harm your credibility. At the end of the day, it’s a waste of your money and efforts. Invest your time in more productive ways to stimulate growth and visibility.   

If you’re wondering, “Why can’t I tag someone on Instagram?” it could be because of your privacy settings or account restrictions.

Best Practices for Tagging on Instagram: Do’s and Don’ts

So, you’ve found out why tagging on Instagram is important. How do you tag on instagram effectively? We’ll cover the key do’s and don’ts of tagging on Instagram to ensure you use this feature to best effect. 

Do’s of Tagging on Instagram

• Tag relevant accounts: Make sure the tags you use are relevant to your content. Equally important is that you double-check when tagging accounts. It is easy enough to tag the wrong account. With many usernames sounding similar, ensure that you tag the right one in your post. 
• Use location tags: These can increase the discoverability of your Instagram posts. Which is especially important for local businesses and events. Tagging your location helps users, who are searching for location-based content, to find your post.
• Keep tags organized: Ensure that your tags are easy to read. Also, choose the right hashtags. Finally, avoid cluttering your image with tags. This can be distracting and off-putting for your target audience.
• Be consistent: Having a consistent tagging strategy will help you maximize your content’s reach over time. On the other hand, make sure you freshen up your tags. Posting the same tags time and time again is not a forward-thinking social media strategy.

Dont’s of Tagging on Instagram

• Tag people without their permission: This is a no-no. Before tagging someone on Instagram you should make sure they agree for you to do so. This goes for feed posts, reels, and stories. Some people also have privacy settings enabled. So, you would not be able to tag them anyway. If in doubt, it’s always better to ask.
• Tag people in posts that are not about them: Not only is this confusing, it is annoying too. Being tagged in an irrelevant post can come across as spammy. You don’t want your followers to question your account credibility. This could lead to lower engagement rates and even unfollows.
• Think tags are permanent: Did you know that you can remove a tag? If someone has tagged you in an inappropriate post, it’s not the end of the world. You can remove a tag. Simply, tap the post, tap your username, and finally tap “Remove me from post”. The same goes for others. They can remove themselves from your Instagram posts. Though it is always better if they don’t have to do this in the first place.
• Use tags as a shortcut to engagement: Spoiler alert, there’s no shortcut! Using tags just to get attention, without quality content to back them up, is not a good look. This could harm your social media strategy and people may consider you disingenuous. 

Final Thoughts: Why Tag Someone on Instagram? To Make Your Profile More Prominent

The primary reason why you should tag someone on Instagram if you’re a brand or business is visibility. It’s a great way to promote your post to a wider audience and possibly attract new followers.

If you are learning how to become an Instagram model, increasing your follower count is a crucial step. Choosing the right hashtags for Instagram also gives you enhanced organic exposure. Want to learn more about how to gain followers? Here is how to get 1K Instagram followers in 5 minutes. If you are looking to downsize your feed, here is everything to know about unfollowing on IG.

If you want to continue upping your tagging abilities, just keep the following pointers in mind:

• Don’t use the same tags in each and every post. 
• Create a tagging strategy that works best for your content, identified target audience, and defined business goals. 
• Mix and match different tags in a single post to maximize reach and visibility. 

Now you know the answer to the question “why tag someone on Instagram?” uncover more mysteries. Find out who views your Instagram or learn more about marketing your brand on social media platforms. If you need expert help growing your brand/business on Instagram, you’ll benefit from a reliable growth partner. Look for one with extensive experience in Instagram growth strategy — a company like Path Social. You can achieve organic and lasting growth with the help of Path Social’s AI targeting algorithm and team of experts. Start growing and gaining Instagram followers today!

FAQs

Why tag someone on Instagram? Now you know exactly why, you can take your next steps to social media stardom. However, if you have a few more questions needing answers, you’re in the right place. Check out our frequently asked questions to find out more.