Instagram Tagging and Mentions

Instagram tagging and mentions create links between people, products, and places. Tagging is a great way for businesses to gain exposure through interactions with customers and other businesses. So what are Instagram tags and mentions? 

Instagram Tags

Tagging is the process of adding a link to an account, location, and/ or product to your post. There are three different types of tagging Instagram offers as outlined below: 

User Tagging

Have you ever tagged a friend in a photo? This is a common example of user tagging, where a clickable link to a users profile is added to the post. This is a great tool for businesses who could tag customers (e.g. reviews), influencers (e.g. product promotion), and other businesses (e.g. collaborations). So how can you add a tag on Instagram? 

New Post

1. During the final stage of creating your post, press the ‘Tag Users’ button located under the caption. 
2. Tap where you want the tag added. 
3. Search for and select the account/s that you would like to tag. 

Adding or Removing Tags from Previous Posts

1. Go to the post/s with tags that you would like to add or remove.  
2. Go to the top right corner of the post to select the options button (represented by three dots), and then press ‘Edit’. 
3. Press the user icon located in the bottom left corner. 
4. Follow the same process as mentioned above (i.e. new post steps 1 and 2) to select and add a user, or press the ‘x’ button next to the users’ name to remove their tag from the post. 

Tip: To avoid coming across as ‘spammy’, only include accounts that are relevant to the content. 

Location Tag 

Add a location to your post using location tags. Typically location tags are used to indicate where a photo/video was taken, but can also be used to show where your business operates or the location of projects and/or clients. When a location tag is added, the post will come up when users search for that location. 

The process of adding a location is similar to adding a user tag, with the add location option directly under the users handle. Once you press the ‘Add Location’ button, you can search and select a location. To edit, add or remove locations for a past post, press the options button, and then select the location option positioned under the username. 

Product Tag 

Product tags create a link to the product on the Instagram shop. When the tag is pressed, users will be able to view a description of the product (e.g. name, price, similar products) and click a link to the website. 

Once your Instagram shop is set up, a ‘Tag Products’ option will be available under the tag users button. Users can follow the same processes as tagging users. 

When possible, aim to include all three types of tags to maximise your chances of exposure. 

Instagram Mentions 

A mention can be created by adding an @ sign in front of a users handle in the comment and/or caption section of the post. Mentions (usually) alert the user and allow you to easily reply to users in the comment section, and provides a great way to interact with customers. 

Difference between Tagging and Mentioning on Instagram

So what’s the difference between tagging and mentions? 

• Tagging can only be done by the content creator, whereas mentions can be done by anyone. 
• Tagging is often the better option as mentions can be lost in the notifications (i.e. feed only shows the 100 most recent notifications), whereas tagging shows up separately.  Furthermore, the tagged post is shown on the person’s tagged photos that allow businesses to gain exposure.
• The issue with tagging is that users won’t see the tagged person unless they tap on the post. 

We hope this marketing tip has helped! Did we ‘mention’ that we have lots of great marketing tips and tricks, so follow us on social media to stay updated.