Putting emojis in hashtags is now possible with Instagram’s latest update!
Instagram takes a big leap forward with hashtags, setting it apart from Twitter and Facebook, which both have yet to introduce this emoji hashtag capability. But what does this all mean? And why do it?
Simply put: Emojis make us feel good. They’re fun, creative, often sarcastic, and they help express what words cannot. Emojis are another way to express one’s creativity and unique personality – which is exactly what Instagram largely stands for and allows its users to convey.
Emojis help express connotation, which is often difficult in short-form typing (such as text and photo captions). In person, we use facial expressions constantly to communicate and convey our emotions with accuracy and subtlety; in text formats, emojis help fill that void.
Now let’s get to the nitty gritty:
Hashtags will differentiate between skin color of the recently updated emojis. Individual emoji hashtags can also be strung together without spaces to create a single hashtag comprising a series of emojis, just as hashtags capture an entire word, not just the first letter.
But which emoji hashtags should you use? That depends on what you’re trying to say. Here are some examples:
dogsofinstagram: (puppy with spot)
catsofinstagram: (cat heart face)
top handgesture: ️&
(peace sign & thumbs up)
top face – ,
,
,
(smile cry, blush squint smile, wink, sunglass)
top music – (three notes)
top sport / workout – bicep
selfie – (front facing camera)
makeup & fashion – (diamond)
travel – ✈️ (plane)
celebrate – (hat and confetti)
cheers – (2 beers)
food – (pizza)
nature – (pink flower with yellow center)
Further proving the emotional response we receive from emojis is that the emojis representing “love” have already been used an overwhelmingly greater amount than other emoji hashtags:
love – ️,
,
,
(red heart, kissing heart, heart smile, lipstick mark)The Instagram update, like all updates, is not without its unexpected hitches, however. In this case, it has come in the form of an eggplant
. The eggplant emoji has already been banned for being used too frequently to mark uploaded content deemed as inappropriate and that violates Instagram’s standards.
To further foster the creative potential of its users, Instagram has also added three new photo filters (Lark, Reyes, and Juno), with more to come. Until the next update, happy emoji hashtagging! # – “firebrandgroup”