300 million monthly active users. 30+ billion photos shared (70 million per day on average). 2.5 billion daily likes. The numbers alone are a pretty powerful testament to Instagram’s power.

Instagram is quickly evolving in 2015 with the addition of a ‘search-and-explore’ feature, the invention of the Layout app, a booming blogger community, and new availability of geo-targeted hashtags- all in the last six months. So what does this have to do with you, the marketer?

Here’s how you can best utilize Instagram’s new features to benefit your brand:

Utilize the Explore Feature

The addition of geo-targeted explorability allows for a much more real-time experience similar to Twitter’s effect on current events. Users can now discover posts from places all over the globe in real-time. To get started, they feature “Trending Places” which include local hotspots central to your city, as well as popular global locations. Each Place is divided into Top Posts and Recent Posts. Your goal as a brand? Make it into those top posts. Keep reading, and I’ll tell you how.

Employ Smarter #Hashtagging

Before you add 20 hashtags to your post, think about the audience you’re trying to reach. Hashtags can be a great way to increase the reach of your content, but using irrelevant or unnecessary hashtags can seem spammy or send the wrong message. Especially with new geo-targeted and emoji hashtags, there are endless opportunities to join the #conversation in an effective way. Your best bet in getting your content noticed for longer and by the right people is to use very specific hashtags. Don’t just use #smoothie- try using #strawberrysmoothie. If you’re sharing field photos, try targeting #agchat or #askafarmer. By taking ownership of a more specific hashtag, you can dominate that segment of the explore page.

Connect with the Right Influencers

As the number of people on Instagram continues to grow exponentially, more people are looking to bloggers, celebrities and other trustworthy influencers to formulate their opinions on products and brands. These influencers have become the thought leaders of Instagram, and they can set the tone for positive or negative feedback about your brand. Therefore, strategic posting and authentic engagement with the right people is crucial for growing your audience. Want to get your brand into those Top Posts I mentioned earlier? Connecting with the right influencers is a great start.

As Instagram continues to evolve, so does the rest of the social media world. If social media is an area of your marketing that you know can improve to produce better results for your brand, we can and would love help!