Jonathan “Jon” Vrban spends his time tending to his garden and baking. Jonathan Vrban is currently turning his passion into a cookbook and will utilize apps, like Instagram, to promote the launch.

With an engagement rate 58 times higher than Facebook, according to Forrester Research, Instagram has become an ideal social media platform for self-promotion and marketing. Instagram’s heavy use of photos builds a strong personal connection with followers and thus, is used often when brands want to reach consumers and businesses seek another avenue to solidify relationships with partners, media, and employees.

When using Instagram, individuals and businesses can leverage hashtags (for example, #mycookbook) to promote important events and campaigns. An organizational tool, a hashtag makes it easy for a company to track engagement with followers and share important topics, including social responsibility efforts or the launch of a new program.

For followers, clicking on a hashtag quickly locates related postings, giving users direct access to the information they need. Instagram users not currently following a brand may also be more inclined to click on a hashtag they find interesting, learn about a company, and become a follower.