With more than 722 million users, LinkedIn is the world's most popular business-oriented social media network and the place to be for B2B marketers and anybody else who wants to discover more about business or advance their career. But, in order to reap LinkedIn’s benefits, it’s essential to effectively utilize its features, especially hashtags. When used smartly, LinkedIn hashtags can help you start conversations, connect with like-minded people, reach out to a much wider audience, and boost your visibility.
So, how does one add a hashtag to a LinkedIn post? Are there any best practices to follow when using hashtags on LinkedIn? Let’s dive into the matter, shall we?
Why You Use Hashtags on Linkedin
Hashtags have found a way to organically weave themselves into the fabric of social media. In their simplest form, they are a way to categorize content and make it easier to find. But they've also become a way to start conversations, grow one's network, increase engagement rate, and more. For instance, tweets with one or two hashtags have a 21% higher engagement rate. So, imagine how powerful a tool LinkedIn hashtags can be in terms of reach and relevance. In fact, using hashtags on LinkedIn can help you:
- Organize your content better;
- Make it easier for other people to find your content;
- Reach a wider audience;
- Boost your engagement rate;
- Start conversations;
- Increase your reach and let you share information with greater impact;
- Become visible on pages and search results beyond your first-degree connections.
This is mainly because of how the LinkedIn algorithm works. Usually, when you post something on LinkedIn, it’s only shown to a small portion of your connections i.e. the ones that could potentially engage with it. But if you use relevant or trending LinkedIn hashtags, your post will be shown not only to your first-degree connections but also to second- and third-degree connections, as well as people who don’t follow you. Hashtags are therefore a great way to get your content to a larger, relevant audience.
How to Add a Hashtag to Your LinkedIn Post or Update
Adding a hashtag to your posts on LinkedIn is pretty straightforward. All you need to remember is to add the "#" symbol before the keyword and make sure there aren't any spaces in between.
1. Go to the "Share" section on your homepage.
2. Write, upload, or insert a link to your content.
3. Add the keyword or phrase you've chosen using the "#" symbol in front of it.
*Note that hashtags can be used in virtually any part of your post to promote a video, piece of writing, etc.
How to Add Hashtags on a LinkedIn Article
Short articles and blog posts are the preferred content marketing type for 83% of B2C marketers and given that LinkedIn is a platform made for such occasions, hashtags can definitely help your article become more visible. And, although publishing articles on LinkedIn is different from posting updates, you can still use hashtags in the commentary so that it shows more about its content and what it relates to. Here's how:
1. Under the update field on your homepage, go to "Write an article"
2. When you're done writing, click on "Publish" and a pop-up window will appear
3. You can insert relevant hashtags in the "Tell your network what your article is about" field so that they appear as an intro above your article when you publish it.
*Note that once you've published your article you will not be able to edit or remove any hashtags.
LinkedIn Hashtags: Best Practices & Tips
When in the right hands, the hashtag can be a great way to initiate or join conversations and also to strategically plan your content promotion. But with great power comes great responsibility. You need to make sure you master the art of using hashtags so that your content is seen by the right people and doesn't get lost in the noise. Below are some tips on how to effectively use hashtags on LinkedIn:
1. Mint copy your hashtags
Hashtags cannot replace a copy so always use them with a well-crafted copy that will engage your audience, get them to read your post or article, and maybe even think about it after they've finished reading. Remember the objective of your post, and use the hashtag to help people find your content, not compete with each other.
2. Add 1-3 hashtags per post
You might be tempted to stuff as many of them as you can in one post, given that Instagram posts have an average of 10 hashtags, but resist the urge. Using too many hashtags on LinkedIn will not only make your post look spammy, too try-hard, or even annoying, but will also dilute its message. And, most importantly, do not #hashtag #every #word–tagging unimportant words is pointless.
3. Punctuate but only in the right places
Linkedin hashtags, like those used on other platforms, can only include letters, numbers, and emojis. Adding other symbols or punctuation marks will break the link. That being said, if you want to use a hashtag in the middle of a sentence, go ahead —as long as it doesn't disrupt the flow too much. This way you can add commas or other forms of punctuation after the hashtag without affecting it.
4. Capitalize multi-word hashtags for better readability
If you're using a multi-word hashtag, capitalize the first letter of each word to make it easier to read. For example, instead of writing #socialmediamarketing use #SocialMediaMarketing. This will also help your post look neater and more put together.
5. Make your hashtags public
This is a LinkedIn-specific tip and it's one you should definitely follow if you want more people to see your content. By default, LinkedIn shares your posts to your connections only. The same goes for members using LinkedIn Private Mode. As a result, it is advisable to change your privacy settings to public so it can be visible to the millions of LinkedIn users.
6. Research before using a new hashtag
Do a quick search on LinkedIn before you start using a new hashtag to see how popular it is and what kind of content is being published under it. If you see that it's not being used much or that the content being published is not relevant to what you want to share, find other, more trending hashtags on LinkedIn.
7. Keep an eye on hashtag trends
Make sure you are up-to-date with the top hashtags on LinkedIn, in particular, because it is the only way to get ahead of the competition. Be on the lookout for new LinkedIn hashtag trends or use a tool like Google Trends. One of the best ways to come up with new and relevant hashtags on LinkedIn is to simply see what other people in your industry or niche are using. You can also check out what's trending on other platforms and see if you can find a way to adapt it to LinkedIn.
8. Consider suggested LinkedIn hashtags
When you start typing a hashtag in the LinkedIn search bar, the platform will automatically suggest similar or related hashtags that you can use. It also works well if you’re trying to find new and relevant hashtags for your content.
9. Use branded and event hashtags
If you're attending a conference or an industry event, make sure to use the official event hashtag in your posts. This is a great way to get your content in front of people who might be interested in it but don't necessarily follow you on LinkedIn. The same goes for branded hashtags — if you're promoting your company or product, use its official hashtag to reach a wider audience.
10. Don’t be afraid to get creative and make up your own hashtag
If you want to make sure that people who are interested in your content can easily find it, create your own LinkedIn hashtag. This can be something as simple as your company name or brand initials followed by a keyword or phrase that describes what your company it’s about. And don’t worry if it doesn’t seem too catchy —branding statistics say 72% of the best brand names are acronyms or made-up words. As long as it’s original, and relevant to your content, you’re good to go.
11. Monitor hashtag performance
Once you start using LinkedIn hashtags regularly, take some time every now and then to check how they're performing. Are they helping you reach a wider audience? Which hashtags are getting the most engagement? This will help you fine-tune your marketing strategy and make sure that you're using the best LinkedIn hashtags for your specific content. Keeping a record of previously used ones will also come in handy.
12. Know when to # and when to @
There is a big difference between tagging someone on LinkedIn and using a hashtag. When you use the "@" sign, you are mentioning that person in your post and in a way helping them promote their content or simply attracting their attention. But when you use a hashtag, you are categorizing your content so as to make it easier for people to find it.
#OverAndOut (for Now)
Using hashtags on LinkedIn can help you grow your network, follow trending topics, and even give insights into what your competitors are working on. By following these simple tips, you can make sure that your hashtags are working for you and helping you reach a wider audience.
LinkedIn Hashtags FAQs
How do you follow a hashtag on LinkedIn?
If you’re wondering how to follow hashtags on LinkedIn, simply type the "#" symbol followed by the name of the hashtag into the search bar. This will bring up a feed of all the content that's been published under that hashtag. Just click the follow button to start receiving updates on the particular hashtag.
What is the benefit of using hashtags on LinkedIn?
The main benefit of using hashtags on LinkedIn is that it helps you reach a wider audience. Hashtags categorize your content and make it easier for people to find it. This is especially useful if you're trying to promote your content or get more people interested in what you do.
What are the most popular hashtags on LinkedIn?
There is no such thing as top rated or best hashtags for LinkedIn, as they all depend on your industry, niche, and target audience. However, in the world of LinkedIn hashtags, the ones with most followers are, well, the following:
#india – 68 million
#innovation – 39 million
#management – 36.2 million
#humanresources – 33.4 million
#digitalmarketing – 27.5 million
#technology – 26.4 million
#creativity – 25 million
#future – 24.7 million
#futurism – 23.7 million
#entrepreneurship – 23 million
#careers – 22.4 million
#markets – 22 million
#startups – 21.4 million
#marketing – 20.3 million
#socialmedia – 19.8 million
