LinkedIn hashtags are a simple yet powerful way to boost your business’s visibility and reach. By using the right hashtags, you can increase discoverability, engage with your target audience, and grow your brand. This article by System SocialZ will guide you on how to effectively use LinkedIn hashtags to drive business growth.
What are LinkedIn hashtags?
LinkedIn hashtags are keywords or phrases that categorize content, making it easier for users to find and engage with relevant topics. By adding hashtags to your posts, comments, articles, and profiles, you increase your content’s visibility and make it part of broader conversations on the platform.
Hashtags help you reach a wider audience, connect with professionals who share similar interests or work in your industry, and tap into trending topics. They’re essential tools for boosting engagement, expanding your reach, and joining relevant discussions on LinkedIn.
When did hashtags arrive on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn hashtags have had a bumpy history. Initially introduced, they were quickly removed due to low user engagement. In 2016, hashtags returned on the mobile app, allowing users to tap them for related content, but they remained underused. By 2017, hashtags reappeared on the desktop version, though their purpose was still unclear.
In early 2018, LinkedIn tested mandatory hashtags in posts to explore their role in enhancing discoverability. Today, hashtags are fully integrated and widely used, making it easier for users to engage with relevant content and expand their reach.
Now, let’s dive into how you can effectively use LinkedIn hashtags to grow your business.
How do hashtags work on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn hashtags function much like those on TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram by categorizing content to increase discoverability.
Incorporating hashtags into your LinkedIn content helps you reach a broader audience. Users can follow hashtags, which means posts containing those tags appear on their feeds, boosting visibility.
For marketers, hashtags are crucial in amplifying content reach. Despite talk of hashtags fading, they’re more important than ever as part of social SEO strategies.
As platforms increasingly resemble search engines, generic hashtags won’t cut it. Focus on selecting industry-specific hashtags to maximize engagement and track which combinations work best for future use.
Why should you be using them?
LinkedIn hashtags is a powerful platform for professionals, and strategically using hashtags can significantly enhance its effectiveness. If you haven’t incorporated hashtags into your LinkedIn strategy yet, you might be missing out on key benefits.
Here’s why you should start using hashtags on LinkedIn:
Discover job opportunities
If you’re seeking job opportunities or networking groups on LinkedIn, consider searching for hashtags relevant to your industry.
For instance, if you’re in marketing, using hashtags like #digitalmarketing can connect you with groups such as Marketing Professionals Network, where you can discover job openings, insightful articles, and event invitations.
By following these hashtags and prominent industry leaders, you’ll stay informed about exciting career prospects and valuable networking opportunities.
Boost visibility and attract recruiters
To increase your visibility on LinkedIn, using relevant hashtags in your posts is crucial. For example, if you’re starting out in graphic design, hashtags like #graphicdesignjobs or #designcareers can help you connect with recruiters and other design professionals.
Consistently using industry-specific hashtags ensures that your profile reaches the right audience and enhances your chances of making valuable connections.
Gain insights from industry leaders
If you’re seeking advice from top influencers and experts in your industry, strategically using LinkedIn hashtags can significantly boost the visibility of your posts.
For instance, if you’re interested in insights on scaling your startup, incorporating hashtags such as #entrepreneurship or #startupsuccess in your posts can increase the likelihood that influential figures in the startup ecosystem will see and engage with your content. These industry leaders may offer valuable advice, share their experiences, or even provide direct support.
Stay informed and explore new sectors
LinkedIn hashtags are great for exploring new sectors and keeping up with trends. For example, hashtags like #renewableenergy can lead you to valuable discussions and insights, opening up new business opportunities.
This is especially useful if you’re entering a new field or want to stay informed about the latest developments in your industry.
Facilitate meaningful conversations
Hashtags facilitate connections with individuals who share your interests and professional focus. For example, by using hashtags like #dataanalytics, you can engage in relevant conversations, access the latest insights, and stay informed about industry trends.
This approach not only helps you keep up with advancements in the field but also enhances your networking opportunities by connecting you with professionals who are passionate about the same topics. By participating in discussions tagged with such hashtags, you can build meaningful connections and expand your professional network more effectively.
Enhance credibility
Incorporating specific hashtags relevant to your industry, such as #contentmarketing, can enhance your credibility on LinkedIn. This practice increases the visibility of your content to those interested in content marketing, highlighting your expertise and helping to establish trust with your audience.
How to use hashtags on LinkedIn
There are multiple strategies for effectively using LinkedIn hashtags to boost your visibility. Here are some examples of how and where to incorporate them on the platform:
How to add hashtags to your LinkedIn business page
Not sure where to start with LinkedIn hashtags? Your LinkedIn business page is a great place to begin.
Navigate to your page and click on “Edit Page” on the left side. Then, go to the “Community tab” and select “Hashtags”. You can add up to three hashtags by clicking on “+ Add a hashtag”.
Adding hashtags to your LinkedIn business page helps it appear in relevant search results and enhances visibility. It also enables you to engage with your target audience—those interested in your brand, industry, products, and services.
How to add hashtags to your LinkedIn posts
Posts are a key element of LinkedIn feeds. Boost your posts’ visibility by incorporating carefully chosen hashtags. Use the “#” symbol to add keywords and hashtags directly to your content.
You can include hashtags naturally within the post’s content or group them at the end to keep your main message clear and focused. This approach helps your posts rank higher for relevant keywords and reach a broader audience.
How to add hashtags to your LinkedIn articles
Publishing articles on LinkedIn? Enhance their visibility by including relevant hashtags. You can incorporate hashtags within the body of your articles or place them at the end to maintain the flow of your content.
Once published, your LinkedIn hashtags will become clickable and searchable, allowing your articles to contribute to trending discussions and topics. Additionally, when sharing your articles in posts, be sure to include hashtags to maximize their reach and engagement.
How to add hashtags to your LinkedIn comments
Lastly, incorporating hashtags into your comments on LinkedIn can enhance your visibility and engagement when interacting with others. When using hashtags in comments, ensure they are used naturally to avoid appearing spammy or insincere. Only include hashtags that are directly relevant to the discussion or topic being addressed.
Overusing hashtags or forcing them into comments where they don’t fit can detract from the quality of the interaction and may be perceived as spam. Instead, focus on adding value to the conversation with relevant hashtags that enhance the discussion and connect with the right audience.
How to find and follow new LinkedIn hashtags
You understand how to use hashtags, but finding the right ones for your brand is crucial. Here are three effective methods to discover and follow hashtags that matter to your business:
Use the LinkedIn search bar
The simplest way to find relevant hashtags on LinkedIn is to use the platform’s search function.
Go to the search bar at the top of your LinkedIn page and enter keywords related to your field, business, or content.
For instance, if you’re a fintech company, you might search for hashtags like #financialtechnology or #fintechinnovation. You can also explore additional suggestions in the drop-down menu, such as #fintechtrends or #financialtechstartups.
Clicking on a hashtag will show you related content and allow you to follow users who frequently discuss those topics, helping you stay updated and engaged with relevant discussions.
Use social listening to identify trends
Track conversations and posts within your industry, particularly those from thought leaders and influencers, to identify emerging trends. Pay attention to the hashtags they frequently use.
Leverage a social listening tool to monitor specific topics and keywords. For instance, if you’re in the tech sector, track hashtags like #AItechnology or #TechInnovation to see how they’re performing.
A key benefit of using such tools is their ability to uncover popular hashtags across various platforms, allowing you to evaluate their relevance and potential impact on LinkedIn before you incorporate them into your strategy.
Use “Followed Hashtags” to find more related hashtags
A third method for discovering relevant hashtags is to review the ones you’re already following. On the left side of your LinkedIn feed, you’ll find a section labeled “Followed Hashtags” just below the “Groups” section.
Clicking on “Followed Hashtags” will show you suggestions for related hashtags that you might find interesting and relevant to your industry or interests. This can help you expand your hashtag strategy and stay updated with new and related topics.
Tips for optimizing your hashtags on LinkedIn
Hashtags can be tricky—misuse or overuse can diminish their effectiveness. To maximize their impact and reach, use them strategically.
Here are four tips to optimize your LinkedIn hashtags:
Use LinkedIn analytics to refine your hashtag strategy
Refine your strategy by analyzing how the hashtags you’re using affect your brand’s visibility and engagement on LinkedIn. Leverage LinkedIn Analytics to track the performance of posts with specific hashtags and gain insights into their effectiveness.
For example, you might find that hashtags like #techstartups generate more interest from your audience compared to #startuptech. Alternatively, some hashtags might boost your overall reach, while others may lead to better engagement. Use these insights from LinkedIn Analytics to adjust your hashtag strategy for future content, optimizing both reach and interaction.
Use hashtags sparingly and strategically
Avoid overloading your posts and articles with LinkedIn hashtags. Instead, use a balanced mix of niche and popular hashtags to optimize both reach and targeted engagement.
For LinkedIn posts, aim to use 3-5 hashtags that are highly relevant to your content. This approach helps you achieve a good balance between broad visibility and focused audience interaction.
Capitalize each word
When using hashtags with multiple words, capitalize the first letter of each word for better readability. For example, instead of writing #startupgrowth, use #StartupGrowth. This formatting style, known as Pascal Case, enhances accessibility.
Capitalization improves readability for everyone and is especially important for accessibility. Blind and visually impaired individuals rely on screen readers to interpret web content. Proper capitalization helps screen readers accurately identify and vocalize each word in the hashtag.
Place hashtags at the end of your post
Avoid placing hashtags prominently in your posts; instead, position them strategically. LinkedIn typically shows only a line or two of your post in users’ home feeds, so focus on capturing attention with your main message.
While LinkedIn’s algorithm uses hashtags to categorize your content, the placement of hashtags does not impact how often your post appears. Putting hashtags at the top can detract from the main point and reduce engagement. For better results, incorporate hashtags at the end of your post to keep the focus on your key message while still benefiting from hashtag categorization.
Use both general and niche hashtags in each post
LinkedIn suggests using up to 3 hashtags per post, though there is no strict limit. Even if you include 10 hashtags, your post will still be visible under all of them. The recommendation likely aims to prevent posts from looking cluttered with excessive hashtags, which can detract from user experience.
While you’re not restricted to just 3 hashtags, avoid overloading your post to prevent it from appearing spammy. For optimal results, use 1 or 2 general hashtags and 1 or 2 very specific ones. This strategy ensures your content reaches both a broad audience interested in the general topic and a more targeted audience with specific interests or viewpoints.
Experiment with different hashtags
Growing on LinkedIn involves continuous testing and refining, including experimenting with your hashtag strategy.
For instance, if you’re in the health and wellness industry and commonly use #health, you can enhance your reach and relevance by incorporating niche hashtags like #wellnessjourney or #nutritionalhealth into your posts and articles that focus on these specific themes.
By testing various hashtags, you may discover those that resonate strongly with your target audience. This process also helps you identify and replace underperforming hashtags, optimizing your content’s visibility and engagement.
Track your competitors
Monitor your competitors to see which hashtags they’re using and how well they’re performing. This competitive insight helps you discover trending topics and identify relevant hashtags to incorporate into your own content.
For example, if you observe that a competitor in the e-commerce space is gaining significant engagement with #EcommerceTrends, consider how you might integrate this hashtag into your posts.
Evaluate whether the hashtag fits with upcoming blog posts or articles you’re planning. Think about how you can contribute a unique perspective to the conversation under this hashtag. The aim is to draw inspiration and spot trends that you can adapt to enhance your own strategy, rather than simply copying what others are doing.
Creating new LinkedIn hashtags
Creating a new hashtag on LinkedIn is straightforward—just type a `#` followed by your chosen combination of letters and numbers, and your hashtag will be instantly created with its own page on LinkedIn.
However, consider this carefully before diving in. Popular hashtags like #leadership or #techinnovation started with zero followers, so establishing a new hashtag can be challenging.
If you believe your hashtag has the potential to attract a substantial following or is part of a strategic campaign, it might be worth pursuing. However, on LinkedIn, the number of followers a hashtag attracts is more important than its frequency of use.
For smaller companies, it might be more effective to focus on using the @companyname feature to direct users to your company page rather than creating a new hashtag. This approach can help build your brand’s presence and engagement more effectively.
How many hashtags should I use on LinkedIn?
Contrary to popular belief, LinkedIn does not provide specific guidelines on the ideal number of hashtags to use in a single post, nor is there a strict limit on the total number of hashtags.
So, how many hashtags should you use on LinkedIn? The best approach is to adhere to general best practices for social media.
Most marketing experts agree that using 3 to 5 LinkedIn hashtags per post is effective. This range helps you reach your target audience without appearing spammy.
For instance, using an excessive number of hashtags can overwhelm readers and make your post look cluttered. An example of poor hashtag use might include a long list of seemingly random tags, which can be off-putting and hard to read at a glance.
Best practices for using hashtags on LinkedIn
To enhance your visibility and engagement on LinkedIn, using hashtags effectively is crucial. Here are some best practices to follow:
- Avoid Spaces: Keep hashtags as a single, continuous phrase. For example, use #DigitalMarketingForBeginners rather than separating the words.
- Limit Your Hashtags: Using too many hashtags can lead LinkedIn’s algorithm to classify your post as spam, reducing its reach. Stick to a manageable number.
- Ensure Clarity: Choose hashtags that are clear and unambiguous to avoid misinterpretation.
- Skip Punctuation: Punctuation can break up hashtags and make them less effective. Use only letters and numbers.
- Keep It Simple: Opt for brief and straightforward hashtags. Simple hashtags are easier to remember and more likely to become trending.
- Check for Existing Use: Verify that your hashtag isn’t already associated with unrelated topics to ensure your content stays relevant.
- Integrate Naturally: Incorporate hashtags smoothly into your content to make them feel organic and relevant.
By following these practices, you can make your LinkedIn posts more discoverable and engaging.
The most popular LinkedIn hashtags in 2024
LinkedIn hashtags remain a key feature in 2024, with many hashtags amassing millions of followers. The most popular ones are typically single words and cover broad topics, making them widely applicable across various industries.
Here’s a curated list of 30 trending LinkedIn hashtags relevant to marketers, reflecting high follower counts as of 2024:
#innovation – 38,411,129 followers
#management – 35,598,286 followers
#humanresources – 32,898,825 followers
#digitalmarketing – 27,095,863 followers
#technology – 26,161,748 followers
#creativity – 24,925,069 followers
#future – 24,304,980 followers
#futurism – 23,219,190 followers
#entrepreneurship – 22,469,540 followers
#careers – 22,286,006 followers
#markets – 22,001,983 followers
#startups – 21,011,950 followers
#marketing – 20,178,414 followers
#socialmedia – 19,491,703 followers
#venturecapital – 19,100,660 followers
#socialnetworking – 18,826,357 followers
#leanstartups – 18,782,560 followers
#branding – 17,838,214 followers
#advertisingandmarketing – 17,002,362 followers
#motivation – 15,629,846 followers
#personaldevelopment – 14,529,875 followers
#investing – 14,249,587 followers
#jobinterviews – 14,171,761 followers
#sustainability – 13,162,614 followers
#personalbranding – 10,350,194 followers
#education – 9,545,127 followers
#customerrelations – 8,514,104 followers
#productivity – 8,363,545 followers
#sales – 5,826,765 followers
#socialentrepreneurship – 5,746,331 followers
Frequently asked questions
Is using too many hashtags bad on LinkedIn?
Overusing or misusing hashtags can make your post look spammy and desperate. Instead, focus on selecting a few well-chosen hashtags that genuinely align with your content. This approach ensures your post remains relevant and engaging, rather than overwhelming your audience.
Is there a hashtag generator?
By entering a description or theme of your content, the tool can generate relevant hashtags that match your topic. This functionality helps maintain a cohesive visual aesthetic, improves content discovery, and makes it easier for users to browse and search for specific types of content on their profiles.
What is the difference between tagging and hashtags on LinkedIn?
Tagging users is like giving them a nudge—just type @ followed by their name, like @ReyDomingo, and they’ll be notified. On the other hand, a hashtag acts as a label for content, helping users interested in specific topics easily find related posts.
What are the top LinkedIn hashtags for job seekers?
Consider using hashtags like #LookingForWork, #CareerSearch, #NowHiring, #JobOpportunity, #SeekingEmployment, #WorkFromHome, and #HiringNow when you share posts. This strategy enhances the chances that hiring professionals will notice your content.
Where should hashtags go on LinkedIn?
As we’ll explore, you can incorporate hashtags within the body of your text or simply add them at the end of your post. However, most people tend to position them at the end of their LinkedIn posts.
Why are hashtags not working on LinkedIn today?
LinkedIn suggests several potential reasons for visibility issues. First, verify that your profile is set to public rather than private. Additionally, ensure you’re using relevant search terms to improve discoverability. Lastly, check if the hashtag you’re using is on LinkedIn’s list of banned hashtags, as this could affect your post’s reach.
Conclusion
Using LinkedIn hashtags effectively can significantly boost your business’s visibility and engagement. By choosing relevant hashtags and incorporating them strategically in your posts and interactions, you can reach a broader audience and connect with industry professionals. Follow articles at System SocialZ to maximize your LinkedIn presence and drive meaningful growth.