How to Use Hashtags on LinkedIn

Wondering how to effectively use hashtags on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn hashtags were introduced in 2018. And while you may already be familiar with Instagram hashtags and Twitter.

LinkedIn’s hashtag terrain is a little different from the other social networks.

Just like Twitter or Instagram, a LinkedIn hashtag is any combination of letters, numbers, or emoji that follow the # symbol.

Using hashtags on LinkedIn will make your content easier to find, expand your reach and allow you to connect with other members interested in similar topics.

But first things first, why LinkedIn?

• LinkedIn is the most popular platform for B2B marketers
• Of 640 million users, just 3 million users share content weekly
• LinkedIn makes up more than 50% of all social traffic to B2B websites
• 91% of marketing executives list LinkedIn as the top place to find quality content.
• 92% of B2B marketers include LinkedIn in their digital marketing mix

Since LinkedIn is hell-bent on becoming the premier social network for professionals and the LinkedIn membership base has grown like crazy.

Use hashtags with good writing

Don’t leave your hashtags hanging.

Even if you’re sharing an image or video, hashtags are no substitute for stellar copy.

Hashtags can be placed after copy, or embedded within copy as long as it makes sense to do so.

As a best practice, write your copy and then see if certain keywords can be made into hashtags. 

#Do #not #hashtag #every #word.

Not only will this look like spam, there’s no point in tagging words that aren’t important.

Always remember the goal of your post, and use hashtags to facilitate them, not compete with them.

Include punctuation, but in the right places

Like hashtags elsewhere, Linkedin hashtags can only include letters, numbers and emoji. Any spaces or symbols used within the tag will break the link.

That means no apostrophes, commas, exclamation points, or hyphens.

Here are some key punctuation do’s and don’ts:

• DON’T add spaces. Multiple word hashtags should be grouped together. For example: #JustDoIt not #Just Do It.
• DO capitalize multi-word hashtags. Titlecasing will vastly improve readability and will prevent hashtags from being read incorrectly.
• DON’T use symbols or punctuation marks. Grammarians may cringe over turning I’m into Im or you’re into youre, but hashtags operate under their own rules. Thus, Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign slogan “I’m With Her” became #ImWithHer in hashtag format.
• DO include punctuation around your hashtag. If your hashtag is in a sentence and should be followed by a comma, end mark, or other form of punctuation, including one will not affect the tag.
• DO check your spelling. Hashtags can often be overlooked in proofreads, but a misspelled hashtag is a missed connection.

Don’t overdo it

There are no limits to the number of hashtags you can use in a post on LinkedIn. That said, we recommend that you limit each post to a maximum of five hashtags.

Using too many hashtags on LinkedIn could also result in the algorithm marking your post as spam.

Make sure your hashtags are public

If you run a business profile on LinkedIn, your profile and posts most likely already are public. But it never hurts to check.

Find your brand’s niche

There’s a niche community online for every industry and subject, and they often use specific hashtags.

Whether your followers are self-described #avgeeks or #girlswholift, using the right niche hashtag will connect you to an online community that’s passionate about your industry.

But don’t be afraid to use popular hashtags

Not everyone is familiar with niche tags, so strike a balance by using popular general hashtags, too.

Consider location-based hashtags

70% of LinkedIn users live outside of the United States. If your post or article is about a certain region, or directed at a particular geography, it could be worthwhile to add a destination hashtag.

Use LinkedIn’s suggested hashtags

LinkedIn will automatically suggested relevant hashtags when you begin to write a post. If they seem like a good fit, include them. But don’t add them just for the sake of it.

Be deliberate in your hashtag use.

Follow hashtags to discover more ideas

Start following hashtags relevant to your brand. Posts with the hashtags you decide to follow will show up in your LinkedIn feed.

You can also pin your favourites to your homepage.

Identify your most successful posts

Identify which of your posts and articles have performed the best. What hashtags did you include?

If a certain hashtag is frequently found in your top posts, that one may be a keeper.

Use event hashtags

Many professionals use LinkedIn to network before, during, and after industry conferences and events.

These days most events have hashtags. Use an event hashtag to signal your company’s presence or involvement–whether virtual or in person.

Create a campaign or company hashtag

Create a hashtag to coincide with a brand campaign or recurring company initiative.

An example is pictured above #LinkedInHeroes

Here are a few do’s and don’ts to consider before you get started:

• DO be original. Don’t rip off a competitor’s tag.
• DON’T use too many words that typically require punctuation.
• DO keep it short and simple. The best campaign hashtags are usually three to four words. Think: #ShareACoke #LinkedInCreators

The company hashtag can be automatically appended to employee posts, which helps to increase the visibility of your company and tag company-related content.

Know when to @ mention

Don’t use a hashtag where it may be better to @ mention.

If you’re trying to tag a company or person, tagging them with the @ symbol followed by their name is a better way to get their attention.

Content Library

One way that hashtags have been leveraged effectively on LinkedIn is when creators have used them to link to library of content.

#AskNat and #LinkedInHeroes are examples of this.

Branding

Branded hashtags either contain the name of your brand or is something that you created exclusively for your brand.

There are two key benefits of using hashtags for branding.

The first one is the possibility of monitoring the performance of your campaign, simply by focusing on just your branded hashtags.

The second one is user-generated content.

Every time a user puts one of your branded hashtags inside one of their posts, they are increasing your presence on social media.

Now over to you

• To see what hashtags you are following - CLICK HERE
• To find more popular hashtags - CLICK HERE

Drop a comment below with your brand hashtag so other readers and I can support your content.

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