Level Up Your 2024 LinkedIn Strategy with the Power of Hashtags

Simple Steps to Broaden Your Reach with the Right Hashtags

Do hashtags actually matter on LinkedIn? The anwer is a resounding yes. Adding relevant hashtags to your LinkedIn posts helps the right people find you. They amplify your organic reach and can strategically promote your events or products.

They act as labels for your content and bring in more views, clicks, and connections.

Mastering the art of hashtags can indeed make a difference. Here are some simple steps to level up your LinkedIn presence with hashtags for 2024.

(Note: Hashtags are like signposts leading people to your content. But if the content itself is a poor, they'll just keep walking and won't engage)

Step 1: Do a Simple Research

Don't just add hashtags that you think make sense. And don't just blindly follow the hashtags that chatGPT recommends. From my experience, they often miss the mark. By doing simple research, you can dive deeper and discover the ones with a broad reach and potential effectiveness.

A good start is to find out how many followers each hashtag has. Here is how you find out their follower count :

• Simply use LinkedIn's search bar. Type in "#" followed by the hashtag you want to explore, and you'll see the follower count. This gives you a great starting point to gauge the hashtag's reach and potential effectiveness.'
• Alternatively, use this URL https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/hashtag/b2bmarketing/. Replace “b2bmarketing” with the hashtag you want to research.
• You can also unlock advanced insights with free tools like Inlytics.io. https://www.inlytics.io/tools/linkedin-hashtags. It provides an in-depth analysis of hashtags, helping you identify "hidden gems" and track their performance over time.

Step 2: Implement Hashtags the Right Way

It's not just about numbers; it's also about relevance and specificity. Here's how to put your newly acquired knowledge into action:

• Add the top Hashtags on your Company Page: Start on your business page's homepage. Click on the "Add" button on the bottom right under "Hashtags." A smaller page will open up. Click "Add a hashtag" and select up to three hashtags. You're all set.
• Add hashtags to your profile: Activate Creator mode to unlock this feature. You’ll be able to add up to 5 hashtags (as well as have access to LinkedIn Live posts, audio events, and the newsletters feature)—a simple way to build new, relevant connections.
• Add Hashtags to Posts :

1. Create and Share a Hashtag List with Your Team: Create organized lists of hashtags with follower count and relevancy score tailored to different types of content, making it easy for your team to choose the right ones for their posts ( and their profiles!). Prioritize relevant hashtags (quality over quantity).
2. Combine General & Niche Hashtags: Strike the perfect balance using a mix of general and niche hashtags. This helps you reach a wider audience while also attracting a highly targeted audience.
3. Use 3-10 hashtags per post: LinkedIn recommends using three hashtags per post (they are more focused on aesthetics, it seems), while research (by Hootsuite) suggests you can go up to a maximum of 10. Ultimately, focus on quality over quantity and use hashtags strategically. Avoid cluttering your posts.

• Add hashtags on Articles and other Assets: Leverage hashtags in your articles and newsletters. You can write hashtags at the end of your article as text; once you publish them, they’ll turn into clickable hashtags. This helps your content get discovered by a wider audience.

Step 3: Continuously refine your strategy for maximum impact:

• Research upcoming trends and incorporate relevant "trending hashtags" into your content. Like any other search engine, LinkedIn's search bar can be used to find trending hashtags. You can start by typing keywords related to your industry or topic of interest. LinkedIn will display relevant hashtags along with the number of followers they have. This will give you a list of trending posts on Linkedin related to your chosen topic. You can also use www.explodingtopics.com to find trending topics in general.

• Experiment and Adapt: Experiment with different hashtags and track results to optimize your strategy.

In summary, to effectively use hashtags on LinkedIn, research and select the right hashtags for your content, use them strategically, and optimize your LinkedIn pages and profiles with hashtags. Use LinkedIn analytics to measure the effectiveness of your hashtag strategy, experiment with different hashtags, and refine your strategy based on the data. With this, you can make 2024 a year with more impactful connections and increased engagement!

BONUS : Best Times to Post on LinkedIn

The best times to post on LinkedIn vary based on location and markets, but research provides some useful guidelines. The research, including those conducted by HubSpot, SproutSocial, and Influencermarketing Hub, have identified common threads in their findings:

• Wednesday at 12 pm: A consistent top pick among various research findings.
• Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 8 am–10 am: After the Monday rush, people tend to check LinkedIn during the early work hours.
• Thursday at 9 am: With higher traffic, Thursday marks a peak period as people mentally wind down for the approaching weekend.
• Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 8 am–5 pm: Midweek proves fruitful, striking a balance between post-Monday catch-up and pre-weekend anticipation.
• Fridays before noon: Although Fridays see lower traffic, an early morning post can catch attention before the weekend mindset takes over.

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