### Is this the twilight of hashtags on LinkedIn?

Is this the twilight of hashtags?

LinkedIn has not officially announced plans to eliminate hashtags, but there is growing speculation on the matter. In recent times, we have observed that hashtags are not functioning as they used to. For instance, they sometimes don't highlight in blue, are not clickable, or yield suspiciously modest search results.

Is this due to a temporary issue with the platform? Or are these changes being tested on a broader user base?

Historically, hashtags have been considered a significant factor in a post's success. Their importance seemed to increase with the introduction of the “Creator Mode” feature, where we included them in our profiles. However, even with “Creator Mode,” hashtags didn't generate appreciably more reach and were often misused through mass embedding in posts.

What are hashtags for?

Hashtags serve two primary functions:

Finding content: By clicking on a hashtag, you can immediately access related publications.

Drawing attention to content: Hashtags change the color of the phrase, making it stand out and catch the reader's eye.

LinkedIn has recently emphasized expert content that is both informative and reader-friendly. Excessive or inappropriate use of hashtags can make content unreadable, with too many highlighted phrases, non-standard clusters of words, or the use of irrelevant but popular hashtags. Numerous studies show that an abundance of hashtags does not significantly improve reach.

Do we really still need them?

Currently, LinkedIn's search engine effectively allows users to find content using keywords, regardless of whether posts include hashtags. Therefore, it doesn't matter much whether we search for posts by keyword in the search engine, click on the hashtag itself, or use the hashtag's follow option.

In terms of catching the eye, hashtags face strong competition from emoticons, which are making a significant comeback. Text generators also enrich social post proposals with graphic elements, further reducing the need for hashtags.

On the path to simplicity, hashtags are gradually losing their significance. Ever since Instagram users started adding simple keywords to their posts without hashtags, it was clear that a new era was beginning. This shift is due to the improved tuning of algorithms and search mechanisms.

However, hashtags are still alive and will likely stay with us for some time. I will continue to educate on their judicious use during my future social media training sessions.

And what are your observations?