The platform LinkedIn started in 2003, and the use of clickable hashtags was not allowed until 2016. Now, as a LinkedIn user, you can sit in front of your computer to add hashtags to your new content and this can also be done with your smartphone.
Other social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter have encouraged the use of hashtags as a way for their users to connect with their communities. These platforms even offer analytics, thus allowing content creators and influencers to know their impact.
Let’s consider the basics of using hashtags on LinkedIn and how to find the top trending ones in your niche.
Do Hashtags Work on LinkedIn?
The answer is a big YES, hashtags works on LinkedIn. Adding them to your status update, your content, and your business page will help reach an audience beyond your network. Browsing through hashtag feeds will help you see what conversations are happening surrounding any topic.
Using Hashtags on Your LinkedIn Status Update
• Just typing the pound sign followed by the word. As you are typing out your hashtag, LinkedIn will immediately auto-generate hashtag suggestions based on things trending and popular.
• Click on the “Add Hashtag” button on the bottom left of the box and select one of the related hashtags next to the “Add Hashtag” button.
Using Hashtags on Your LinkedIn Article
Using Hashtags on Your Business Page
• Start from your business page’s homepage.
• Click on the “Add” button on the bottom right under the “Hashtags.” A page will pop open up. It’s a page where users are allowed to add three hashtags related to their business page.
• Click “Add a hashtag” and then select up to three hashtags that are related to your line of business.
That being said, keep these few things in mind when using hashtags:
• Don’t make the mistake of going overboard, just stick to three hashtags. It’s enough to target the main keywords without even looking spammy.
• Hashtags can’t be used in place of copy, this means they don’t provide any context, their future is to improve your discoverability.
Finding Top LinkedIn Hashtags
1. Recommended
2. Popular
3. Trending
• Find the “Discover More” button by clicking on it.
On the mobile app, this appears when you click on your profile picture on the top left corner of the LinkedIn page. On desktop view, it will appear at the bottom of the left sidebar.
• On this very page, you’ll see trending pages, recommended connections and pages, and hashtags toward the bottom of the page.
For instance, as a marketer, LinkedIn will recommend different marketing-related hashtags, like #digitalmarketing, #seo, and #contentwriter.
How to Follow Hashtags on LinkedIn
Following hashtags allows you to see what other content creators are posting, how users are responding to them. This will allow you ideas for future posts.
• Go over to the search bar and type the hashtag you want to follow.
• Select an option from the dropdown menu by clicking on it. This will take you to the hashtag’s feed where you will see all content published with the hashtag.
Now, you’re following the hashtag, you will be able to see it on the left sidebar under “Followed Hashtags” when navigating on your computer. On the LinkedIn mobile app, you will access the hashtags you follow by clicking on your profile picture on the top left of the window and scroll down to the “Followed Hashtags” dropdown menu.
Understand that hashtags are integral to the success of your content. By depending on LinkedIn’s hashtag recommendations and your analytics, you will ensure your posts can reach the right audience.
