On a site like LinkedIn, it might seem impossible to get your content noticed or find the content you want to see. Using LinkedIn hashtags makes that job a lot easier. In this article, you will learn what a LinkedIn hashtag is and how to use them to make your LinkedIn experience the best it can be, as well as some other excellent LinkedIn marketing tips.
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What Is a Hashtag Used For?
Before using LinkedIn hashtags, you need to know what is a hashtag and what is used for. A hashtag consists of the pound sign (#) followed by a short phrase that relates to the content. The main purpose of a hashtag is to categorize content. A viewer should click on your hashtag and find a variety of similar content to explore. On the flip side, hashtags also make content discoverable. A viewer could click on a hashtag on another post, see all the content with the same hashtag, and then find your content.
So why should you use hashtags on LinkedIn? Beyond making your content more discoverable, using LinkedIn hashtags can help increase your credibility, reach people who value your insight, and start meaningful conversations about shared interests. They can also help build a sense of community by connecting people with similar interests online to share their knowledge.
LinkedIn hashtags are a useful tool, but they must be used correctly if you are to get the most out of them. When you look into how to use hashtags on LinkedIn, you will find guidelines that will make your LinkedIn hashtags a more effective part of your overall social media strategy.
How to Use Hashtags on LinkedIn
Learning how to use hashtags on LinkedIn is simple. Whether you want to make your content more discoverable or explore new and interesting content, all it takes is the pound symbol and a short phrase.
Adding a Hashtag to a LinkedIn Update
There are three simple ways to include LinkedIn hashtags on an update. First, you can make your own. Begin with the pound sign followed by a relevant keyword. The second way is using hashtag suggestions. When you begin to write a hashtag, LinkedIn automatically gives you suggestions to choose from. Simply select the one you want to use. Finally, you can click the ad hashtag feature at the bottom of the share box and either type your desired hashtag or explore LinkedIn’s suggested hashtags.
Adding Hashtags to a LinkedIn Article
Once you are done writing an article, click publish. A pop-up window will appear. There will be a field titled “tell your network what your article is about.” In this field, add the desired LinkedIn hashtags. It is important to note that once an article is published, the hashtags can not be edited. Make sure they are exactly as you want them, correctly spelled and formatted before you finish publishing your article.
Things to Keep in Mind When Using Hashtags on LinkedIn
Whether you’re using hashtags on LinkedIn or any other platform, there are a few rules that hold true no matter what:
- Do not use punctuation, spaces, or symbols besides the pound right at the beginning. If you do, the hashtag will not work.
- When using multi-word hashtags, capitalize the first letter of every word. Because you can not use spaces, the different words might be difficult for readers to decipher. Capitalizing the first letter of each word will vastly improve the readability and prevent the need for spaces that would break the link.
- Only use relevant hashtags. Using unrelated hashtags will not work. Using irrelevant hashtags could bring a larger audience, but are unlikely to be the right audience. Obscure hashtags are unlikely to be searched making your content more difficult to find. One niche hashtag is alright to use, but more than that will make your content far less discoverable.
- Keep hashtags short. The shorter a hashtag is, the easier it is to remember. People are more likely to search for memorable hashtags.
- Use a limited number of hashtags. Too many hashtags can look like spam. A hashtag is used for categorization. There are only so many ways to categorize one post. LinkedIn recommends only using three hashtags per post.
- Check the spelling. If your hashtag is misspelled, viewers looking for the correctly spelled hashtag will miss your content.
By keeping these rules in mind, the LinkedIn hashtags you create will be more successful.
Following Hashtags on LinkedIn
When not creating your own hashtags, LinkedIn has a plethora that you can follow. By following LinkedIn hashtags, you can tailor your feed to your specific, personal interests. After following a hashtag, you will find yourself exposed to several new people who share your interests, opening you up to networking opportunities. Following and managing the LinkedIn hashtags you follow is easy and the perfect way to see the content that you want to see more often.
How to Follow LinkedIn Hashtags
When you follow a hashtag, you will begin to see related content in your feed right away. The process of following the desired hashtag on LinkedIn is uncomplicated.
Begin by searching the desired hashtag in LinkedIn’s search bar, located in the top left corner of the website. You can also click a hashtag from a post. Once you hit search or click the hashtag from a post, you will be taken to a page where you can find content related to the desired hashtag. There will be a follow button at the top of the page. Once you hit the follow button, you should immediately begin to see the related content in your feed.
If the content you follow relates to the content you post, you can look at the content you follow for hashtag inspiration. Do not steal another person’s hashtags, but if you find a hashtag appearing in related content often, evaluate if it would fit your content.
How to Manage LinkedIn Hashtags
After a while of following a hashtag, you may find that it no longer interests you. You could search for the hashtag or click on it in a post and unfollow it the same way you followed it in the first place. This process can become tedious in case that there is more than one hashtag you would like to unfollow. Luckily, there is a place where all of your followed hashtags are listed with the capability to easily unfollow.
At the top of the LinkedIn website right next to the Home button, is the My Network button. On the left side of the screen is a drop-down list titled Manage my network. If the menu is minimized, click show more. At the bottom of the list will be a button titled # Hashtags. Click this button. This will bring you to a page where all your followed hashtags will be displayed. From here you can scroll through the hashtags you follow and unfollow the ones that no longer interest or benefit you.
If you accidentally unfollow a hashtag that you did not mean to unfollow, the hashtag will remain on the page until you leave the page. Just press the follow button again to refollow the hashtag.
How Using Hashtags on LinkedIn Differs From Other Social Media Platforms
Hashtags have long been used by social media platforms to categorize content and LinkedIn is no exception. However, there are a few differences in the way hashtags should be used on LinkedIn. One difference is that LinkedIn is a platform for professionals. Your hashtags should reflect that. A hashtag referencing a meme could work for Instagram hashtags, but not LinkedIn. The hashtags you use on LinkedIn should reflect how you want to be viewed in the professional world.
Another feature of LinkedIn is a notification proclaiming that your post is trending. Unlike on other social media platforms where trending refers to a post being extremely popular, trending on LinkedIn means that your post is one of the first ones shown on that LinkedIn hashtag’s feed. You get the benefit of being shown high up on the page, but it is usually short-lived and a common phenomenon on LinkedIn. Most people will find their content trending from time to time.
The number of content creators on the site will also affect how hashtags are used on LinkedIn. With only 1-2% of LinkedIn users actively creating content weekly, LinkedIn users are creating far less content than other social media users. There is a bigger number of viewers than there are creators. If you utilize the right hashtags, your content is very likely to be discovered by the other 98% of LinkedIn users.
It is important to keep these differences in mind when you are crafting your strategy. Hashtags are a great way to get your content noticed across all social media platforms, but the hashtag style is not universal.
Why Should You Use LinkedIn Hashtags?
A simple phrase preceded by the pound symbol can open up your LinkedIn experience to a larger audience. When LinkedIn hashtags are used correctly, they can help connect you to the right people who want to see and want to keep seeing your content. They can help you find a community of people who share your same interests. Using hashtags on LinkedIn makes you more discoverable, which can open you up to a world of possibilities professionally if you connect with the right people.
FAQ:
- What is a hashtag?
- How many hashtags should I use?
- Why are hashtags useful on LinkedIn?
- What does it mean to trend on LinkedIn?
- Why won’t my hashtag work?
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