Guide to Using LinkedIn Hashtags in 2022

LinkedIn introduced the hashtag feature in 2018 , an already staple element to other social media platforms and a key method in grouping content together. The question is, do they work? In this blog, we will explore how to use hashtags effectively on LinkedIn to boost your company presence, engagement levels and target your audience more specifically. 

How to use hashtags on LinkedIn? 

Hashtags allow your content to be grouped, meaning that the relevant people with those interest and professional desires can easily find content surrounding the hashtag they search for. It’s all well and good knowing what they are and dropping one into the end of a conversation with your kids to look cool, #LOL.

LinkedIn is the fastest-growing, business-focused social media network on this planet, with over 700 million members around the globe. Therefore having the right hashtags to speak to your business ready audience is vital to your LinkedIn success.

DO NOT use spaces- Spaces in hashtags will put an end to your hashtag. So if you wanted to type #SocialMedia and used a space, you’d publish the hashtag #Social followed by a rogue ‘Media’. That just looks unprofessional. 

DO NOT use punctuation – Punctuation is the same devil as spaces in hashtags, it will end your hashtag, so put the semicolon down. 

DO make it public – If your profile already public you are on the right track. If you are private and publish your article or update, you are only going to hit the connections in your existing network. 

DO keep it professional – Simple really, it’s a professional platform so be sure to keep your content that way. That’s not to say you can’t make your content engaging, funny, controversial, etc. Just be sure that it is relevant to your company and brand. 

UPDATES: Type your content then the # key and insert your chosen word or phrase after it. 

ARTICLE: Type or edit your article and click publish. A pop-up window will, well pop up, to add hashtags to “Tell your network what your article is about”. Add the relevant hashtags and you are away. 

PROFILE: Weave hashtags into your LinkedIn profile to get found. Use Hashtags in your headline or summary to build your connections. 

COMMENTS: Hashtags work in comments too, your comments further your branded hashtags and display areas of interest that you are active in, but be sure to stay relevant. Don’t post a comment on a video or article just because it’s trending. 

Which hashtags to use? 

You now understand how to use hashtags on your LinkedIn profile you can begin to think about which hashtags you should be using for your business. This is a list of the 100 hottest hashtags on LinkedIn, but take into consideration that these may not be relevant to your company or suitable to the size of your company.  

Finding the right hashtag for your company may seem like a daunting task at first but it is actually very simple if only a little time-consuming. The following list is compiled of hashtag generators that are available free online:  

• Hashtagify Me  

• All Hashtag  

• Hashtag Generator 

• Seek Metrics 

• LinkedIn Hashtag Chrome Extension

This is a handy Google Chrome extension by filtpod.com that gives you all sorts of hashtagging capabilities. Simply add the extension from the Chrome web store and you’re away. Click the icon and you can search for any hashtag to see the number of followers it has. Alternatively, you can hover over any hashtags on LinkedIn to see how much of a following they have too. Finally, when creating a post on LinkedIn you can see the number of followers per hashtag when typing but you can hit the sum button (right next to post) and see the total sum of followers for the hashtags you’ve used. Cool, right?

These are all for Instagram and Twitter but it’s a good place to start. Once you have found some hashtags relating to your topic then head over to LinkedIn. 

Use these hashtags and start typing them into the LinkedIn search bar. Clicking on each hashtag will allow you to see the number of followers for each hashtag. Look for numbers in the thousands, hundreds of thousands and millions, that’s what you are after. However, this is dependant on the size of your company. As an SME you don’t want to be a huge pond of content and not get found at all. 

This will find you the most appropriate hashtags for your business to get you found by the right people. 

How to follow hashtags on LinkedIn? 

Hashtags are not only for your content to be found a lot easier, it’s for you to find similar content just as easily. Following hashtags on LinkedIn is a brilliant way to discover new content ideas, topics of discussion in the group and to stay up to date with all the latest in your industry. Following hashtags on LinkedIn is quick and simple, plus  “You can also pin your favourite hashtags to your homepage, making it easier to find related content.”. 

On the left-hand side of your LinkedIn homepage, underneath your profile summary box, you will see another box of a similar size that reads “Recent, Groups, Followed Hashtags”.

Click discover more and then start following those hashtags. Be sure to stay relevant to you and your company. So, what are the benefits of following these hashtags for your business? 

Why use hashtags on LinkedIn? 

I’ve told you how to use hashtags, I’ve told you which hashtags to use and how to follow them, but why?  

• Reach a larger audience- Your existing network connections are obviously interested in your company/product/services so reaching a larger audience is vital for business growth.  
• Expand your network- Greater reach means that more people are going to see your content and potentially want to connect with you and your business 
• Maximise exposure- Why wouldn’t you use hashtags? It gives you greater exposure to your company message, you should be using all methods to gain more exposure for your company. However, remember to stay relevant. 
• Keep up with engagement- Posting content regularly is a great start but you cannot stop there. Check your posts, get involved with the conversations and further show your personality online. 
• Target more specifically- You may be gaining numbers in terms of reach, but you can also use hashtags to specify your audience.  
• Original hashtags- Creating and using a hashtag of your own is not recommended for your everyday content. However, creating one for a larger campaign is fantastic because it makes your campaign more shareable. 
• Trending- You can trend with a hashtag. Everyone wants to trend.  

Tips and Tricks 

Now that we have a firm understanding of all things LinkedIn hashtags, here are some final tips and tricks to make sure you are at the top of your game. 

• Stay professional. 
• Avoid jokes or sarcastic hashtags. 
• DO NOT use text talk.  
• Check similar profiles for the hashtags they use.  
• LinkedIn recommends 3 to 5 hashtags per post. 
• Location hashtags can be useful. 
• Add hashtags to your company page as well as a personal one. 
• Monitor and engage with your audience. 
• Never use hashtags alone. It just looks unprofessional. 
• No punctuation, symbols, spaces, etc.  
• Capitalise multi-word hashtags (This has no effect on you being found but makes it easier to read)  
• Check your spelling.  
• Use event hashtags to stay involved with an event or occasion. 

So, there you have it, you are now fully equipped to utilise the hashtag facility on LinkedIn. Hashtags on LinkedIn maximise your reach, gives you great, relevant exposure, allows you to target your audience more specifically, tailor your content to your audience and so much more. Hashtags have a powerful presence across many social media platforms.

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