While Twitter and Instagram have been encouraging the use of hashtags for years as a way for users to connect with their communities, LinkedIn only allowed clickable hashtags in 2016.

At the outset, it’s crucial to establish your niche and explore which hashtags are most effective for growing your brand. When searching, focus on “professional” hashtags, and it’s recommended to use concise tags like “#networking” or “#digitalmarketing.”

Do hashtags work on LinkedIn?

The answer to this question is: absolutely yes! You can add them within your copy, alongside a published article, and even on your profile to reach a broader audience.

Using hashtags in status updates

There are a few ways to add hashtags to your status:

  1. Type the ‘#’ symbol followed by a word or phrase, and LinkedIn will automatically generate hashtag suggestions based on what’s popular and trending.
  2. Click the “Add hashtag” button located in the bottom left corner.
  3. Choose related hashtags next to the “Add hashtag” button.GIF showing how to add LinkedIn hashtag to status update

Tip: Avoid adding spaces or symbols to your hashtags, as they won’t be clickable!

Using hashtags in a LinkedIn article

Currently, users can’t add clickable hashtags within their LinkedIn articles. However, you can make them more visible by adding ‘#’ tags within the article’s description.GIF showing how to add a hashtag to an article on LinkedIn

 

Using hashtags on your business page

If you have a business page, you can connect it with relevant hashtags to engage with your target audience. Here’s how to add them:

  • Click on “Edit page” on your business page.LinkedIn business page homepage
  • Choose “Hashtags” on the left side.LinkedIn page where users can add three hashtags related to their business page
  • Click “Add hashtag” to include three hashtags.Example of three hashtags LinkedIn users can put on their business page

Benefits of using hashtags

Imagine you have only 200 connections on LinkedIn and want to post an article about SEO without using hashtags. To make a bigger impact, you’d need a lot of engagement from second and third-degree connections. By using hashtags, you increase the potential reach of your post. Using a popular hashtag like #SEO, with 100K followers, can triple your engagement compared to not using hashtags, leading users to your content and profile.

LinkedIn mistakes to avoid

  1. Don’t overdo the number of hashtags – LinkedIn’s former Director of Product Management, Pete Davies, recommends sticking to three hashtags. This should suffice to target main keywords without making your post look like spam.
  2. Hashtags don’t replace copy – they enhance visibility but don’t provide context.
  3. Using only popular hashtags – this might drown your content in a sea of similar posts. Going too niche might limit your reach. It’s best to use a mix of hashtags for a balanced approach.

How to track hashtags on LinkedIn

Following specific hashtags on LinkedIn allows you to see what others are posting, gauge user reactions, and gather ideas for your future posts.

GIF showing how to follow hashtags on LinkedIn

 

Hashtags are an integral part of achieving success with your LinkedIn posts. By using them correctly, following the platform’s hashtag recommendations, and monitoring analytics, you can ensure that your posts reach the right and desired audience.

Source: HubSpot Blog