Hashtags are to your social media accounts what SEO is to web pages.
A well-planned hashtag strategy is critical to the long-term development of a strong online brand presence. Most social media sites allow for and reward efficient hashtag use.
You are in for increased visibility, segregated content buckets, and a distinct brand image – all by using an apt combination of tags.
You probably already use hashtags on LinkedIn in your postings, but do you ever question if you are using the right ones and executing effectively to increase the visibility of your profile?
Let’s transform your #confusion into #competency and dive into our comprehensive guide on using hashtags on LinkedIn. đź’Ş
So why do LinkedIn hashtags exist?
Like Twitter and Instagram, LinkedIn employs hashtags to group content into categories. #s operate as labels for your content, boosting traffic, natural conversations, and connections/ following.
However, this does not imply that a tag that is well-liked on another website will necessarily work well on LinkedIn. Different platforms have different trending hashtags – depending on the user base and viral content.
Hashtags provide readers with an easy way to follow the information that is relevant to their specific interests. For instance, a social media manager could find it useful to follow #socialmediamarketing.
Similarly, for creators – both individuals and businesses – hashtags are an effective tool to connect with their target audience. All it takes is simply identifying what #s they are most likely to follow, and integrating the same in their posts.
How many #’s are too many #?
There’s hardly any limit to the number of hashtags you can use. If you use 10 of them, your content will get enlisted under each.
However, this doesn’t mean that you should go all in. It’s the equivalent of stuffing your website with a thousand keywords, which won’t get you any real traffic and will ruin the reader’s experience.
We advise sticking to 3-5 hashtags because any more could cause LinkedIn’s algorithms to flag your material as spam. You don’t want to tamper with the algorithm, trust us.
A perfect hashtag bucket looks like:
- 2x general tags with an impressive following
- 1x tag that is super-specific to your niche
- 1x personal hashtag – identical to your personal/ company brand
Personal Hashtag!? What’s the use?
A personal hashtag is your company’s trademark.
Ideally, this one is short, punchy, memorable, and is not being used by anyone else.
This customized hashtag, when used correctly, can help you build your own mini-space on LinkedIn. Asking your audience to follow along is a wise move. The hashtag can then be used by the company page, senior board members, staff, and customers to gather all conversations about your brand under one roof.
Note: if someone follows your hashtag, they’ll get notified every time you post.
Now that’s a huge advantage over your competitors.
Bonus Tips to Ace Your # Game
- Capitalize every word: It is best to capitalize the first letter of each word in hashtags with several words since it’s more readable. For eg: #DigitalMarketingAgency in place of #digitalmarketingagency.
- Smart placement: It’s normally advised to include your hashtags at the end of your post so they won’t get in the way of the content and will also make your post look more polished.
- Employ hashtag generators: We agree, It takes a lot of time and effort to come up with relevant hashtags for each and every post. A personalized set of hashtags can be suggested using AI technology based on your copy, the program examines both your caption and the uploaded images to make the most appropriate tags suggestions. (cool, isn’t it?)
- Go bonkers with your hashtag: Someone is more likely to follow your content if they think the hashtag is crazy good!
- When used as a comment on a post, hashtags are ineffective.
- Avoid using punctuation, special characters, emojis and spaces. Your hashtag should be simple to locate & remember for your audience.
How would you know if the content works for your audience?
LinkedIn Analytics is a terrific tool for analyzing your past content’s impact and seeing which hashtags generated the most engagement.
If, despite frequent usage of wide and specific hashtags, your reach remains flat, it’s time to rephrase.
And you’re good to go!
We truly hope you’ll benefit from this thorough summary of hashtag usage on LinkedIn.
Sources:
1. Joe Gannon – All About LinkedIn Hashtags
2. Hootsuite’s Guide to LinkedIn Hashtags
For more insights from the LinkedIn world, checkout:
Shivyaanchi | LinkedIn Marketing & Advertising
