What You Need to Know About Using Hashtags on LinkedIn
For those of you who aren’t quite as social savvy, let me begin by defining what a hashtag is and how to effectively use hashtags on LinkedIn.
First, it is a designator added to an article or post that identifies the topic. On LinkedIn, you can search for a hashtag to join a conversation based on common topics or interests.
For instance, if the main subject of my post or article is marketing, I would conclude my text by including #marketing to indicate the focus of the post. I could incorporate several hashtags to increase the chances of my post being discovered by various categories. For example: #digitalmarketing #relationshipmarketing #marketingTips
Create hashtags for your personal brand. What is your expertise, and what are you known for and post about? Be sure to add the relevant hashtags to everything you post on LinkedIn.
How to Incorporate Hashtags into Your LinkedIn Marketing
Because hashtags are searchable, they are great for finding posts and articles with a core topic that you have an expertise in. This would give you the opportunity to see who is talking about your topic and second, this is an opportunity for you to comment on and share posts where you can add your unique perspective and value.
Before you start using hashtags, do some research. A good place to start is to look at posts from other leaders in your niche and see what they are using. I recommend you also research leaders in your niche on Twitter and Instagram to learn how they are using hashtags in their posts and follow their lead. No reason to work any harder to figure it out than from those already using them.
It is a good idea to keep a document with your relevant hashtags that you can update as you see additional hashtags you may want to incorporate. Incorporating hashtags is also a savvy move for professionals who use LinkedIn for lead generation.
To find new hashtags to follow:
1. Enter the hashtag you’d like to find in the Search bar at the top of the page. For example: #TimeManagement
2. Select an option from the drop-down of suggestions that appears as you type.
• You can also click See all results for “#hashtag” and then select Content from the drop-down at the top right of the page to view posts that mention the hashtag.
Click the Follow button to follow the hashtag – you can then track people and posts for that hashtag.
Adding a Hashtag to Your Post
When you want to create a post from the home page tab, as you type the topic, LinkedIn’s algorithm offers suggestions based on the content for possible hashtags. This offers you relevant suggestions on hashtags LinkedIn tracks, so this is a good idea to click on them and they will add to the end of your post. I recommend after adding the ones LinkedIn suggests, add any others that you have researched.
Managing the Hashtags You Follow
Once you’ve followed a hashtag, you’ll be able to manage it from your LinkedIn homepage.
To manage the hashtags, you follow:
1. Click the Dropdown icon next to Hashtags you follow on the left rail of your LinkedIn homepage.
2. Click See all at the bottom of the list of hashtags.
• If you follow more than three hashtags, click Show more to view your full list of hashtags, then click See all.
If you’d like to unfollow a hashtag, click Following below the hashtag you’d like to unfollow. If you change your mind, click Follow to begin following the hashtag again.
You can also pin your favorite hashtags for quick access by clicking the Edit icon next to Your communities on the left rail of your LinkedIn homepage. In the pop-up window that appears, click the Pin icon next to a hashtag you’re following to select it.
If you pin the hashtags that are most relevant for you, it will save you the extra step of clicking Show More and serve as a reminder to use your key hashtags when you post updates.
Managing Hashtags in Your Newsfeed Preferences
Improve your LinkedIn feed by discovering new content and customizing your feed preferences. You can follow or unfollow people, companies and hashtags for topics you’re interested in from desktop and the LinkedIn mobile app.
Note: All edits to your feed preferences completed on mobile will transfer to the desktop experience.
To manage your feed preferences, LinkedIn suggests:
1. Click the More icon on the top right corner of any post.
2. Click Improve my feed.
3. Click the Follow fresh perspectives tab, the Following tab, or the Followers tab near the top of the page to update your feed preferences:
• Follow fresh perspectives – This is a list of recommended sources to follow. Click Follow under a person, company or hashtag to add content to your feed from that source.
• Following – This is a list of people, companies or hashtags you currently follow. Click Following below the person or company to stop seeing content in your feed from that source. The displayed will change back to Follow.
• Followers – This is a list of people who currently follow you.
Click Done in the top right corner of the page to return to your feed.
Add Hashtags to Your LinkedIn Comments
There are all sorts of ways to weave hashtags into your LinkedIn marketing. I suggest using one or two hashtags in your engagement strategy with a comment only if it makes sense and is appropriate. First and foremost, you never want to take away from the person’s post you are commenting on, with that said, using hashtags to make a further point that enhances the original authors content.
Hashtags in Groups
When creating a post in a LinkedIn group it makes perfect sense to add a hashtag to your post. Because hashtags are searchable, your post inside a group can be found so why not leverage it!
Hashtag Tools/Resources
Hashtagify.me – this tool is great for checking out the popularity and uncover influencers that are using them. They offer a free and paid version of this tool.
Ritetag – Get instant hashtag suggestions for images and texts on desktop and mobile
Trendsmap – shows you the latest Twitter trending hashtags and topics from anywhere in the world. No reason you can’t use these hashtags for LinkedIn
Conclusion
The first use of hashtags was in 2007 and created by online users to discuss specific events and relevant issues and was posted on Twitter. Now we use them to follow current events, industry trends, niche conversations, research and to grow influence. If used both properly and thoughtfully, hashtags can elevate you and your brand. Becoming a socially savvy hashtag user remember to adapt your LinkedIn hashtag strategy to this platform as you would with other social media platforms.
**Originally posted on my blog