Hashtags – everyone has an opinion about them between how many is too many and if its worth to use them on certain platforms. Since the pound sign became a “hashtag” on Twitter in 2007, it’s been used to start conversations and find conversations mostly on Twitter and Instagram, and occasionally on Facebook. LinkedIn is the latest networking site to introduce hashtags as a way of helping users find articles and content they are interested in. By now, you’ve either seen hashtags used in your LinkedIn feed or seen recommended hashtags for content you’re publishing. So, what’s up with LinkedIn hashtags? Keep reading; we’re sharing what you need to know about LinkedIn hashtags.
Should You Use Them?
The short answer is yes. LinkedIn is going to push your content out to members who are interested in similar topics related to the hashtags you use. Similar to hashtags on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, LinkedIn’s hashtags are used to help make your content more discoverable and connect with more members that may be interested in your company.
How Should You Use Them?
Remember – LinkedIn is a professional platform, so hashtags should be work appropriate. Don’t assume that the same hashtags you use on Instagram, for example, should be used here. In fact, we recommend using the hashtags that are “suggested” by LinkedIn right above the ‘post’ button for updates. LinkedIn will provide you with a number of hashtags based on the copy that is in your drafted post. Use hashtags that make the most sense for the audience you are trying to reach. We recommend writing your copy first, and then see if certain keywords pop up in the hashtag recommendations.
A Rule-of-thumb: #Do #not #hashtag #every #word in your update. In fact, we recommend keeping it to a maximum of five per post. Your content still needs to read well, and too many hashtags will make it appear like spam and could be marked as such according to LinkedIn’s algorithm.
Which Hashtags Should You Use?
Before you start adding hashtags to your posts and articles, you need to make sure that you are using the one that aligns to the interest of your target audience. There’s a niche community for every industry, and you can find industry-specific hashtags are being used here. You can also take a look at the content your target audience is interacting with and which hashtags your competitors are using. It’s important to know how popular the hashtag is and the conversations surrounding it. Search for the hashtag and filter your search by people, groups, and companies using it. The last thing you want is to have your content seen by people who are not in your target audience.
Let’s be honest; LinkedIn is very different than the other social networking site. We figured after a decade of hashtags being used on other sites, LinkedIn would never introduce it. Now that it’s here, you have to be just as strategic in using hashtag best practices as you the actual content you’re providing.
Did you know: LinkedIn performs 277% better than Facebook and Twitter when it comes to generating visitor-to-lead conversions.
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