LinkedIn is more than just a networking site. It’s a top spot for generating leads and getting your brand seen.
One strategy for driving growth and visibility on the network is using the right hashtags. In this post, we’ll walk you through finding, using and optimizing LinkedIn hashtags to get more eyes on your content.
We’ve also rounded up the top 30 most popular hashtags on the network so you can hop on relevant trends and boost your LinkedIn marketing strategy.
Table of contents:
- What are LinkedIn hashtags?
- How to use hashtags on LinkedIn
- How to find and follow new hashtags on LinkedIn
- Tips for optimizing your hashtags on LinkedIn
- The most popular LinkedIn hashtags in 2023
What are LinkedIn hashtags?
LinkedIn hashtags are keywords or phrases that categorize content. This makes it easier for users to find and engage with topics they’re interested in. You can add hashtags to posts, comments, articles, profiles and even pages on the platform.
Hashtags help your content become part of a larger, dynamic conversation happening on LinkedIn. They’re powerful tools for increasing the visibility of your posts, reaching people with similar interests or in the same industry, and tapping into trending topics.
How to use hashtags on LinkedIn
There are several ways you can incorporate LinkedIn hashtags to increase your visibility. Let’s look at examples of how and where to appropriately use them on the platform:
How to add hashtags to your LinkedIn business page
Wondering where to add hashtags first? Your LinkedIn business page is a good place to start.
Head over to your page and click on Edit Page on your left. Find and click on Hashtags under the Community tab and then add up to three hashtags by tapping + Add a hashtag.
Adding hashtags to your page helps it pop up in relevant search results. But it’s also a great way to find and interact with your target audience—people who are interested in your brand, industry, products and services.
How to add hashtags to your LinkedIn posts
Posts are the bread and butter of LinkedIn feeds. Help your posts rank for relevant keywords by sprinkling in carefully selected hashtags. Use the # symbol when typing out your post to add keywords and hashtags.
You can weave hashtags naturally within your post content or place them all together at the end if you feel they’re diluting your post’s impact.
How to add hashtags to your LinkedIn articles
Publishing articles on LinkedIn? Give them more exposure by adding relevant hashtags. You can hashtag some keywords within the body of your articles or add them all at the end so they don’t interrupt the flow of your content.
When you publish your articles, your hashtags will become clickable and searchable. It’s a great way to contribute in-depth insights and opinions to trending discussions and topics.
You can also add hashtags to your posts when you go on to share your articles. Here’s an example of what that could look like:
How to add hashtags to your LinkedIn comments
Finally, you can include hashtags directly in your comments when interacting with other people on the platform. Here’s an example:
Try to always use hashtags naturally within your comments to avoid looking like a spam bot. Also, use them sparingly or not at all if they’re not highly relevant to the topic.
How to find and follow new hashtags on LinkedIn
You know how to use the hashtags. But how do you find the right ones for your brand? Let’s look at three ways to find and follow hashtags that matter to your business.
Use the LinkedIn search bar
The easiest way to find hashtags on LinkedIn is to directly search for them on the platform.
Head over to the search bar at the top of your LinkedIn page and type in keywords that are relevant to your industry, business and content.
For example, a marketing agency could search for hashtags like #digitalmarketing or #contentmarketing. They can also browse additional suggestions in the drop-down, like #digitalmarketingtrends or #contentmarketingexperts.
Clicking on a hashtag lets you see the number of followers, related content and the option to follow it to keep track of new posts and discussions surrounding the topic.
Use social listening to identify trends
Monitor conversations and posts in your industry, especially involving thought leaders and influencers, to spot trending topics. Note the hashtags these people are frequently using in their discussions.
Use a social listening tool like Sprout Social to keep an eye on specific topics and keywords.
A big advantage of using Sprout is you can also identify popular hashtags being used on other platforms and then check whether they’re worth following on LinkedIn.
Use ‘Followed Hashtags’ to find more related hashtags
The third way to find relevant hashtags is to look at the ones you’re already following. On the left side of your LinkedIn feed, you’ll see a list of followed hashtags (right below Groups.)
Click on Followed Hashtags to view suggestions for related hashtags you might be interested in.
Tips for optimizing your hashtags on LinkedIn
Hashtags are tricky—if you misuse or overuse them, they can do more harm than good. Use them strategically to boost impact and reach.
Here are four tips on how to optimize your LinkedIn hashtags.
Use LinkedIn analytics to refine your hashtag strategy
Improve your strategy over time by understanding how the hashtags you’re currently using are contributing to your brand’s visibility and engagement on the platform.
Use LinkedIn analytics to track the performance of posts with specific hashtags. Access the platform’s built-in analytics tool or use a third-party software like Sprout for in-depth data exploration and a visual perspective.
Based on hashtag analytics, tweak your hashtag choices for future content. For example, you might find #digitalmarketingtips is more popular with your target audience than #marketingtips. Or, you might find certain hashtags increase your reach but others get you higher engagement.
Use hashtags sparingly and strategically
Don’t spam your posts and articles with hashtags. Use a mix of niche and popular hashtags to balance reach and targeted engagement.
In LinkedIn posts, we recommend using 3-5 hashtags that are most relevant to your content. Here’s an example of how Pipedrive does it:
The post above strategically incorporates a mix of niche, popular and branded hashtags to join broader (e.g. sales and CRM) and more focused (e.g. AI) conversations on the platform.
Experiment with different hashtags
Growing on LinkedIn means you need to continuously test and improve. This includes experimenting with your hashtag strategy.
Let’s say you’re in the financial sector and regularly use #finance. Add more depth, relevance and reach by introducing niche hashtags like #fintechinnovation or #wealthmanagementtips to posts and articles that align with these content themes.
The benefit of testing different hashtags is you often stumble upon keywords that resonate highly with specific target audiences. You’re also able to rule out hashtags that might not be working as well as others—saving space for better ones.
Pro tip: Sprout’s hashtag tracking tool lets you measure the performance of your chosen hashtags across multiple social media platforms, including LinkedIn.
Track your competitors
Keep an eye on your competitors to see which hashtags they’re using and which ones seem to be working for them. Competitive monitoring gives you a window into trending topics and helps you find and incorporate relevant hashtags into your own content.
For instance, if you notice that a competitor is getting lots of engagement with #AIinMarketing, consider how you can use this hashtag in your own posts.
Does the hashtag align with a blog post or an article you are planning? Can you add a unique perspective to the conversation under this hashtag? Remember, the goal is not to copy but to find inspiration and identify trends that you can adapt to your own strategy.
30+ of the most popular LinkedIn hashtags in 2023
To make it easier for you to join trending conversations, we’ve put together a list of the top 30 LinkedIn hashtags relevant to marketers and business professionals. These trending hashtags should give your brand a starting point when implementing your marketing strategy for 2024. Trending hashtags on LinkedIn update quickly, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for trending topics you can capitalize on.
- #innovation – 38,411,129 followers
- #management – 35,598,286 followers
- #humanresources – 32,898,825 followers
- #digitalmarketing – 27,095,863 followers
- #technology – 26,161,748 followers
- #creativity – 24,925,069 followers
- #future – 24,304,980 followers
- #futurism – 23,219,190 followers
- #entrepreneurship – 22,469,540 followers
- #careers – 22,286,006 followers
- #markets – 22,001,983 followers
- #startups – 21,011,950 followers
- #marketing – 20,178,414 followers
- #socialmedia – 19,491,703 followers
- #venturecapital – 19,100,660 followers
- #socialnetworking – 18,826,357 followers
- #leanstartups – 18,782,560 followers
- #branding – 17,838,214 followers
- #advertisingandmarketing – 17,002,362 followers
- #motivation – 15,629,846 followers
- #personaldevelopment – 14,529,875 followers
- #investing – 14,249,587 followers
- #jobinterviews – 14,171,761 followers
- #sustainability – 13,162,614 followers
- #personalbranding – 10,350,194 followers
- #education – 9,545,127 followers
- #customerrelations – 8,514,104 followers
- #productivity – 8,363,545 followers
- #sales – 5,826,765 followers
- #socialentrepreneurship – 5,746,331 followers
Elevate your LinkedIn hashtags strategy
Hashtags can drive engagement to your LinkedIn posts and put it in front of the right audiences. Start by finding the right hashtags and place them strategically in your posts and articles to join relevant conversations happening in your industry.
Use Sprout Social’s LinkedIn management tools to take your marketing strategy to the next level. Track posts and hashtags, monitor conversations, keep an eye on the competition and measure performance all in one place.
The post LinkedIn hashtags: The complete guide for 2024 [+ trending hashtags] appeared first on Sprout Social.
