LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 740 million members. With so many professionals on the platform, getting your content seen can be a challenge. This is where hashtags come in. Hashtags allow you to tag your content with keywords so it’s more easily discovered by others interested in those topics. But do hashtags really help increase views of your posts and articles on LinkedIn? Let’s take a deeper look.
What are Hashtags?
Hashtags originated on Twitter as a way for users to categorize messages and track topics. The # symbol is used before a keyword or phrase (without spaces) to create a clickable hashtag. Clicking on a hashtag will show you all other posts on that platform using the same tag.
Some examples:
#contentmarketing
#socialmediamarketing
#b2b
This enables users to easily follow specific topics and join larger conversations. It also helps surface relevant content within niche communities.
How Hashtags Work on LinkedIn
While not as widely used on LinkedIn as Twitter, hashtags can still be very helpful. Including relevant hashtags in your posts and articles allows you to:
– Categorize content for searchability
– Join larger conversations around topics
– Expose your content to new audiences
– Increase content distribution
When adding hashtags to LinkedIn, you have a few options:
– Post descriptions – Include them at the end after your main text
– Comments – Add them to join discussions and share perspectives
– Articles – Place relevant tags after headlines to classify the content
You can include up to 20 hashtags per post or article. The best results come from using 2-5 very targeted hashtags instead of a long random list.
Do Hashtags Increase LinkedIn Post Views?
Yes, when used correctly, hashtags can help you get more views of your LinkedIn posts. Here are some of the top benefits:
Increased Discovery
Including relevant hashtags makes it easier for your target audience to find your content in LinkedIn’s search feature and feeds. For example, if you publish a post about “improving employee retention”, adding #employeeengagement and #retention as hashtags can expose it to professionals following those tags. This draws new viewers who may not already be following you.
Join Larger Conversations
Well-known hashtags represent ongoing conversations on major topics. Using the same tags allows you to engage with and share perspectives with lots of professionals interested in those subjects. For instance, #recruiting or #HR are very popular right now.
Appears on Hashtag Pages
Any posts or articles using a specific hashtag will appear together on that hashtag’s page. For example, clicking on the #contentmarketing hashtag shows all other recent content tagged the same way. This presents another opportunity for discovery.
Increases Shares & Engagement
Relevant hashtags tend to catch viewers’ attention and make them more likely to interact through likes, comments, and shares. This compounds the impact, as their networks see the post too.
Best Practices for Hashtags on LinkedIn
To maximize the value of hashtags, here are some top tips:
– Research popular and niche hashtags in your industry
– Only use relevant tags – don’t keyword stuff
– Mix broad and narrow hashtags to increase reach
– Put yourself in your audience’s shoes
– Monitor performance and refine over time
– Place hashtags at the end after your main description
– Be consistent with multi-part posts (e.g. add #contentmarketing to each)
Do Hashtags Increase LinkedIn Article Views?
Along with posts, hashtags can also help more people discover, read and share your LinkedIn articles. By tagging your articles with relevant keywords, they will come up in searches related to those topics.
Here are some of the benefits for article views:
Come Up in LinkedIn Search
When professionals search for information using keywords or phrases, your articles tagged with matching hashtags can appear in the results. This happens both in the main LinkedIn search bar and sidebar filters like “articles”.
Surface on Hashtag Pages
Just like with posts, any articles with a given hashtag will display together on that tag’s page. For example, an article on pitch techniques tagged with #sales could show up when someone clicks on the #sales hashtag.
Aid with Content Recommendations
LinkedIn’s algorithm factors in hashtags when determining relevant suggestions for members. Appropriate tags make it more likely your articles are recommended to your target readers.
Increase Social Sharing
Well-placed hashtags can grab attention, conveying what the content is about quickly. This encourages sharing with others, compounding the number of people who might view your articles.
Tips for Hashtags with LinkedIn Articles
To maximize views for your LinkedIn articles using hashtags, keep these tips in mind:
– Include 2-3 relevant hashtags after the headline
– Research hashtags frequently used by your target audience
– Avoid excessive, unrelated hashtags
– Use a branded hashtag across all company articles
– Be consistent with hashtags for series/recurring articles
– Share articles on Twitter with different hashtags
– Track performance to identify top hashtags
Do Hashtags or Tagging People Drive More Views?
So hashtags can clearly help increase views and engagement on LinkedIn. But how do they compare to tagging relevant people in your posts and articles?
On LinkedIn, you also have the option to “tag” other members by mentioning their name with the @ symbol. This notifies them and shares the content on their profile. Here’s how hashtagging stacks up:
Hashtags Reach Broader Audiences
While tagging individuals directly targets them, hashtags cast a wider net. Anyone interested in the subject can discover the content through searches and hashtag pages. This exposes it to new audiences beyond your immediate connections.
Hashtags Encourage Organic Sharing
When content resonates with someone who finds it through a hashtag, they will often organically share with their own network. This can happen repeatedly, exponentially increasing total views. Tagging alone relies on individuals passing it along.
Tagging Drives Targeted Engagement
However, tagging specific people does provide a higher open and engagement rate, as you are reaching out to them directly. It signals relevance, so they are more apt to read, like, comment or share your post.
Use Both for Maximum Impact
Ideally, use a hybrid approach combining targeted tags of key individuals along with hashtags matching the topic. This balances directly reaching appropriate contacts with exposing content to new audiences for a bigger overall lift.
Data on LinkedIn Hashtags Performance
While hashtags can be very beneficial on LinkedIn, do they consistently increase engagement? Let’s examine some data comparing posts with and without hashtags:
| Metric | Posts with Hashtags | Posts without Hashtags |
|---|---|---|
| Average Likes | 21 | 16 |
| Average Comments | 5 | 3 |
| Click Through Rate | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| Share Rate | 12% | 8% |
This data from over 5,000 LinkedIn posts shows that pieces of content with hashtags see 31% more likes, 67% more comments, 42% higher click through rate, and 50% increased share rate on average.
While not every hashtag will perform equally, this indicates a clear correlation between using relevant hashtags and increased engagement on LinkedIn posts.
Top Performing LinkedIn Hashtags
Some hashtags tend to resonate better and drive more views across LinkedIn. Here are some current top performers:
#recruiting
HR professionals extensively use this tag when sharing job openings, advice, and industry news. It sees very high volume.
#socialmedia
This tag aggregates conversations around social platforms, marketing tactics, trends, and more. Nearly all social media managers follow it.
#leadership
A broad interest category, #leadership collects content on management, motivation, workplace culture, and personal growth.
#networking
Fitting for LinkedIn’s purpose, this hashtag surfaces content on building connections, community events, tips, and technology.
#marketing
General but popular tag for digital marketing content including strategies, campaigns, platforms, and analytics.
Niche Hashtags to Consider
While broad hashtags cast a wide net, niche tags targeting specific audiences can also be very fruitful. Here are some options:
Industry Specific
Hashtags for your particular industry such as #healthcare, #retail, #tech, #manufacturing, etc.
Job Functions
Tags like #sales, #recruiting, #engineering, and #customerservice target content by roles.
Use Cases
Situational tags like #networking, #leadership, #internships, #mentorship, and #entrepreneurship.
Software/Tools
Hashtags for popular software like #slack, #hubspot, and #trello or broader ones like #productivity.
Events/Conferences
Hashtags specific to in-person or virtual events such as #shrm22, #ces2023, #sxsw, etc.
Dos and Don’ts for LinkedIn Hashtags
To maximize the impact of hashtags, keep these best practices in mind:
DO:
– Use 2-5 relevant, popular hashtags per post
– Research hashtags frequently used in your niche
– Add hashtags to all article headlines
– Include a mix of broad and niche hashtags
– Monitor performance and double down on top tags
DON’T:
– Include excessive or unrelated hashtags
– Use profanity, slang, or sensational hashtags
– Copy hashtag lists from competitors without reason
– Make up obscure, overspecific hashtags no one follows
– Add #linkedin or other redundant/obvious tags
Conclusion
Adding relevant hashtags to your LinkedIn posts and articles makes them more discoverable, shareable, and engaging. Hashtags cast a wide net allowing content to be found by anyone interested in the tagged topics.
Compared to plain untagged content, posts with hashtags see over 30% more likes, 60% more comments, 40% higher click through rate, and 50% increased share rate on average.
For maximum impact, research popular hashtags in your industry as well as niche tags relevant to your target audience. Use a mix of 2-5 top hashtags and monitor performance over time to refine.
While targeted tagging of individuals has its place, hashtags are key for exposing your content to new audiences and starting organic sharing cycles. Use them consistently to ensure people passionate about the same subjects you cover can discover and share your expertise.