You may be
familiar with the use of hashtags via Instagram (thanks to our how to guide) and Twitter, but how to hashtag on LinkedIn is an entirely different ball game. The end goal is arguably the same – you want your post to be seen – but how to get there?
While Instagram offers a maximum of thirty hashtags per post, and often encourages users to go “all the way”, LinkedIn is capped at a maximum of five – so getting your hashtags “right” is crucial.
Let’s not forget that LinkedIn is arguably segregated from the other realms of social media: it’s purpose is to connect like minded professionals and businesses.
What may work on other platforms may not be a good fit for LinkedIn, so navigating your way through this online networking platform requires a different approach.
Hang on, so what can LinkedIn actually do for me or my brand?
Founder of Leaders Online, and all round #GirlBoss Katie Thomas helps professional service providers increase their influence, impact and income through leadership marketing.
Katie shares that “91% of marketing executives list LinkedIn as the top place to find quality content” – meaning that it’s relative, informative and ultimately good content.
“Building off that”, Katie says “92% of B2B marketers utilise LinkedIn as a part of their content marketing strategy. Why people and B2B marketers use this platform is because of its ability to target content – and to have your content actually seen – by the people that you want it to be seen by”.
“LinkedIn has been proven to generate three times more conversations than Facebook and Twitter, so if you’re willing to put in the time to build relationships and share content that you’re passionate about – you’re in the right place.”
So while nobody is insinuating that you can expect $500,000 worth of revenue overnight via one post or hashtag, by even using LinkedIn as a platform for business networking instead of relying on Facebook or Instagram – you are already at an advantage.
Got it. So how do I use hashtags to get seen on LinkedIn?
Hashtags can be used on LinkedIn when you write a blog, share an article or even when posting a photo or video update to your profile.
The magic lies in pairing your selected hashtags with relevant content and copy. If you’re sharing an update on a marketing strategy that has worked for your accounting business, then adding the tag #hotdogs isn’t really going to be of much use to you or your brand – and it’s certainly not going to do much in terms of engagement or ranking.
The first step is often simply identifying your niche, which is usually followed by some market research. What are other brands similar to yours posting, and what hashtags are they using?
It’s a good idea to use the search bar on LinkedIn to get a better idea of what’s hot vs what’s not.
Linkedin users follow particular hashtags, and will receive updates when someone posts a new article or update linked or associated to that hashtag.
Think of it as users categorising the content that they choose to consume.
Unlike Instagram where there number next to the hashtag indicates how many other people are USING that hashtag. Linkedin shows you how many people FOLLOW a hashtag!
The more followers a hashtag has, the more popular it is, so it’s wise to keep track of the highest ranking tags that could best fit your brand.
To get an idea of how the algorithm works, LinkedIn have even provided a comprehensive guide to how the platform’s hashtags work along with their insights on best practices.
Tips for success on using hashtags via LinkedIn
Like all social media platforms, it’s worth keeping in mind that there is no “right” way or straight line to overnight success. Research and experimentation is key, but here are a few insider tips to get you hashtagging on LinkedIn like a pro.
- #Know #What #To #Do – keep your hashtags relevant, while still following the laws of grammar and punctuation. Don’t be afraid to capitalize wording to #OptimizeReading.
- Partner your post with good copy. The text that users are reading in association with the applicable hashtag is arguably just as important, as this is what will drive them to continue reading.
- Don’t overdo it, and keep your hashtags to a maximum of five. By going over this quota, you risk LinkedIn marking your post as spam.
- Make sure your profile is set to public, or else your privacy settings will void your content and hashtags used.
- Change it up. Save a list of hashtags relevant to your business (think Apple Notes) so that you aren’t using the same five each time.
- Consider location based hashtags. As an example, #AccountingSydney may yield far better results than #Accounting if your firm is based in Balmain.
- Engage with other user’s posts. Social media isn’t a one way street – if you want to get seen, you have to be willing to be an active user too.
- Use the analytics tool. This is a great way to track your posts, along with what works for you (and what doesn’t).
Yes, it really is that simple. However if you aren’t sure what resources you have on hand to produce the right content to partner with your hashtags, please contact us at Content Hive to take the work out of getting your brand buzzing online.
P.S – Make sure you check out our article on When to Post on LinkedIn. Hashtags are important but so is timing!
