In the realm of LinkedIn hashtag usage, the consensus leans towards quality over quantity. To enhance reach and engagement, it is generally advised to incorporate a modest number of highly relevant hashtags.
The widely accepted best practice, endorsed by LinkedIn and marketing professionals, suggests using between three to five hashtags per post. This range is deemed as the sweet spot because exceeding five hashtags might clutter your content and appear spammy to a professional audience, potentially diminishing your post’s performance in the algorithm.
When selecting these few hashtags, aiming for a blend of broad and niche tags is crucial. Start with one or two broad, high-traffic hashtags related to your industry like #leadership or #digitalmarketing to expose your post to a wider audience.
Following this, incorporate two to three precise, niche hashtags directly linked to your post’s topic such as #contentstrategy or #b2bprospecting. These specific tags help you engage with a more targeted and involved audience actively seeking that particular content.
Additionally, consider including a branded hashtag for personal or company branding like #YourCompanyNameUpdates to categorize and enhance searchability of your content consistently.
To facilitate your hashtag selection process, we have crafted a complimentary ‘LinkedIn Hashtag Checklist’ available at https://www.Seanbullas.com/docs/linkedin-hashtag-checklist/.
These hashtags can be seamlessly integrated at the end of your post for a clean appearance or organically woven into your content if they fit naturally within the context.
The reason behind the effectiveness of fewer hashtags on LinkedIn is the platform’s professional audience preference for concise, focused, and clutter-free content. A surplus of hashtags may compromise the professional look of your post and distract from its main message. The algorithm prioritizes content quality and relevance, with hashtags serving as supplementary tools for categorization and discovery rather than the primary driver of reach.
In summary, the recommended LinkedIn hashtag strategy involves utilizing three to five highly relevant hashtags per post. Prioritize a thoughtful mix of broad and niche tags, steering clear of the misconception that more hashtags equate to better performance, a notion common on other social platforms.
Best regards,
Sean