Hashtags are an important part of LinkedIn’s ecosystem, allowing users to categorize their posts and make them more discoverable. For marketers and brands, finding the right hashtags to use can make a big difference in how much engagement your LinkedIn posts get. Some hashtags tend to get more likes than others on the platform, so it’s helpful to know which ones are most popular.
Why Do Hashtags Matter on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn gives users the ability to add hashtags to their posts, just like other social networks. When you include relevant hashtags, it makes it easier for other LinkedIn members to find your content when they search or click on those tags. Using popular hashtags that are frequently searched can expose your posts to many more people beyond just your direct connections.
Hashtags also allow members to follow topics they are interested in. For example, someone passionate about social media marketing could follow #socialmediamarketing to see relevant posts from thought leaders and brands. By using hashtags aligned with your target audience’s interests, you make it more likely your content will organically appear in their feeds.
In addition, when your posts use hashtags that are actively engaged with by the LinkedIn community, they are more likely to get likes and comments. LinkedIn’s algorithm favors content that spurs interactions. So using viral hashtags that tend to get high engagement can boost your visibility in the feed algorithm, bringing more organic reach to your posts.
Top 10 Most Liked Hashtags on LinkedIn
While LinkedIn has not publicly shared hard data on its most popular hashtags, there are some clear winners that consistently get high engagement. Here are ten hashtags that tend to get the most likes on LinkedIn posts:
The LinkedIn hashtag is an obvious choice to include on the platform, but it remains one of the most popular ways users search and engage with content. Any post related to LinkedIn, from tips to news and analysis, tends to get strong engagement when tagged with the #LinkedIn hashtag.
#socialmediamarketing
With a highly business-focused audience, LinkedIn users are very interested in social media marketing topics. From strategy advice to platform updates, the #socialmediamarketing hashtag brings in a lot of likes and shares.
#leadership
The professional audience on LinkedIn has a strong appetite for leadership-focused content. Posts containing leadership tips, quotes, or career advice with the #leadership hashtag tend to perform well.
#careertips
Along the same lines, LinkedIn members love content aimed at helping them advance their careers. Any posts that provide concrete career tips and advice generally attract a lot of likes when tagged with #careertips.
#socialmedia
While more general than #socialmediamarketing, the #socialmedia hashtag also does well on many types of posts from thought leaders, brands, and marketers. Whether it’s industry news, trends, or social platform updates, the broader #socialmedia tag earns consistently high engagement.
#JobSearch
With LinkedIn being such a powerful job-hunting resource, posts that relate to job seeking and hiring perform very well, especially when using the hashtag #JobSearch. Sharing tips, success stories, and career advice with this tag will draw strong interest.
#Recruiting
Similarly, the hashtag #Recruiting allows users to tap into the audience of HR professionals, hiring managers, and recruiters on LinkedIn. Content aimed at helping attract and retain top talent gets lots of engagement with this popular tag.
#entrepreneur
LinkedIn has many members who are entrepreneurs and small business owners looking for insights and inspiration. Any content focused on entrepreneurship and startups tends to get good traction when tagged with the #entrepreneur hashtag.
#motivation
LinkedIn’s career-minded audience enjoys positive and inspirational content as well. Posts with motivational quotes, advice, or stories with the hashtag #motivation often strike a chord and attract high likes and reshares.
#marketing
Marketing is another major area of interest for LinkedIn members, so content on general marketing topics beyond just social media gets great engagement when tagged with #marketing. This includes posts on branding, lead generation, advertising, and more.
5 Most Liked Industries on LinkedIn
When targeting the right audience with relevant hashtags, it also helps to focus on topics and industries that LinkedIn users have demonstrated interest in based on past engagement. These five industries tend to attract the most likes across LinkedIn posts historically:
Industry | Sample Related Hashtags |
---|---|
Information Technology | #IT, #tech, #software, #cybersecurity, #programming |
Business Services | #leadership, #management, #hr, # recruiting, #sales |
Finance | #fintech, #investing, #blockchain, #finance, #financialservices, #wealthmanagement |
Healthcare | #healthcare, #medtech, #digitalhealth, #life sciences, #biotech, #nursing, #telehealth |
Higher Education | #highered, #education, #college, #university, #STEM, #MBA, #scholarships |
So when thinking about which hashtags to use, targeting content and topics related to these popular industries can help maximize engagement. Just make sure to align the hashtags closely with each specific post.
Tips for Using The Most Effective Hashtags
While these examples highlight hashtags that historically get lots of likes, simply adding them to any post won’t necessarily guarantee results. To maximize the impact of hashtags, keep these best practices in mind:
Relevance is Key
The hashtags used should always closely relate to what the actual content of the post is about. Using unrelated hashtags that don’t match the topic will only confuse followers and readers.
Limit it to 2-3 Tags
Research suggests posts see diminishing returns beyond 2-3 hashtags. Add only the most relevant tags so as not to overwhelm readers or make posts appear spammy.
Mix Broader and Narrower Tags
Find a balance between broader hashtags like #socialmedia and niche tags like #fintech or #JobSearch tailored to each post.
Monitor Trends and Engagement
Continually test out new hashtags and monitor which ones drive the most likes. Tags that are trending or newly popular can help increase reach.
Use Branded Hashtags When Relevant
If you are posting about your brand or company, add your own branded hashtags like #YourBrandName to help build brand awareness and identity.
Tools to Identify The Best Hashtags
Rather than just guessing, there are tools you can use to research the highest performing hashtags on LinkedIn specifically:
RiteTag
RiteTag analyzes millions of public LinkedIn posts to identify the hashtags with the most engagement. You can search by keyword to see related tag ideas.
Display Purposes
Display Purposes offers a LinkedIn-specific hashtag generator. Enter a topic and it provides hashtag suggestions based on real LinkedIn data and trends.
Tagboard
Tagboard lets you enter multiple hashtags or keywords to see real-time, platform-specific performance data. You can compare engagement rates for different tags on LinkedIn.
Keyhole
Social media analytics platform Keyhole tracks hashtag usage and engagement across platforms. Its LinkedIn data can reveal the current top hashtags by volume and engagement.
LinkedIn Native Analytics
LinkedIn Pages have access to native analytics to see how their own past posts with different hashtags performed over time. This can inform what hashtags to keep using or update.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you use all the character space for hashtags?
No, avoid trying to pack hashtags into every bit of available space. Typically 1-2 concise, relevant hashtags are recommended for optimal results.
Can you use hashtags in LinkedIn articles?
Yes, adding 2-3 relevant hashtags to long-form LinkedIn articles can make them easier to find and tend to boost engagement. Just be sure they fit naturally into the article content.
Do capitalized hashtags work the same?
Capitalizing hashtags doesn’t make a difference in functionality. #SocialMediaMarketing will work the same as #socialmediamarketing.
Conclusion
Using the right hashtags on LinkedIn can get your posts seen by more of your target audience and boost engagement. While the platform’s algorithm ultimately determines visibility, hashtags are still an important factor. Focus on using the most popular and relevant tags tailored to each post.
Monitor your own posts over time to continually refine hashtags and identify new trends. With the right hashtags, you can increase content reach, likes, and shares on LinkedIn.