How to Find the Best Hashtags for LinkedIn

Still guessing which hashtags to use on your LinkedIn posts? You’re not alone. Using random hashtags is like shouting into the wind - you might get some attention, but probably not from the people you want to reach. This guide gives you a simple, repeatable system to find hashtags that actually grow your reach, connect you with your target audience, and build your authority on the platform.

Why Hashtags Still Matter on LinkedIn

On platforms like Instagram, hashtags can feel like an all-out sprint for visibility. LinkedIn is different. Here, hashtags function less like a discovery lottery and more like a professional filing system. When used correctly, they help categorize your content, making it easier for both the LinkedIn algorithm and users to understand what your post is about.

Think of it this way: when you add #SaaSMarketing to your post, you’re telling LinkedIn, “Show this to people interested in selling software.” Your content then appears in the feeds of users who follow that hashtag, even if they aren't connected to you. It's one of the most effective organic tools you have to expand your reach beyond your first-degree connections and put your content in front of a relevant audience that has already raised its hand to say, “I’m interested in this topic.”

A smart hashtag strategy can:

• Increase Discoverability: Introduce your content to a wider, yet targeted, audience.
• Improve Relevance: Signal what your content is about, helping you attract the right kind of followers.
• Build Community: Create and track conversations around specific brand campaigns or topics.

The Three Types of Hashtags Your Strategy Needs

A solid strategy uses a mix of different types to balance broad reach with targeted engagement. Think of it as a portfolio: you need a blend of popular, niche, and branded tags to get the best results.

1. Broad (or "Audience") Hashtags

These are the high-level, popular terms with hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of followers. They are general topics that cover entire industries or major themes. Using them gives your content the potential to be seen by a massive audience.

• Examples: #leadership (70M followers), #marketing (23M followers), #technology (42M followers), #business (38M followers)
• When to use them: Use one, maybe two, in posts that have a very universal appeal. They are great for exposure but can be competitive.
• The Catch: Because they're so popular, your post can quickly get buried in the feed. They're good for exposure but not always for deep engagement from your ideal follower.

2. Niche (or "Topic") Hashtags

This is where the real connection happens. Niche hashtags are more specific, focusing on a particular sub-topic, skill, or industry segment. They have smaller, more dedicated followings of people who are genuinely interested in that subject.

• Examples: #contentmarketingstrategy (14k followers), #productledgrowth (17k followers), #fintechinnovation (8k followers)
• When to use them: In almost every post. These hashtags attract an audience that is more likely to engage with your content because it speaks directly to their interests or profession.
• The Benefit: You might not get millions of impressions, but you’ll connect with the right people - potential clients, peers, and collaborators. This is how you build a quality network.

3. Branded (or "Community") Hashtags

Branded hashtags are unique to your business, campaign, or event. They don't exist to be discovered by a wide audience, they exist to build community and organize your own content.

• Examples: #YourCompanyName, #YourSlogan, #AnnualConference2024, #YourPodcastName
• When to use them: Consistently on posts related to your brand. Encourage employees and customers to use them too.
• The Goal: When someone clicks your branded hashtag, they see a curated feed of all the content related to your brand - from you and your community. It’s a great way to group conversations, track user-generated content, and build brand identity.

How to Find the Right Hashtags: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to move past guessing? Here is a straightforward process to build a list of effective hashtags for your brand.

Step 1: Start with LinkedIn’s Search Bar

The best place to start your research is right on LinkedIn itself. It’s simple and gives you immediate data on a hashtag's popularity.

1. Type a broad keyword related to your industry (e.g., "social media") into the LinkedIn search bar.
2. On the results page, filter by clicking "Hashtags."
3. You’ll see a list of relevant hashtags and, most importantly, their follower counts.

This simple search for "social media" might turn up #socialmedia (26M followers), #socialmediamarketing (24M followers), and more specific ones like #socialmediastrategy (155k followers). Right away, you have one broad tag and one niche tag to consider.

Action Step: Do this for 5-10 core topics related to your business and start noting down promising hashtags.

Step 2: See What Industry Leaders and Competitors Use

You don't need to reinvent the wheel. The top voices and your direct competitors in your industry are likely already using hashtags that work. Spend some time doing a bit of professional recon.

Identify 5-10 professionals, influencers, or companies that you admire and who serve a similar audience. Scroll through their recent posts and look at the hashtags they use consistently. Are there niche tags you've never thought of? Are they coining their own branded hashtags?

Pay attention to which of their posts get the most engagement. Sometimes you'll notice a pattern connecting a specific hashtag with high-performing content. This is valuable intel - it tells you what kinds of conversations are currently resonating within your industry.

Action Step: Add the best hashtags you find from your "virtual mentors" to your list.

Step 3: Check LinkedIn’s Built-In Recommendations

LinkedIn wants you to use hashtags because it helps their platform organize content. In fact, it will give you suggestions based on your profile, connections, and activity.

Go to your "My Network" page and find the "Hashtags" section on the left-hand menu. This is a personalized feed of trending and recommended hashtags tailored to your interests. It’s a fantastic source of ideas you might otherwise miss.

Similarly, when you start typing a hashtag in a new post (e.g., "#content"), LinkedIn will automatically suggest related tags and show you their follower counts. This is an excellent way to discover new niche tags on the fly.

Action Step: Follow a dozen or so relevant hashtags to signal your interests to the algorithm and turn your own feed into an idea generator.

Step 4: Create a Simple Tracking Spreadsheet

As you gather hashtags, it's easy to lose track. A simple spreadsheet can turn your research from a chaotic mess into an organized, strategic library. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Create a sheet with four columns:


| Hashtag | Follower Count | Category | Notes |
|--------------------------|-----------------|-----------------------|-------------------------------------|
| #personalbranding | 8.3M Followers | Broad | Good for general advice posts. |
| #b2bsales | 311k Followers | Niche | Use for posts targeting salespeople.|
| #YourCompanyCulture | ≈500 Followers | Branded | Use on all team-related content. |


This simple system allows you to build a bank of pre-vetted hashtags categorized by type. When you write a new post, you can just pull from your list, grabbing a strategic mix of broad, niche, and branded tags without starting your research from scratch every time.

Best Practices for Using Hashtags on LinkedIn

Finding the hashtags is half the battle. Using them effectively is the other half.

How many hashtags should you use?

The consensus for LinkedIn is 3 to 5 hashtags per post. Any more risks looking spammy and can distract from your actual message. LinkedIn’s own creators program recommends this range. Remember, the goal is relevance, not quantity.

Where should you put them?

The cleanest and most professional approach is to place your hashtags at the very end of your post. Don't weave them into the middle of sentences (e.g., "Just had a great meeting about our #NewProduct!"). This practice, sometimes known as #HashTaggingInTheWild, reduces readability and looks cluttered. A few line breaks before your list of hashtags creates a nice, clean separation between your message and your tags.

Should you use the same hashtags every time?

No. While you'll likely have a core set of go-to hashtags related to your main topics, you should tailor the hashtags to the specific content of each post. If you're talking about hiring, use tags related to recruitment. If you're talking about financial results, use tags related to business finance. Using the exact same block of tags on every single post can look robotic and might even be flagged by the algorithm.

Should I use a tag with millions of followers or thousands?

Use both! A healthy mix is best. Your one broad hashtag with millions of followers gives you a shot at massive exposure. Your two or three niche hashtags with a few thousand followers connect you to a highly relevant and engaged audience. Your branded hashtag builds your tribe. They serve different purposes, and together, they form a complete strategy.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right hashtags on LinkedIn isn't about finding a single secret tag that will make your content go viral. It's about building a thoughtful, strategic system that uses a combination of broad, niche, and branded tags to consistently get your content in front of the right professional audience.

Putting a great hashtag strategy into practice means staying organized and consistent. When developing our social media management platform, we built Postbase to make that part easier. Instead of juggling spreadsheets and reminders, you can plan all your content on one visual calendar, schedule posts across every platform, and keep your best-performing hashtags handy without the clutter. This lets you focus on creating great conversations without getting lost in the workflow.

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