LinkedIn Hashtags: How to Use Them for Maximum Reach in 2026

Hashtags on LinkedIn aren’t just decoration — they’re a discovery mechanism. When you add the right hashtags to your posts, you extend your reach beyond your immediate network to the thousands (or millions) of people who follow those topics. But use them wrong, and you’ll either get buried in competition or look like spam.

This guide breaks down how LinkedIn hashtags actually work in 2026, how many to use, how to research the best ones for your niche, and the mistakes that silently limit your reach.

How Hashtags Work on LinkedIn

LinkedIn hashtags serve three primary functions: discovery, following, and feed distribution.

• Discovery: When someone searches for a topic on LinkedIn, hashtagged content surfaces in the results. Hashtags act as labels that categorize your post for LinkedIn’s search engine and recommendation system.
• Following: LinkedIn users can follow specific hashtags (e.g., #ContentMarketing or #SaaS). When you use a hashtag that someone follows, your post can appear in their feed — even if they’re not connected to you.
• Feed distribution: LinkedIn’s algorithm uses hashtags as one of several signals to determine which audiences should see your post. Relevant hashtags help the algorithm match your content to interested users outside your network.

In short, hashtags are one of the few tools that let you reach people who have never heard of you. That makes your LinkedIn SEO strategy and hashtag strategy natural partners — both aim to make your content discoverable to the right audience.

How Many Hashtags Should You Use?

The sweet spot is 3–5 hashtags per post. Here’s why:

• Fewer than 3: You’re leaving discoverability on the table. One or two hashtags might not be enough to signal the topic breadth of your content to the algorithm.
• 3–5: This gives you enough room to combine broad, mid-range, and niche hashtags (more on that below) without looking cluttered.
• More than 5: LinkedIn’s own creator guidance recommends no more than 5. Using 10 or 15 hashtags makes your post look spammy and can actually hurt distribution — the algorithm may treat it as low-quality content.

The data backs this up: posts with 3–5 hashtags consistently outperform those with 0–2 or 6+ in terms of impressions and engagement rate. Think of it as focused targeting rather than casting the widest net.

Types of LinkedIn Hashtags

Not all hashtags are created equal. They fall into three tiers based on follower count, and the best strategy uses a mix of all three:

Broad Hashtags (500K+ Followers)

These are high-volume, high-competition tags like #Marketing, #Leadership, #Innovation, and #Entrepreneurship. Millions of people follow them, but millions of posts also compete for visibility.

• Pros: Massive potential audience; signals general topic relevance
• Cons: Your post can get drowned out within minutes; less targeted
• Use: Include 1 broad hashtag per post to establish category context

Mid-Range Hashtags (10K–500K Followers)

These hit the balance between reach and relevance: #ContentMarketing, #B2BSales, #ProductManagement, #StartupLife. They have substantial audiences but less noise than the mega-tags.

• Pros: Large enough for meaningful reach; targeted enough that your content is relevant to followers
• Cons: Still competitive, especially popular ones
• Use: Include 1–2 mid-range hashtags that closely match your content topic

Niche Hashtags (Under 10K Followers)

These are highly specific: #RevOps, #PLGStrategy, #FractionalCMO, #DevRelLife. Smaller audiences, but the people who follow them are deeply invested in the topic.

• Pros: Much less competition; your post is more likely to surface; highly engaged followers
• Cons: Smaller total reach
• Use: Include 1–2 niche hashtags that precisely match your expertise or audience

A strong LinkedIn hashtag strategy for any post looks like: 1 broad + 1–2 mid-range + 1–2 niche = 3–5 total.

How to Research LinkedIn Hashtags

Don’t guess — research. Here are four practical methods to find the best LinkedIn hashtags for your content:

1. Use LinkedIn’s Search Bar

Type a keyword into LinkedIn’s search bar and filter by “Posts” or look at the autocomplete suggestions. You can also search for a hashtag directly (e.g., type #SaaSMarketing) to see its follower count and recent posts. This tells you both the size of the audience and the quality of content being posted there.

2. Check Follower Counts

When you land on a hashtag page, LinkedIn displays the number of followers. Use this to categorize hashtags into the three tiers above. A hashtag with 2 million followers has a very different competitive landscape than one with 5,000.

3. Analyze Competitors and Peers

Look at what hashtags the top creators in your space are using. If five out of ten B2B marketers you follow consistently use #DemandGen, that’s a signal it works for your audience. Don’t just copy their tags — understand why they use them.

4. Build a Hashtag Bank

Create a simple spreadsheet with 15–20 hashtags organized by tier (broad, mid-range, niche) and topic. Rotate through them so you’re not using the exact same set on every post. This keeps your reach diverse and helps you learn which combinations perform best. Pair this with your broader LinkedIn content strategy for maximum consistency.

Hashtag Placement: Where to Put Them

There are two schools of thought on placement, and one is clearly better:

End of Post (Recommended)

Place your hashtags at the very end of your post, after your main content and call-to-action. This keeps the body of your post clean and readable while still giving you full discoverability benefits. Most top LinkedIn creators use this approach.

Inline (Use Sparingly)

Some creators weave hashtags into the text itself (“If you’re in #ProductManagement, you know this feeling”). This can work if the hashtag reads naturally in context, but it often feels forced and can reduce readability. If you use inline hashtags, limit it to one — put the rest at the end.

One important note: hashtags placed after “See more” (i.e., below the fold) still work for discovery and distribution. LinkedIn indexes them regardless of position in the post.

Best LinkedIn Hashtags by Industry

Here are curated hashtag suggestions organized by niche. Mix and match from your relevant category, always combining tiers:

Marketing & SaaS

• Broad: #Marketing, #DigitalMarketing
• Mid-range: #ContentMarketing, #SaaS, #B2BMarketing, #GrowthMarketing
• Niche: #DemandGen, #PLG, #MarTech, #ContentStrategy

Sales & Business Development

• Broad: #Sales, #BusinessDevelopment
• Mid-range: #B2BSales, #SalesEnablement, #SocialSelling, #SalesTips
• Niche: #RevOps, #SDR, #SalesLeadership, #OutboundSales

Leadership & Management

• Broad: #Leadership, #Management
• Mid-range: #ExecutiveCoaching, #LeadershipDevelopment, #PeopleManagement, #TeamBuilding
• Niche: #FirstTimeManager, #ServantLeadership, #RemoteLeadership, #EngineeringManagement

Tech & Engineering

• Broad: #Technology, #Engineering
• Mid-range: #SoftwareEngineering, #ArtificialIntelligence, #WebDevelopment, #CloudComputing
• Niche: #DevOps, #SystemDesign, #TechLeadership, #PlatformEngineering

Entrepreneurship

• Broad: #Entrepreneurship, #Startups
• Mid-range: #StartupLife, #FounderLife, #SmallBusiness, #Venture
• Niche: #BootstrappedStartup, #SoloFounder, #IndieHacker, #PreSeed

Common LinkedIn Hashtag Mistakes

These errors are surprisingly common and can silently undermine your reach:

Using Too Many Hashtags

Stuffing 10–20 hashtags at the bottom of a post is a LinkedIn red flag. It signals low-quality content to both the algorithm and your audience. Stick to 3–5 and make every one count.

Using Only Broad Hashtags

If all your hashtags have millions of followers (#Marketing #Innovation #Leadership #Business #Success), you’re competing with every creator on the platform. Your post will get lost. Always include mid-range and niche tags to improve your odds.

Using Irrelevant Hashtags

Adding trending or high-volume hashtags that don’t match your content is counterproductive. LinkedIn’s algorithm evaluates content-hashtag relevance. If people who follow #AI see your post about accounting best practices, they won’t engage — and low engagement kills distribution.

Using Only Branded Hashtags

Branded hashtags (like #YourCompanyName) are fine for campaign tracking but they have almost no followers. If your only hashtags are branded, you’re getting zero discovery benefit. Always pair branded tags with community hashtags.

Never Changing Your Hashtags

Using the same 3 hashtags on every single post limits your reach to the same audience segments. Rotate your hashtags to tap into different communities and keep testing new combinations.

Should You Create a Branded Hashtag?

Branded hashtags can be valuable — but only in specific scenarios:

• Content series: If you publish a recurring series (e.g., a weekly leadership tip), a branded hashtag like #LeadershipWithJane helps people find and follow your series
• Events and campaigns: If you’re running an event, webinar series, or challenge, a branded hashtag unifies the conversation
• Community building: If you’re building a community or movement, a unique hashtag gives members a way to identify with the group

The key rule: a branded hashtag should supplement your strategy, not replace it. Always include 2–4 community hashtags alongside any branded tag. And if your branded hashtag has zero traction after several weeks of consistent use, it’s not worth the slot — replace it with a community hashtag that actually drives discovery.

Key Takeaways

• Use 3–5 hashtags per post — fewer limits discoverability, more looks spammy
• Mix tiers: 1 broad (500K+), 1–2 mid-range (10K–500K), and 1–2 niche (<10K) hashtags
• Research hashtags using LinkedIn search, follower counts, and competitor analysis — don’t guess
• Place hashtags at the end of your post to keep the body clean and readable
• Avoid common mistakes: too many, all broad, irrelevant, or never-changing hashtag sets
• Branded hashtags work for series and events but should always be paired with community hashtags
• Rotate your hashtags regularly and track which combinations drive the most reach and engagement