What will LinkedIn look like in 2026? One thing is for sure, thereโs not going to be a lot of hashtags floating around. But, why is that? What has happened to hashtags on LinkedIn and social media as a whole that is phasing out the noble hashtag?
Letโs get into itโฆ
Where did hashtags come from?
Hashtags first appeared on Twitter in 2009 and quickly became an efficient way to categorize posts and help people find relevant content. On LinkedIn, they were used to increase the reach of posts to target prospectsโ feeds. Using three to five hashtags on LinkedIn posts related to the industries you want to target would boost the posts with the right audiences.
Where are hashtags now?
On LinkedIn, hashtags are still being used today but their effectiveness has lowered. People donโt follow hashtags like they used to so relying on them for visibility isnโt the best strategy. LinkedIn, as well as most social media platforms, are now prioritising keywords – relevant phrases and terms naturally incorporated into the body of a post.
Where will hashtags go in the future?
Itโs likely that hashtags are going to become more irrelevant over time. Audiences are now favouring engaging, authentic content that adds value to their lives over popular content. Hashtags will not help you provide this value, it must come from your own experience. Both social media platforms and search engines are also reflecting this change in the way they rank content.
Do hashtags help LinkedIn posts?
Thereโs no current reason why you shouldnโt use hashtags on LinkedIn but donโt rely on them for reach. Focus on embedding keywords directly into your content without overloading your posts with these keywords. Naturally weave them into the experience and insights that speak to your target audience.