There’s always one constant in social media – that nothing is constant. Back in 2013, LinkedIn tried, and quickly disposed of, hashtags. The professionals that use the social media platform just weren’t into it. Well, three years later, the handy social media marketing tool has returned to one of the most popular platforms around. However, there’s a bit of a catch.
LinkedIn is in the middle of a revamp. These updates may or may not be due to their new owners, Microsoft, but we can all enjoy the rewards. If the massive merger is the reason, kudos. Along with new search capabilities, hashtags have returned in a new way that made everyone look twice. They only become searchable, clickable content on mobile. The tags will be visible in the content via desktop browsers, albeit unclickable and well, pretty much pointless.
To me, this means two things. First of all, LinkedIn is aware of mobile’s increasing power. A majority of social media users, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn,use an app. This is most likely the reason for the hashtag’s functionality to start with mobile devices first. Social media marketers should always keep mobile’s popularity in mind when creating content. Does something look a little funky when you’re viewing in on a smartphone? Then you may want to revise it.
Secondly, this proves there are more changes on the way for LinkedIn. It’s doubtful that the social media giant will let something this obvious go unfixed. Soon enough, those hashtags will appear as blue, clickable portals to more relatable content on any screen. We just have to give them a little more time.
What do you think of LinkedIn’s new and surprising update? Comment below!
