Do you need a LinkedIn company page for your business? Or will a personal profile do?
Being a freelance writer, editor and content person who has to be visible to be employed, I had spent a chunk of time on my LinkedIn profile, but never bothered with a company page. Then I joined the 30 Day Linking Blitz (#30dlb) on LinkedIn and heard people talking about the advantages.
But where to start? What to put on it? How to get people to it? How much work to put into it?
To find out I interviewed Des Walsh, LinkedIn specialist, social media strategist, speaker and coach, founder of the #30dlb, co-author of LinkedIn for Recruiting (email required) and 5 Simple Steps to Getting Started on LinkedIn (email required).
Des reckons your business, large, small or an individual, should definitely have a LinkedIn company page - unless you are sure your target customer will not be there.
But because LinkedIn recently redesigned company pages, many businesses are still feeling their way. "They put it up there, and they don't read what's possible, and they don't have somebody who sees it as a marketing opportunity. They see it as one more chore," says Des. "The race goes to the swift. Get in now and others will be catching up."
5 reasons to create a company page today
1. A company page is like having a free website
"Your page is an amazing resource - a website where you can display all your products and services, where you can put up videos, where you can put up really nice pictures displaying your products, where you can put updates every day if you like, where you can change it at any time you like without having to go to a web developer and pay them money," says Des. And you don't need to be a Premium member.
2. A company page is great for search
It's easy for your page to be found because LinkedIn has a granular, sophisticated search where searchers can specify detailed criteria such as business type, specialism, location and a certain radius. Des says: "People overlook that searches on Google regularly and often prominently often bring up a LinkedIn reference. It's another way to get your name out there." However, the search does not work well on a hyper-local basis.
Searching pages yourself is a great way to identify competitors.
3. No need to be a registered company or incorporated body
Individual services providers and small businesses can have company pages. You can have different pages for different activities. "If you were running two completely different businesses - take a tourist business and an online advice business - you could have separate company pages. There's just a bit more management involved," Des says.
4. Your content already exists
It is fine to repeat the content you have on your web page or elsewhere online. Des says: "People decide what they want to see, they don't necessarily go where you want them to go."
The first content to add is a description of your company. The second is information about key people - partners, employees etc. Their personal and professional profiles should link to the company page. Use the same SEO keywords you use for your website.
Add updates (text, pictures, videos) about new products and services, customers , special offers and so on. Your aim is to have people follow your page so they see all of this.
5. Surprising types of business can benefit
We think of LinkedIn as a B2B marketplace - but that doesn't limit its usefulness to professional service providers. Des gives the example of a gift basket business that generated sales by using keywords like 'corporate gifts' and putting up pictures of the baskets. Cafés and restaurants can benefit if, for example, someone has a posting to a new location and wants to find out what it's like.
Convinced? Get your page up and running with these resources
Basic
Guide to setting up your company page from LinkedIn Learning Centre
5 Strategic Tips for Creating a Killer LinkedIn Company Page by Neal Schaffer at Windmill Networking
Advanced
Turn Your LinkedIn Company Page into a Sales Magnet by Frank Isca at Business2Commnity
13 Brands Using LinkedIn Company Pages Features the Right Way by Pamela Vaughan at Hubspot
Questions for Des? Tips to share? Over to you in the comments.