Setting up a LinkedIn Company Page

LinkedIn continues to lead the social media pack as the top B2B platform where an individual can build a professional presence, expand their network, and interact with other professionals. In additional to personal profiles, LinkedIn offers members, with verified email addresses, the ability to create a free LinkedIn Company Page.

A LinkedIn Company Page is similar to a Facebook Page in that it is a publicly available business presence on a social platform. LinkedIn offers Pages to companies, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions for promotional purposes, to engage with LinkedIn members.

As a business owner, LinkedIn Company Pages can help you introduce your company or brand to a B2B audience. You can publish marketing messages to reach a different audience than on Facebook – typically older, with a higher disposable income, and more business-focused. You can also use your Page to engage with your employees in an online social setting.

When setting up a LinkedIn Company Page, first select one of the main page categories listed: Company or Educational Institution. Nonprofits should select Company. The other category option is a Showcase page which is a sub-page associated with an existing Page. If you do not yet have a Company Page, you cannot choose this option.

Next, fill in the information on the submission form to create the page:

• Name.
• LinkedIn URL you’re requesting such as linkedin.com/company/yourbusiness. Not every URL will be available so have several options ready.
• Company website.
• Industry.
• Organization size.
• Organization type, such as self-employed, nonprofit, privately held, and sole proprietorship.
• Logo image that shows up as your Page’s profile image when you post.
• Tagline to briefly describe your company.

As with any social network, filling out your profile or page completely is important in order to get the most out of the platform.

LinkedIn Company Pages are limited in terms of customization and design. Additional elements on your page are:

Header – This is the long, narrow banner that appears across the top of your Page. The dimension for this graphic is 1584 pixels wide x 396 pixels high.

Page name – This should be your company’s name. Keep in mind that if another company has the same or similar name, you may have to get creative with selecting a name.

Custom Call-to-Action Feature – You can add a call-to-action feature at the top of your page to generate leads including Contact us, Learn more, Register, Sign up, Visit store, and Visit website.

Showcase Pages – Once you have an established Company Page, you can add these linked pages to spotlight individual brands, business units, or initiatives within your company. These appear as an additional tab on your page.

Products - If you sell products, you can add them to create a Product page that appears as an additional tab on your main page. Add up to five images or videos to showcase each product’s details. You can also pull positive mentions of your product from LinkedIn members and add them onto your product tab.

Jobs - If you have a job opening at your company, you can post it on your Page and opt to advertise the listing. Posting a job to your Company Page is free. Your listing can appear in LinkedIn search results. You can also filter and manage applications. LinkedIn also offers paid job ads that come with additional features such as candidate recommendations and premium placement at the top of search results and job recommendation ads to qualified LinkedIn members.

Events – If you host events, you can list them on your page and manage your guest list.

Posts – The “look and feel’ of your Page relies on your posts and the images included with those posts. Keep in mind the overall design of the images and videos you produce, including visible branding where appropriate.

While not as feature-rich as Facebook Pages, LinkedIn Pages offer a more targeted way to reach a business-minded audience. Leveraging some of LinkedIn’s Page features will help you build an audience and a stronger online presence for your company.