Last updated March 19, 2019.
It’s no secret that social media is a powerful tool for business, and if your company sells B2B, LinkedIn is a must. To make the most of this network, however, it’s important to understand the difference between personal profiles and company pages. More specifically, you need to know how to use your personal profiles to promote your LinkedIn page and boost the visibility of your brand.
How LinkedIn Company Pages Work
A company page on LinkedIn is a branded presence through which an organization can communicate its overall message and share updates. You can’t interact proactively with your page as you do with your profile. For example, you can’t connect with individuals or participate in groups. So your page on Linkedin is simply a passive extension of (and a bridge to) your website and people.
Gaining followers for a company page can be a frustrating endeavor because people prefer to connect with other people. That said, it’s still important to keep it up-to-date. Anyone who’s interested in your organization will visit the page to see what you’ve been up to. For ideas on what to post, check out these tips and tricks for marketers on LinkedIn‘s website.
Unless a person visits the company page, updates will only be seen by its followers. Even then, there’s no guarantee because all posts compete with other news feed activity.
The trick with a LinkedIn company page is to treat it like a hub that you support with employee profiles. Ask employees to link to the company page from their profiles. Then expand its organic reach by encouraging them to like and share company page posts.
How LinkedIn Personal Profiles Work
Personal profiles are where most of the action on LinkedIn happens. In addition to offering an online representation of your professional background, personal profiles allow you to network. You can nurture existing connections and make new ones through introductions and group discussions.
Some people only use LinkedIn occasionally, treating it as an online Rolodex. Others log in daily to interact, share knowledge, and post updates about their professional activities. Active users view the time spent on LinkedIn as an investment in their personal brands.
LinkedIn profiles are an asset that we build over time. These are our professional connections – the people who are interested in our skills and who we turn to when seeking opportunities. So many people feel protective of this network. As an employer, if you wish to tap into the synergies between a company page and the personal profiles of employees, you must be respectful of this reality.
How to Encourage Employees to Promote Your LinkedIn Page
Understanding the importance of personal profiles to the success of a LinkedIn company page is only half the battle. The next step is to motivate employees to get involved.
Requesting that employees link to the company page in their profiles isn’t a big deal. But you may find them reluctant to engage with company updates unless you show them how this behavior can support their personal brands.
Keeping this in mind while creating company updates can help. When posting something important, encourage employees to share by offering guidance as to how they can boost its reach while also supporting their professional interests. For example, when announcing a new product, you could suggest that those involved in its design share the post with a comment about how they contributed.
Another way to encourage engagement is to get creative with company updates. Share photos and videos that offer glimpses into your corporate culture. Congratulate employees on professional achievements and post links to relevant employee blog posts. Not only will this encourage sharing, but it will add variety and appeal to the page by showcasing the people behind it.
You can create a vibrant and engaging company page by making it easy and rewarding for employees to get involved.
Conclusion
Company pages on LinkedIn have limitations, but they are an important part of your brand’s digital footprint. Viewing your presence holistically is the key to expanding organic reach.
Promote your LinkedIn page internally by keeping your employees in the loop and showing them the benefits of liking and sharing your posts. With a little extra effort, LinkedIn can become one of the most powerful tools you have for amplifying your message.
