What is the difference between a company page and a personal page on LinkedIn? And which is the better option for your business? Discover everything you need to know in this handy guide.
With nearly 31.2 million LinkedIn users in the UK, this professional social media channel is one of the most important channels for generating leads and building an online presence. But which area should your business be prioritising – a LinkedIn business page or personal page?
For many sole traders, small businesses and start-ups, tackling the LinkedIn company page vs personal page conundrum come down to several contributing factors.
Allow us to break it down for you.
What is the difference between a company page and personal page on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is made up of businesses/organisations and members. A LinkedIn business page is created and managed by an organisation, whereas a LinkedIn personal page represents a member.
Like other social media platforms, a LinkedIn business page has followers. In contrast, an individual would build connections on their LinkedIn personal page.
Another notable difference between a LinkedIn company page and a personal page is the ability to run ads. To set up paid advertisement, you need a LinkedIn business page.
Both pages also consist of different tabs and sections:
• A LinkedIn personal account – Activity, Experience, Skills & Endorsements, Interests and Recommendations.
• A LinkedIn business page – Overview, About, Jobs and People.
LinkedIn company page vs personal page
Now you know the differences, it’s time to consider which is the better choice for you and your business.
In reality, the outcome depends on your needs and circumstances.
Here are some questions you should be considering:
1. Are you a consultant, one-person band or the face of your brand? If the answer is yes, then LinkedIn personal branding is a golden opportunity to strut your stuff. As the “big cheese” or only face of a brand, selling your expertise is an integral part of building authority and positioning yourself as a thought leader in your line of work.
2. Are you planning to grow your business? If you’re a sole trader with big ambitions to scale over the coming years, there’s no harm in setting up a LinkedIn business page and using it to share regular content. Think of it as an investment in your future. However, you’ll need to focus on your personal LinkedIn account too or run the risk of attracting the wrong clients. After all, people buy into people. So, don’t be afraid to put yourself first and sell your story. You’ll be the one driving sales during the early years.
3. Do you work in an industry that doesn’t use LinkedIn? Research suggests that professionals working within the internet and education sectors don’t often use LinkedIn. However, if you’re operating in marketing, recruitment, hospitality, healthcare or IT, it might be worth building your personal brand. But take this with a pinch of salt. The real contributing factor depends on your role and whether you believe growing your personal or business following of intrinsic value in the long run.
Why is LinkedIn important for personal branding?
Developing a personal LinkedIn strategy is an integral part of investing in your future and the success of your business.
LinkedIn has the potential to reach millions of people organically with the right content and thought. It only takes one person to like or comment on your post to amplify it to a certain percentage of their followers. This tried and tested social channel is a less invasive way of creating opportunities than email marketing or cold calling.
You also have the potential to sell your personality and put a face to a name or business. As we mentioned earlier, people buy into people. They don’t buy into a logo. That’s unless you have shining golden arches above your building and Happy Meals on the menu.
Without the right social media experts supporting you, LinkedIn business pages are often passive. Conversations are limited, and relationship building is a challenge. LinkedIn is important for personal branding because it gives you an active platform to broadcast your voice, raise important issues and add value.
You even have the power to connect with almost anyone you want, publish blog content and start a conversation via InMail. When it comes to personal branding, you won’t find this functionality on any other online platform.
What are the benefits of a LinkedIn company page?
In most cases, you still need a LinkedIn company page. While it might not gain the same kind of traction as a LinkedIn personal page, there’s still a massive opportunity to turn this avenue into a healthy lead generator.
Here are some key benefits of creating a LinkedIn company page:
• It looks professional – When a prospect is looking to purchase, they’ll do their research on social. If you publish poor content or nothing at all, you run the risk of looking untrustworthy.
• It’ll boost your online presence – When you have a LinkedIn company page, it will show up in Google. So, make sure you optimise your company profile with all the right keywords.
• Reach a more targeted audience – Thanks to the ‘Privacy’ setting, you can post a status targeting a certain demographic. If you want to expand the reach of your audience, you have the option of utilising LinkedIn Ads.
Develop a personal LinkedIn strategy for you and your business
Whether you think a LinkedIn personal page or company page is right for you, it’s ineffective without the right kind of strategy in place.
With around 2 million posts, articles and videos published on LinkedIn every day, you don’t want your content to contribute to the noise.
Compelling content is made up of insights and original thoughts. There’s also a knack for storytelling and the fundamentals of social posting to consider. For example, timing, hashtags and other best practices.
If this sounds like too much work or you have no idea where to start, don’t abandon the idea. As Josh Kaufman once said, “For everything we don’t like to do, there’s someone out there who’s really good, wants to do it and will enjoy it.”
At Design in the Shires, we can show you how to build a personal brand on LinkedIn and improve your LinkedIn business page. Contact us today to learn about our complete social media packages for individuals and companies.
