LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, sets itself apart from other popular social media sites due to many reasons. LinkedIn is a platform by professional, for professionals, enabling you to connect with people and organizations in your industry or specific to your niche.
If you are a business owner looking to strengthen your professional network, stay updated on industry trends, and better connect with your audiences, you can benefit from creating a LinkedIn business page.
What is a LinkedIn Business Page?
Before we begin, we must first understand the significance of having a LinkedIn company page, how it differs from what personal pages (profiles) offer, and what you can share on your business page.
LinkedIn business pages essentially represent your organization/institution as a whole, whereas personal profiles are created to represent individuals. A LinkedIn business page can be created on LinkedIn free of charge by any member of your company.
Why should you be creating a business page? Well, for one, LinkedIn is used by professionals worldwide; statistics show that LinkedIn has over 810 million members in over 200 countries and regions worldwide. These statistics also enlist over 57 million companies listed under the professional giant. It has now become one of the most popular social media platforms for B2B marketers, employers and employees alike, recruitment agencies, and both large and small-medium businesses.
How to Create a LinkedIn Business Page?
Here is how you can create a LinkedIn business page for your company in five easy steps:
1. Create Your Linkedin Page
To start, you will need to first have a user account in place; this will also be the administrator of your company page, so you can always sign up using your work email address. Once you have your user account logged in, you are ready to create LinkedIn business page for your company.
It is also recommended to make sure you have all the necessary supplies at hand to make your company page. Think brand logos, brand cover photos, brand-specific content, etc. Once you have got that down, you can move on to creating a stellar LinkedIn business page!
- Navigate to the Work icon at the top right of your LinkedIn navigation bar on your LinkedIn profile and click it once.
- You will notice that a drop-down menu pops open. Here scroll to the bottom and click on “Create a Company Page.”
- Note that this is a free feature LinkedIn provides; anyone with an active personal LinkedIn account can create a LinkedIn business page.
2. Select Page Type that Best Suits Your Business
Once you click on “Create a Company Page,” you will be asked to choose the type of LinkedIn page you want to create. LinkedIn will showcase four types of LinkedIn pages for you to choose from; we will discuss each one so you can make a more informed decision.
- Small Business: This page is suited for businesses that have fewer than 200 employees.
- Medium to Large Business: This page is suited for businesses with more than 200 employees.
- Showcase Page: Showcase pages are extensions of your parent LinkedIn page and are typically used to highlight a particular product line or brand or target a specific audience. Think of it as a mini LinkedIn page for your business that shares a certain aspect of your business.
- Educational Institution: As the name suggests, this page type is suited for universities, colleges, or high schools who wish to showcase their institution. This page has its own additional features (for instance, you can add a dedicated alumni section).
You may very well associate with the first two page types. The setup for both is actually quite similar and easy to follow.
3. Add Basic Information about Your Business
Next, you will be redirected to a new page and requested to enter some basic information about your company. This includes the following:
- Name: It is the public name of your business page that will be displayed to all LinkedIn members. Add the complete name of your business to improve your discoverability on the LinkedIn search engine.
- LinkedIn Public URL: Once you fill in your public name, LinkedIn will automatically generate a public URL for you, usually following this format “linkedin.com/company/company-name.” If your company name is already taken, you can edit it and try a variation of the URL.
- Website: Here, you will enter the link to your company website. This will help users that navigate your LinkedIn page to easily connect with your company website.
- Industry: Next, choose the industry your company qualifies under. LinkedIn provides a list of industries for you to choose from; some top industries you will find on LinkedIn include Information Technology and Services, Education Management, Retail, Computer Software, Accounting, Marketing and Advertising, Real Estate, etc.
- Company Size: Again, LinkedIn will provide you with a list of size ranges for you to choose from.
- Company Type: Again, LinkedIn will provide you with a list of company types for you to choose from. (Partnership, Privately held, etc.)
- Logo: Upload your brand logo, so you are better recognized by your target audience. The recommended size for your logo is 300 x 300 px.
- Tagline: Add a sharp tagline to make your business stand out; describe what your company does or what your company aspires to be within a 120 character limit.
Finally, check the verification box that states that you will act as a representative of your company and agree to the terms for setting up a LinkedIn business page; click “Create Page” to finish off.
4. Preview Your Page and Fill in Any Missing Information
Next, you can see what your company can look like to the public and make any adjustments as required. LinkedIn also shows you a checklist of activities to complete building your LinkedIn page. Hover over the “tick” at the far right to see what remains to be done. You will find plenty of information still missing; we will guide you on some of the essentials here. Be sure to complete your profile; after all, complete profiles get up to 30% more weekly views.
- Cover image: This will be the banner image displayed over your logo. The recommended size for your cover photo is 1536 x 768 pixels. Your cover image should show off your brand and give your audience a sense of what you do. To update your cover image, click the pencil icon on your cover image section, click upload cover image and select the image you wish to upload from your files. Finally, apply and save changes.
- Company Description: Next, fill in your company description. To do so, click the “Edit Page” button on the right of your logo. Navigate to the “Overview” section under about. Here you can add your company description. In this 2000 character section, you want to add a description that leaves a solid first impression on anyone who lands on your page. Add your company vision, mission, what motivates you, and the solution your company provides.
- Location: This is pretty straightforward; simply add the location where your company is headquartered. You can also add more than one location if you have multiple locations.
- Hashtags: Hashtags are not commonly added on LinkedIn but are a unique way to connect with people in your industry. You can add up to 3 hashtags that you want to engage with. You can either design hashtags specific to your business or add existing ones relevant to your industry. You can then view them from the “Community Hashtags” section on your page.
5. Customize Your Call-To-Action
Your page has now been optimized and is ready to best present your business! However, there are ways you can further optimize your page. Consider customizing your page’s Call-To-Action.
On your LinkedIn company page, you will find a pre-existing CTA labeled as “Visit Website.” This is a new feature LinkedIn rolled out in 2019, previously users could only engage with your company page by either following your page or visiting your website. You can now customize the CTA, so there are different ways to engage with your audience.
The new CTA options include:
- Contact us
- Learn more
- Register
- Sign up
- Visit Website
LinkedIn also provides you with analytics to see what response your CTA receives. To edit your CTA, click on the pencil icon next to your existing CTA, go to “Buttons.” Here make sure the “Custom button” toggle is switched on. Next, click on the dropdown menu below “Button Name” and select the CTA you wish to add. You can then add the URL to your website, landing page, event registration page, etc., and redirect your audience there.
That’s all! This is how to create a LinkedIn business page. Now your page is ready to start publishing content for your audience to see. Try to regularly share engaging, valuable content specific to your industry to drive your brand recognition. It is also recommended to keep your page up to date at all times; this will further improve your brand reputation and will help take your business to the next level!