LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking site with over 722 million users worldwide as of October 2022. It allows individuals to create profiles highlighting their professional backgrounds and accomplishments to connect with other professionals and opportunities. But LinkedIn also offers company pages that allow businesses and organizations to establish a presence and connect with customers and talent. This raises the question – can you create a LinkedIn account for a business without having a personal account?
The short answer is yes, it is possible to create a LinkedIn Company Page without having a personal profile on the platform. LinkedIn allows official representatives from a business or organization to register and manage a Company Page separately from any individual employee accounts.
However, there are a few key things to keep in mind when establishing a Company Page without a personal LinkedIn profile:
Register with a business email address
To create a Company Page, you will need to register using an email address clearly associated with your business. This could be a general company domain email like [email protected] or [email protected]. Avoid using personal email addresses from services like Gmail or Outlook when registering your business’ LinkedIn Page.
Verify your business
LinkedIn will require verification that you are an authorized representative of the business to establish a Company Page. This usually involves confirming ownership of your business website and domain name. You may need to upload documents verifying your authority to act on behalf of the business as well.
Designate an administrator
Even without personal profiles, you will need to designate an administrative account for managing the Company Page. This administrator account does not need to be associated with an individual profile, but will be necessary for posting content and making changes to the Page over time.
Post regularly
To build an engaged following on LinkedIn, your business’ Company Page needs consistent posting. This means sharing content like articles, images, videos and more that provides value for your target audience. Consider designating multiple administrators or using a social media management platform to maintain regular posting.
Engage community
Don’t just broadcast content – engage with your LinkedIn community. Reply to comments and messages in a timely fashion. Share content from industry leaders and partners. Cross-promote content on other social platforms. Being an active and visible community member is key.
Promote your page
Let partners, employees and customers know about your Company Page. Include links in email signatures, website bios, newsletters and more. Host contests or promotions to incentive following your page. Work it into sales and marketing activities online and offline.
In summary, creating a LinkedIn Company Page without a personal account is completely doable. You simply need an official business email, verification documents, dedicated Page administrator(s), and a strategy for posting content and engaging your community. While having employees with personal profiles that connect to the Company Page can be helpful, it is not required to establish and grow an impactful business presence on LinkedIn.
Benefits of Creating a LinkedIn Company Page
Establishing a LinkedIn Company Page can provide many benefits for businesses looking to expand their digital presence and opportunities. Some of the key advantages include:
Increased Visibility & Reach
With over 722 million users, LinkedIn provides incredible visibility for businesses. A Company Page gives you a hub on the platform to share content, connect with professionals, and be discovered by those looking for your products or services.
Found in Search
LinkedIn SEO and optimization allows your Company Page content to be found in search. This can help drive qualified traffic to your website. Company Pages rank well for industry, product and branded search terms.
Share Company Updates
Your Company Page provides a centralized location to share company news like new products, expansions, awards and more. Keep stakeholders and customers up-to-date.
Establish Thought Leadership
Share valuable industry insights, trends, tips and perspectives through long-form posts, articles and videos to establish your brand as a trusted leader.
Attract & Engage Talent
Promote your employer brand and job openings to attract qualified candidates through your Company Page and Showcase Pages.
Make Connections
Interact with customers, partners, and professionals through your Company Page to foster relationships and word-of-mouth.
Run Targeted Ads
LinkedIn’s advertising platform allows you to run Sponsored Content and Sponsored InMail campaigns targeted to specific demographics and interests.
In summary, LinkedIn Company Pages offer a versatile hub to accomplish multiple business development, marketing, HR and customer engagement goals. The platform’s massive professional network provides opportunities to connect with ideal prospects, candidates, partners and more.
How to Create a LinkedIn Company Page
Ready to establish your business on LinkedIn? Here is a step-by-step walkthrough to creating your LinkedIn Company Page:
Step 1 – Register
Go to LinkedIn.com and click “Join now” in the upper right. Choose to create a Company Page when prompted. Use your official business email address (not a personal one) to complete registration.
Step 2 – Verify
You will need to verify ownership of your business website and domain name. LinkedIn will provide instructions to upload a verification file to your website or make other changes to confirm you are authorized to create the Company Page.
Step 3 – Select Category
Browse LinkedIn’s categories and select the one that best fits your business and industry. You can choose up to 3 categories. Make sure to choose categories optimized for your target audience.
Step 4 – Design Page
The Design step allows you to upload a cover image, logo, description, locations, and other business details. Optimize these fully fleshed out fields with keywords and information you want to be found for in searches.
Step 5 – Establish Administrator
Designate the business email address you registered with as the Page administrator. You can add additional team members later, but you need at least one admin to get started.
Step 6 – Promote Page
Once published, promote your new Company Page to employees, customers and partners. Include links on your website, email signatures, and other materials. Congrats – you’re ready to start engaging!
In summary, registering with a business email, verifying your website, and providing key details are the core steps to creating your LinkedIn Company Page. Take the time to fully optimize all sections and descriptions for maximum visibility and impact.
Tips for Managing a LinkedIn Company Page
Here are some top tips for managing your LinkedIn Company Page effectively:
Post Consistently
Company pages with regular, fresh content see the most engagement. Post at least once a week, varying content formats like articles, images, videos and more.
Respond to Comments & Messages
Stay on top of replying to any comments or private messages you receive. Quick responses foster community and relationships.
Optimize for SEO
Write compelling titles and descriptions using keywords you want to rank for like industry terms, products, services and location.
Integrate with Website & Blog
Cross-promote new website and blog content by sharing it or linking to it from your Company Page to maximize reach.
Share Visual Content
Posts with images and video tend to perform very well. Create visual content or repurpose existing marketing assets.
Engage Followers
Ask questions, run quick polls and encourage community members to share their perspectives to increase engagement.
Partner with Employees
Have employee profiles share and cross-promote Company Page content to expand reach both internally and externally.
Monitor Performance
Check LinkedIn Analytics regularly to see what posts, topics and formats resonate most with your followers.
Promote on Other Channels
Mention your LinkedIn Company Page on your website, email newsletters, other social networks, and anywhere else you connect with audiences.
Complete Your Profile
Fill out all sections of your Company Page completely. The more robust your profile, the better it will perform and be featured across LinkedIn.
In summary, put effort into consistently creating content, fostering community, optimizing SEO, coordinating with employees, analyzing performance, and ensuring complete profile details. This comprehensive approach will help you maximize the return from your Company Page.
Common LinkedIn Company Page Mistakes to Avoid
While creating and managing a LinkedIn Company Page can be hugely impactful, there are also some common mistakes businesses should avoid:
Using a Personal Profile
Personal profiles are for individual users to network and share professional backgrounds. Avoid trying to represent your business from a personal profile which limits features.
Not Keeping Info Updated
Make sure to keep all Company Page details like descriptions, contact info, location, branding and more up-to-date. Outdated Pages look abandoned.
Posting Too Infrequently
Pages that post less than once per week tend to see declining engagement over time. Set a consistent posting schedule to maintain community.
Hard-Selling Your Product
Avoid making every post a sales pitch. Focus most content on providing value, education and engaging community. This establishes trust to better convert visitors later.
Ignoring Company Culture
Share photos, videos, employee highlights and content that gives followers a feel for your company culture and brand personality – not just business updates.
Not Monitoring Notifications
Stay on top of responding to notifications of new followers, messages, comments, likes and other activity to maintain relationships.
Forgetting a Call-to-Action
Every post should end with a CTA to drive traffic to your website, share feedback, sign up for a newsletter, make a purchase etc. Don’t miss the opportunity to convert page views.
Restricting Access
Make sure to select an “Open” or “Public” setting when first creating your page so it can easily be viewed by all LinkedIn members and show up in searches.
Overlooking Hashtags
Well-researched hashtags help your content be discovered. Identify relevant trending and niche hashtags to incorporate.
Not Monitoring Performance
Check LinkedIn Analytics for your Page regularly to see top performing content as well as opportunities to expand reach and engagement.
Avoiding these common missteps will help ensure your Company Page attracts and retains the ideal audience. Focus on value, culture, responding, conversions, visibility, hashtags and analytics.
Conclusion
In closing, creating and optimizing a LinkedIn Company Page provides an extremely valuable opportunity for businesses to establish their brand, connect with professionals, share updates and attract new opportunities. It is possible to create a Page without having personal employee profiles on the platform, but does require using an official business email, verifying your website, and designating administrator(s).
Posting regularly, responding quickly, monitoring performance and avoiding common mistakes like hard-selling or outdated information are key to managing an effective Page over time. Putting in the work to maximize your LinkedIn Company Page can deliver significant returns through increased visibility, leads, recruitment, partnerships and more. Consider establishing your customized hub on the world’s largest professional network to take your business connections and success to the next level.