LinkedIn company Pages allow businesses and organizations to establish a presence on LinkedIn and connect with customers and employees. The owner of a LinkedIn company Page has control over the content and settings for that Page. Sometimes, it becomes necessary to transfer ownership of a LinkedIn company Page to another person, such as when an employee leaves the company or responsibilities change. So can you transfer ownership of a LinkedIn company Page?
The short answer is yes, it is possible to transfer ownership of a LinkedIn company Page to another user. However, there are some specific requirements and steps that must be followed to successfully transfer a LinkedIn company Page to a new owner.
Requirements for Transferring Ownership
Here are the key requirements for transferring a LinkedIn company Page:
- The current owner must initiate the transfer process.
- The new owner must already have an existing LinkedIn profile.
- The new owner must have an admin, editor, or moderator role on the company Page prior to the transfer.
- The new owner must accept the transfer request sent by the current owner.
- The new owner’s LinkedIn profile must accurately represent their relationship with the company. Their profile name, headline, experience, etc. should align with the company whose Page they are taking over.
Both the current and new owner must have active LinkedIn profiles in good standing in order to transfer a company Page. The new owner cannot take over the Page if they don’t already have an editor or admin role on that Page.
Step-by-Step Process
If those requirements are met, the process for transferring a LinkedIn company Page is relatively straightforward:
- The current owner visits the company Page they want to transfer. They click “Edit Page” at the top right.
- On the left side Edit Panel, they select “Admin Roles”.
- Under “Admins and Analysts”, they click the dropdown next to the user they want to make the new owner and choose “Make Page Owner”.
- They click “Confirm” on the pop-up window to initiate the transfer.
- The new owner will receive a notification that they’ve been made the owner. They simply have to click “Accept” to complete the transfer process.
Once the new owner accepts, the transfer is complete. The previous owner will be removed as the Page owner and lose any admin privileges.
It’s important that the current owner only initiates the transfer when the new owner is ready to take over the Page. The new owner should only be made the owner if they want that responsibility and their profile reflects their position with the company.
Things to Know About Transferring Ownership
Here are some additional things to keep in mind about transferring a LinkedIn company Page:
- Only the current Page owner can initiate a transfer. Other admins cannot make someone else the owner.
- All other admins, moderators, and editors will remain in place during a transfer. Only the owner changes.
- The new owner does not have to pay for LinkedIn Premium. The existing Page and its follower count will transfer over even with a free account.
- Pages can only be transferred one time during a 90 day period.
- During the transfer process, the Page remains fully accessible and active. There is no downtime.
- If the new owner declines the transfer, the original owner remains the Page owner.
- Transferring a Page does not notify followers. The change in ownership occurs seamlessly behind the scenes.
In most cases, followers of the Page will not notice any obvious changes when ownership transfers to someone new.
What Happens to the Original Owner?
When the original owner of a LinkedIn company Page initiates a transfer to a new owner, they lose all admin privileges and moderation capabilities related to that Page. Essentially, they give up complete control and will not be able to access tools for managing that Page anymore.
However, the original owner does not lose the ability to interact with and follow that LinkedIn company Page from their personal profile. They can continue to like and share Page posts, comment on updates, and stay informed on the company’s activity, even though they no longer manage the Page itself.
Some things the original Page owner should be aware of:
- They will see the company Page listed under their LinkedIn activity and interests because of their past involvement as the Page owner.
- They can unfollow or block the Page if they don’t want to continue seeing updates from it.
- They cannot regain ownership once transferred unless the new owner initiates another transfer back to them.
- Metrics on their LinkedIn Page Admin Dashboard will no longer include data from the transferred Page.
In summary, the original Page owner loses admin rights but can continue engaging with that Page by following it as a regular user would. Their personal account remains fully intact after an ownership transfer occurs.
Mistakes to Avoid When Transferring Ownership
For a seamless transition, it’s important to avoid these common mistakes when transferring a LinkedIn company Page:
- Transferring to someone without an established LinkedIn presence and connection to the company.
- Making an editor or admin the owner without their consent.
- Changing the Page branding before completing the transfer process.
- Deleting valuable company Page content and insights prior to transferring.
- Initiating the transfer without giving admins proper notification.
- Transferring back and forth frequently between the same two people.
The new owner should only be someone who truly needs to manage and moderate that Page as part of their real-world job. They should be ready and willing to take over the Page when the transfer happens.
Being strategic about the timing and communication around transferring a LinkedIn company Page is key to a smooth transition between owners.
Conclusion
Transferring ownership of a LinkedIn company Page is a straightforward process, but proper planning and alignment with LinkedIn’s policies helps avoid issues. The current owner must initiate the transfer to an existing admin on that Page who accepts the new role and has a strong LinkedIn presence representing their position. With the right approach, a LinkedIn company Page can change hands seamlessly so that the business or brand maintains continuity even with a new face behind the scenes.