Is the company page linked to personal account on LinkedIn?

Whether a company page is linked to a personal account on LinkedIn is an important consideration for businesses and professionals engaging on the platform. Having separate company and personal profiles can provide clearer separation between professional and individual online identities. However, linking a company page to a personal account does offer some potential benefits. In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of connecting company and personal accounts on LinkedIn.

Benefits of Linking Company and Personal Accounts

Here are some potential advantages of linking a company page to a personal LinkedIn account:

• Easier account management – Managing one consolidated account can be simpler than handling separate logins and profiles.
• Unified messaging – Linking accounts allows seamless communication between company and personal contacts within LinkedIn’s messaging system.
• Posting flexibility – Posting updates either as an individual or on behalf of the company brand is streamlined through a connected account.
• Shared networks – Company and personal accounts tap into the same LinkedIn networks and connections.
• Brand personality – An individual can bring their own personality to humanize the company’s LinkedIn presence.
• Credibility cues – Associating an individual with a company page can signal trust and expertise.

In some circumstances, there are clear advantages to unifying company and personal accounts on LinkedIn rather than maintaining divided profiles. Individuals who wish to personally engage with their company’s LinkedIn presence and contacts may find linking provides more flexibility and convenience.

Drawbacks of Linking Accounts

However, there are also a few potential downsides to consider with connecting LinkedIn company and personal profiles:

• Mixed professional/personal content – Company updates can become blended with individual posts, diluting the brand-focused stream.
• Limited account control – Company admins may have less governance over accounts linked to employees’ personal profiles.
• Unclear brand representation – Messages and posts from linked personal accounts may not always reflect the company’s desired image and voice.
• Privacy concerns – Individuals may not wish to connect personal profiles with their employer’s business account on LinkedIn.
• Career changes – If an employee leaves, their LinkedIn account remains connected to the company profile.
• Personnel transitions – Transferring account management and ownership can be more complicated between linked accounts.

For larger companies or more formal brand presences on LinkedIn, maintaining clear separation between company pages and employee personal accounts is likely preferable. But for small businesses, solopreneurs, and freelance professionals, linkage may be a pragmatic choice.

Company Page Settings

Within LinkedIn’s account settings, company page admins can configure options to either link or separate their company profile from personal accounts. Here are the key settings to manage this configuration:

• Associate with a Personal Account – This setting will connect the company page to the personal account used to create the page. It allows quickly switching between posting as individual or company.
• Show Personal Account Details – With this enabled, the personal account name and profile photo will display on the company page. The personal account details will show to visitors.
• Show Company Details on Personal Profile – Turning this on will showcase the company name and business photo on the personal profile. Essentially advertises the company/employee relationship.

Adjusting these permissions determines how, or if, company pages display personal account information. They provide controls to calibrate the desired separation or connection.

Account Usage Practices

In addition to configuring technical settings, informal policies and usage habits influence how distinctly company pages and employee profiles maintain separation:

• Posting from separate accounts – Only share company updates from the official page, personal updates from individual profiles.
• Following/engaging as company – Interact with other company pages, thought leaders, and professional content as the brand account.
• Commenting as yourself – Participate in discussions as an individual rather than from the company account.
• Coordinating teams – Marketing, HR, and executive leadership should coordinate appropriate brand messaging.
• Social media policy – Provide guidelines on usage of social accounts and representation of the company.

With consciousness and care, individuals can cultivate appropriate separation between their personal presence and employer brand, even with technically linked accounts on LinkedIn.

Examples of Linked Company and Personal Profiles

To illustrate how company pages and individual profiles display connection status, here are some examples from major brands and business leaders:

For startups and smaller companies, linking the company page with founders’ and executives’ personal accounts is fairly common. Large enterprises tend to maintain more distinct brand presences on LinkedIn separate from any individual employee.

Best Practices for Company Pages

Based on the potential upsides and downsides, here are some recommended best practices for configuring and using company pages on LinkedIn:

• Create separate company and employee accounts – Maintain clear boundaries between brand and personal presence.
• Clarify account usage policies – Provide social media and account management guidelines for employees.
• Limit personal details on company page – Avoid displaying excessive personal info like profile photo and account name.
• Concentrate company posting – Keep company updates focused on relevant industry news, company milestones, job posts, and branded content.
• Coordinate cross-promotions – Strategically cross-link company updates and repost branded content to employee accounts.
• Encourage employees to connect – Have staff link their personal profiles to the company page to signal affiliation. But limit access to posting privileges.

With thoughtful configuration and concerted coordination, businesses can benefit from maximizing their LinkedIn presence while minimizing blurred boundaries between brand and personal representation.

Conclusion

Linking a LinkedIn company page with a personal account provides simpler management and posting flexibility. But potential drawbacks like mixed content, limited governance, and unclear employer-employee separation argue for maintaining distinct accounts in many cases. Through account settings and usage policies, businesses can cultivate optimal balance between convenience and clarity.

With 500 million members, LinkedIn is a vital platform for brand presence, company communications, and professional networking. Optimizing and controlling the connection between company pages and employee accounts helps ensure this engagement is effective, aligned with goals, and reflective of the desired brand identity. While some linkage may suit small businesses and individual practitioners, larger enterprises likely benefit from defined separation on LinkedIn.