LinkedIn pages and personal pages serve different purposes on the LinkedIn platform. A LinkedIn page allows businesses, brands, organizations, influencers, and public figures to establish a presence on LinkedIn and engage with LinkedIn users. Personal profiles, on the other hand, are for individual professionals to network, search for jobs, connect with colleagues, and build their personal brand.
LinkedIn Pages
A LinkedIn page (also known as a Company Page) allows businesses, brands, organizations, influencers, public figures, and others to create a presence on LinkedIn. LinkedIn pages function similarly to Facebook pages. Some key differences between LinkedIn pages and personal profiles include:
- LinkedIn pages showcase brands, businesses, organizations, influencers, public figures, etc. Personal profiles represent individual working professionals.
- Pages can be managed by multiple admins. Profiles can only have one account owner.
- Pages have unlimited followers. Profiles are connected to other profiles via the LinkedIn network.
- Pages can send messages to followers. Profiles can only message direct connections.
- Pages have analytics and insights. Profiles do not have built-in analytics.
- Pages allow advertising and sponsorships. Profiles do not have advertising options.
The main benefits of creating a LinkedIn page include:
- Increasing brand awareness and reach
- Engaging with your target audience
- Promoting products, services, and content
- Building authority and trust
- Generating leads and new business
- Recruiting new employees or partners
- Monitoring reviews, feedback, and mentions
Types of LinkedIn Pages
There are several types of LinkedIn pages, including:
- Company Pages – For businesses and organizations to promote products/services, recruit employees, and build the company brand.
- Showcase Pages – For promoting specific brands, products, or initiatives of larger organizations.
- School Pages – For schools to engage students, alumni, and promote school news/events.
- Influencer Pages – For individuals focused on creating/sharing content in a specific industry or topic area.
- Team Pages – For specific teams, business units, or groups within a larger organization.
Personal Profiles on LinkedIn
In contrast to pages, personal LinkedIn profiles represent individual working professionals. Profiles allow members to create an online resume, connect with other professionals, find job opportunities, join groups, follow companies, and stay up-to-date on industry news. Some key features of LinkedIn profiles include:
- Professional headline and summary sections
- Experience and education history
- Skills and endorsements
- Recommendations from colleagues
- Status updates and activity feed
- Profile photo and background image
- Connect with other members
- Join industry groups
The main uses of a LinkedIn profile include:
- Networking with other professionals
- Finding job opportunities
- Recruiting new employees
- Connecting with business partners
- Building your professional brand
- Establishing thought leadership
- Showcasing credentials and expertise
- Getting recommendations and endorsements
- Following companies and industry news
Comparing LinkedIn Pages and Profiles
Here is a comparison of some key differences between LinkedIn pages and profiles:
| Factor | LinkedIn Page | LinkedIn Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Represents a company, brand, organization, or public figure | Represents an individual working professional |
| Ownership | Can have multiple managers | Owned by the individual |
| Followers/Connections | Unlimited followers | Limited connections based on network |
| Communication | Can message followers directly | Can only message direct connections |
| Analytics | Built-in analytics and insights | No analytics available |
| Advertising | Can advertise and sponsor content | No advertising options |
| Content Focus | Company news, products, services, industry expertise | Individual’s career history, skills, recommendations |
Should You Create a LinkedIn Page or Profile?
Whether you should create a LinkedIn page or profile depends on your specific goals and needs:
- Businesses, brands, organizations, public figures should create Pages to establish an official presence on LinkedIn.
- Profiles are for individual working professionals to manage their career networking and opportunities.
- Influencers or thought leaders may maintain both a Page and a Profile.
- Employees often have Profiles while the company has a Page.
Here are some guidelines on when to create a Page or Profile:
| Situation | LinkedIn Page | LinkedIn Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Employer/Company | ✓ | |
| Employee | ✓ | |
| Organization/Non-profit | ✓ | |
| School/University | ✓ | |
| Brand, Product, or Initiative | ✓ | |
| Individual Job Seeker | ✓ | |
| Influencer/Thought Leader | ✓ | ✓ (optional) |
| Celebrity/Public Figure | ✓ | |
| Politician | ✓ |
Best Practices for LinkedIn Pages
To maximize the impact of your LinkedIn Page, keep these best practices in mind:
- Choose an appropriate page category (Company, Showcase, School, etc.) for your needs.
- Use a recognizable logo and professional header image.
- Customize the URL with your brand name for better visibility.
- Complete the About, Careers, and Products sections.
- Enable the Follow button so LinkedIn members can follow your page.
- Post regular status updates with engaging content.
- Respond to all member messages and comments.
- Promote the page and cross-link on your website and other profiles.
- Analyze follower demographics and engagement metrics to refine your strategy.
- Experiment with LinkedIn advertising to expand reach and drive traffic.
Best Practices for LinkedIn Profiles
To create an impactful LinkedIn profile, aim to:
- Use a professional profile photo and customized background photo.
- Write an engaging headline and summary that stands out.
- Showcase current and past work positions.
- Include all relevant skills, certifications and volunteer work.
- Get endorsements and recommendations from connections.
- Share status updates, articles, and content regularly.
- Join relevant industry and interest groups.
- Customize your URL and settings for discoverability.
- Expand your connections through networking and invitations.
- Monitor profile views, post reach and other analytics.
Conclusion
LinkedIn pages and profiles serve complementary purposes. Pages establish an official presence for brands, businesses, organizations and public figures. Profiles represent individual working professionals managing their careers. Organizations should create Pages to engage their audience while employees maintain Profiles to further personal networking and opportunities. By leveraging both Pages and Profiles, organizations and professionals can maximize their LinkedIn presence.