The most important thing you need to remember is that LinkedIn Profiles are for individuals and Company pages are for businesses. If you are asked to connect with a business using a profile, you should decline or ignore such an invitation. LinkedIn have said that they will be closing down these profiles as they do not follow their guidelines.
Why you should create a Company Page on LinkedIn
When set up correctly, your LinkedIn Company page is another asset that can rank in Google for your chosen keywords. It's definitely worth doing. But there are rules! Read on to find out more.
Criteria for user to create LinkedIn Company page
To be able to create a LinkedIn Company page, there are some strict guidelines - due to previous issues with scammers.
- LinkedIn says that you have to have the company's website address as one of the email addresses used in your LinkedIn profile. So that is creator@NameOfCompanyWebsite.TLD
- No gmail or hotmail addresses are allowed. To create LinkedIn business pages, the company's email domain must be unique to the company. This is something that small business should be particularly aware of. Many will not have bothered to set up a domain based email for their business. And it could cause them issues if they want to create a LinkedIn company page.
- The person who wants to create the LinkedIn Company page must be a current employee with the position listed in the profile's Experience section. And that profile must be at least Intermediate in strength. It must also have several connections already.
How to create a LinkedIn Business Page for your Company
Log in to your personal profile on LinkedIn.
In the top navigation bar, find the Work tab and click the drop down menu.
Scroll all the way down to the very bottom to find the option to Create a Company Page.
Click that
If the option is not there, you will need to click the following link http://www.linkedin.com/company/add/show
Alternatively, a button to create a Company page can also be found in the right side bar of the Companies page on LinkedIn - which shows the companies that you are following on the platform. Try clicking here for this option.
Add A Company
The next screen is where you Add A Company
You will need to add the Company name and your email address at the company. You will also need to check the box to verify that you are the official representative of the company and have the right to act on its behalf in the creation of a page. If you do not enter a domain-based email address here, it will not allow you to proceed.
Remember, take care about what you write in the field for Company name. Whilst you can amend the title of your page, the URL for the page will be set in stone after that first screen and cannot be changed so get it right first time.
Add the details to your LinkedIn Company Page
Once you click Continue you will arrive on the page that allows you to fill in all the detail. Make sure you add a good cover image and complete all the available fields of information.
When you're done, remember to click Publish at the top right!
Add an Admin or Manager to my Company Page on LinkedIn
People who work for the company and have a company email address included in their LinkedIn profile can be made an Admin of the Page.
People who are LinkedIn connections of an Admin of the Company Page can be made a Manager.
Here's a post on how to make LinkedIn Admins and Managers.
Edit your LinkedIn Company page
If you are an admin or manager of your Company page on LinkedIn, you will be able to see the edit button at the top right of the page, next to the Followers button. Click on the drop down menu and select Edit Page.
Linking to your Company page on LinkedIn
You should encourage employees to link to the Company page. Also agree on a policy to show similar keywords in your LinkedIn profiles. This helps to establish your Company as an authority for those keywords within LinkedIn search.
It always amazes me how many people do not link their profile to a Company page. This is missing a golden opportunity for your business to stand out from your competitors.
However, you may find that you have employees you don't know. This could be scammers. Usually it is people who have selected the wrong company from a drop down menu by mistake. You can remove unknown employees by applying to LinkedIn Support.
Like Facebook, you can now make LinkedIn company status updates and reply to comments in the name of your business.
Find out more about how to use LinkedIn for business.
Follow the Lollipop Local Company page for more tips and tricks on using LinkedIn. You can also get our free ebook on getting your business found online. Click the image below.
