LinkedIn is doing everything they can to make the professional network even more useful to members. The most recent enhancement is the expanded capabilities of LinkedIn Company Pages, which have new features for posting content, interacting with potential customers, partners and employees, and showcasing your products and services.
Just like Facebook, LinkedIn’s Company Pages are updated by a designated administrator. You can have more than one administrator – you might want to have someone from marketing as well as an HR person act as administrators, so each can keep the relevant section of the Company Page up-to-date.
To become an admin of the Company Page you need to have a current position with the company listed on your profile, and you need to be a first degree connection of a current administrator. Ask that person to designate you as an admin.
Once you are an administrator, here are some best practices to help you make the most of your Company Page:
1. Shorten your URL. When you first sign up with LinkedIn, your Company Page is given a series of numbers as its URL, or website address. You can easily make your URL more memorable by clicking on “keep this URL simple and use your company name if it’s available.”
2. Create an interesting banner image. Your banner image should reflect your company, your market, your products, or your people. It can change from season to season – you can feature new products or services as they launch, celebrate milestones, or show company events.
3. Build in keywords. Just like a website, keywords in LinkedIn Company Pages are important for search engine optimization. Think about who you want to find your pages, and add keywords that potential customers, partners or employees would search for; include technical or geographical terms if appropriate.
4. Post engaging content. LinkedIn best practices say to post at least once a day – very active pages will have several posts each weekday. The content within your LinkedIn Company Page should invite interaction; instead of just saying, “We have a new product!” say “We have a new product, what do you think?” Even before you launch that product, keep your followers up-to-date on the process – and ask for opinions or feedback. You can target company posts by company size, industry or function to make them more relevant.
5. Create a Showcase page. Showcase pages go beyond the Products/Services pages. They are designed to spotlight a new product, brand, audience segment or initiative. You can now target updates, news and conversations to people who have a specific interest in that area.
6. Request recommendations. Reviews are important, both on behalf of employees and clients. As your LinkedIn Company Page is targeted toward both employees and clients, ask both for reviews. Employees can provide success stories, explain the excellent working environment, and why your company is a good place to work. Clients can describe the awesome customer service they receive and the fabulous products that you provide.
7. Use the analytics to improve. The analytics for LinkedIn Company Pages can help you understand how people are interacting with your content, what type of posts get the most engagement, and what time of day works best for you.
What are your tips for getting the most out of LinkedIn’s Company Pages?