LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 800 million members. As one of the most popular social media sites for career and business networking, LinkedIn offers several account types to cater to different user needs.
The Main LinkedIn Account Types
There are three main types of LinkedIn accounts available for regular users:
- Individual/Personal Account
- Company/Business Page
- Showcase Page
In addition, LinkedIn also offers premium subscriptions and accounts for recruitment purposes.
LinkedIn Personal Account
A LinkedIn personal account is suitable for individual professionals who want to manage their own professional brand and network. This is the most common type of LinkedIn account.
With a personal account, you can:
- Create your professional profile
- Connect with other professionals
- Join groups and communities
- Follow companies
- View job postings
- Publish posts and articles
- Message connections
A personal LinkedIn account is free to create and use. However, you can upgrade to a premium subscription to access additional features.
LinkedIn Company/Business Page
A LinkedIn company or business page allows organizations to establish their professional brand on LinkedIn. Companies use these pages to showcase information about their business, job openings, company culture and products/services.
With a LinkedIn company page, businesses can:
- Create a customized company profile
- Share company news and updates
- Promote products and services
- Publish employee spotlights
- List job openings
- Attract prospective employees
- Connect with customers and partners
Setting up a LinkedIn company page is free. Additional features are available with LinkedIn premium subscriptions.
LinkedIn Showcase Page
A LinkedIn Showcase Page allows businesses to highlight specific brands, products, services, or initiatives beyond their main Company Page. For example, a large company can use Showcase Pages to individually promote sub-brands, business units or regional branches.
The key capabilities offered by Showcase Pages include:
- Create dedicated pages for brands, products, services etc.
- Customize page branding and messaging
- Publish targeted content
- Build a focused follower base
- Amplify reach and engagement
As with Company Pages, Showcase Pages are free to create and use on LinkedIn.
Premium LinkedIn Accounts
In addition to the regular personal, company and showcase pages, LinkedIn also offers premium, subscription-based account types unlocking more features. These include:
LinkedIn Premium Subscriptions
LinkedIn Premium is the paid subscription upgrade for personal accounts, available on a monthly or annual basis. Premium features include:
- See who viewed your profile
- Read unlimited articles on LinkedIn
- Take unlimited advanced courses
- Enhanced profile recommendations
- Expanded network reach
- InMail messages
- Advanced profile analytics
LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is the premium subscription for sales professionals. Key features of this upgrade include:
- Advanced search filters and recommendations
- Saved leads, accounts and searches
- TeamLink collaboration tools
- Sales templates and playbooks
- Lead recommendations
- Unlimited InMails and contact info access
LinkedIn Recruiter
LinkedIn Recruiter is the premium hiring and talent solutions subscription for recruiters and HR professionals. Some of its key perks are:
- Advanced search, filtering and screening
- Talent pool management
- InMail messages
- Pipeline and analytics tools
- Team collaboration features
- Candidate insights
Both individual recruiters and corporate recruitment teams can benefit from a LinkedIn Recruiter upgrade.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda) is the site’s learning subscription providing access to thousands of expert-led courses. Some highlights include:
- Expert-led courses in business, technology, design etc.
- New courses added daily
- Learning paths for all levels
- Certification prep materials
- Downloadable content for offline viewing
- Personalized recommendations
Both individuals and organizations can purchase LinkedIn Learning subscriptions to support skills development.
How To Create Different LinkedIn Account Types
If you want to create any of the LinkedIn account options covered above, here is an overview of how to get started:
LinkedIn Personal Account
To create your personal LinkedIn profile:
- Go to LinkedIn.com and click Join Now
- Enter your first name, last name and email and click Agree & Join
- Confirm your email and set a password
- Add your location, current position and education
- Personalize your LinkedIn URL
- Start adding connections, customizing your profile and joining groups
LinkedIn Company Page
To create a Company Page:
- Go to your personal LinkedIn account
- Click Work > Create a Company Page
- Search for your company and select it from results
- Click Admin through the prompt asking if you want to manage the page
- Enter your company email to verify you are authorized to manage the page
- Fill out your company information and publish the page
LinkedIn Showcase Page
To create a Showcase Page:
- Go to your Company Page as an Admin
- In Admin Tools, click Add a Showcase Page
- Select the appropriate showcase type and enter details
- Customize branding, messaging and content
- Click Publish to launch your live Showcase Page
Premium Subscriptions
You can upgrade to premium LinkedIn accounts and subscriptions via:
- LinkedIn desktop site – Account upgrade options in top toolbar
- LinkedIn mobile app – Tap your profile avatar > Settings & Privacy > Upgrade to Premium
Follow prompts to select your desired upgrade level and payment method. Organizational subscriptions require contacting LinkedIn Sales.
Conclusion
In summary, the main LinkedIn account types include:
- Personal accounts for individual networking
- Company pages for business branding and marketing
- Showcase pages for highlighting brands/products
Premium account upgrades are also available with subscriptions like Premium, Sales Navigator, Recruiter and Learning.
Each account type is designed for different use cases and provides unique features to help members get the most out of LinkedIn for their professional objectives.