Having separate personal and company profiles on LinkedIn can be beneficial for establishing your professional brand online. However, linking your personal profile to your company’s LinkedIn page allows you to showcase your expertise and qualifications to a broader audience.
Why Link Your Personal and Company Profiles?
Here are some of the key reasons to link your personal and company LinkedIn profiles:
- Demonstrates your leadership and authority: Having your personal profile linked to your company page shows site visitors that you are a leader at that organization.
- Provides credibility: The link allows you to cross-promote your credentials, expertise and background between both profiles.
- Expands your reach: You can connect with more professionals and tap into your company’s wider network.
- Shows your professional status: Linking the profiles highlights that you work for that company in an official capacity.
- Enhances search visibility: Linked profiles may come up more prominently in LinkedIn search results.
How to Link Your Personal and Company Profiles
Follow these steps to link your personal LinkedIn profile to your company’s page:
- Go to your personal LinkedIn profile.
- Click on the “Me” icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage and select “View profile.”
- On the right rail of your profile page, click “Add profile section.”
- Select the “Experience” section and click “Company.”
- Search for and select your company.
- Click “Save” to add your company name under your experience.
- Go to your company’s LinkedIn page that you manage.
- Click “Manage company page” and select “Edit company page.”
- Click on the pencil icon next to “Showcase Pages.”
- Search for your name and select your personal profile from the results.
- Click “Add” to link your profile to the company page.
Once done, your personal profile photo, name and current position will be displayed on your company page. On your personal profile, your company name will show under your experience section.
Tips for Managing Linked Profiles
Here are some additional tips for maintaining your linked personal and company profiles:
- Keep your profiles consistent – make sure key details like job titles and descriptions match on both pages.
- Cross-promote new content – share company page updates to your personal connections and vice versa.
- Get recommendations – ask colleagues to write recommendations for your personal profile to build credibility.
- Customize your URL – claim a unique URL for your personal profile to establish your brand.
- Follow company pages – stay up-to-date with your organization’s LinkedIn activity.
- Use media – upload images, videos and presentations to stand out.
Pros and Cons of Linked Profiles
Linking your personal and company LinkedIn profiles has both advantages and potential drawbacks:
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Should You Link Profiles for a Small Business?
Linking your profiles can be especially beneficial if you own or work for a small business. Here’s why it’s a good idea for small companies:
- Provides credibility for a lesser known company
- Leverages your personal connections to extend reach
- Associates your expertise with the business
- Helps drive traffic between profiles
- No need to build out a large company page right away
- Allows you to showcase leadership as Founder/CEO
The main downside is that it ties your brand closely to the company. If the business fails or you leave, it may impact your personal brand. But overall, linking profiles can give a significant boost for small business owners and employees on LinkedIn.
Should You Display Company Logo and Status?
In addition to linking your company page, you can also choose to display your company logo and current job title/status on your personal profile.
Here are the pros and cons of displaying this info:
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Generally, displaying your logo and current position can complement linking to your company page and provide added context. But it may not be necessary if you already have the company name and your role under your experience section.
Best Practices for LinkedIn Company Profiles
To maximize the impact of linking your personal profile to your company page on LinkedIn, follow these best practices:
- Craft an informative company description – provide key details on your business and value proposition.
- Optimize with keywords – include relevant terms in your company description to improve search visibility.
- Add visual media – use photos, videos and slide decks to showcase your company culture.
- Share regular updates – post company news, milestones, events and job openings.
- Engage with followers – respond to comments and messages promptly to build relationships.
- Cross-post with personal profile – share company updates with your own connections.
- Keep information updated – maintain accuracy on both profiles.
Should You Unlink Your Profiles?
Generally, it’s best to unlink your personal profile from your company page if:
- You are leaving the company on bad terms
- The company is requiring you to sign a non-compete agreement
- Your company was acquired or no longer operates under the same brand
- You want to clearly separate your personal brand from the company
- The company profile reflects poorly on your professional image
Otherwise, leaving your profiles linked even after leaving a company maintains the professional connection and work history. Just be sure to update your current position and company affiliation on your personal profile.
Conclusion
Linking your personal LinkedIn profile with your company page provides a valuable opportunity to cross-promote your expertise, demonstrate leadership and expand your professional network. Maintaining consistent, engaging profiles and sharing regular updates are key to getting the most out of the connection. While some maintenance is required, the potential benefits make it worthwhile for most professionals to link their personal brand with their company’s LinkedIn presence.