LinkedIn is a popular professional networking platform that allows users to create profiles, connect with other professionals, join groups, follow companies, and more. On LinkedIn, you can have both a personal account and create Pages for businesses, brands, or causes. So what’s the difference between a LinkedIn account and a LinkedIn Page?
LinkedIn Personal Accounts
A LinkedIn personal account is designed for individual users to manage their professional identity and network. With a personal account you can:
- Create a profile to showcase your background, skills, experience, education, accomplishments, recommendations, etc.
- Connect with other professionals in your network – colleagues, classmates, clients, business partners, etc.
- Follow companies to receive updates on their products, services, job openings, company news, etc.
- Join groups to participate in discussions and expand your network within specific industries or interest areas.
- Search and apply for jobs posted on LinkedIn.
- Keep up with news and content published by people and companies you follow.
In summary, a personal LinkedIn account is for individual users to build their professional brand and relationships. It is centered around your own professional identity and network.
LinkedIn Pages
Whereas personal accounts are for individuals, LinkedIn Pages are designed for businesses, brands, organizations, causes, and other entities to establish an official presence on LinkedIn. Pages allow organizations to:
- Showcase information about the company – description, products/services, culture, values, team members, job openings, etc.
- Publish content that engages followers – updates, articles, links, images, videos, etc.
- Interact with followers by responding to comments and messages.
- Advertise to a targeted audience of professionals.
- Analyze page analytics to inform content strategy and improve follower engagement.
- Promote the Page and build followers to expand reach and visibility.
In summary, LinkedIn Pages provide the official presence, voice, and platform for organizations to connect with LinkedIn’s community of professionals. Pages are centered around companies, brands, organizations, not individual people.
Key Differences
To summarize the key differences:
LinkedIn Account | LinkedIn Page |
---|---|
For individual professionals | For companies, brands, organizations |
Showcases a person’s background and professional brand | Showcases a company or organization |
Networks with other professionals | Engages with followers/audience |
Joins groups, follows companies | Posts company updates, articles, media |
Centered around your own professional identity and relationships | Centered around the company/organization’s brand, products, culture |
When to Choose an Account vs. a Page
Here are some guidelines on when to set up a LinkedIn account versus creating a Page:
- Personal account: If you are an individual looking to network, find jobs, follow companies, or boost your own professional profile, create a standard LinkedIn account.
- Company Page: If you want to represent a business or organization, create a LinkedIn Page. Use the Page to share company updates, promote products/services, hire employees, connect with other businesses, etc.
- Brand Page: Product brands can greatly benefit from creating a LinkedIn Page to increase brand awareness and loyalty among LinkedIn’s audience of professionals.
- Organization/Non-profit Page: Non-profit organizations, charities, associations, clubs, and other groups can create Pages to get their mission in front of LinkedIn’s large audience.
- Influencer/Thought Leader Page: Influencers, thought leaders, consultants, coaches, public figures, and other individual brands can create Pages to engage with their niche professional audience.
In general, if you want to represent and connect a company, brand, organization, or other entity with LinkedIn members, create a Page. If you simply want to manage your own professional networking and opportunities, a standard account will do.
Should You Have Both?
It is common and recommended for individuals associated with an organization to have both a personal LinkedIn account and a LinkedIn Page representing their company/brand. For example:
- Entrepreneurs, executives, and employees can have their own LinkedIn account to showcase their background and connections, as well as a Page for their business.
- Consultants, coaches, freelancers, and solopreneurs can have an account to network and share their individual expertise, along with a Page for their consulting business/brand.
- Authors can have personal accounts to connect with readers, and Pages dedicated to promoting their books and brand.
- Artists can network with their own account and have a Page for their art, music, or other creative work.
The best practice is to keep the two profiles separate. Use your personal account to network as an individual professional. Use the Page to represent your company, brand, or organization as an official entity.
Conversion Between Account and Page
LinkedIn does allow users to convert a personal account into a Page, or vice versa. However, it generally makes the most sense to start out choosing the right type of profile from the beginning. Some downsides of converting an existing profile include:
- You will lose your current followers/connections and have to start rebuilding from scratch.
- Content and updates will be removed and not carried over.
- The profile URL will change.
Therefore, it’s best to save conversion as a last resort. Take the time upfront to create both a personal account and a separate Page if applicable to your situation.
Creating a LinkedIn Page
Creating a new LinkedIn Page is simple. Just follow these steps:
- Go to LinkedIn.com and login to your personal account.
- Click “Work” at top of homepage and select “Create a Company Page” – Enter your company/organization name.
- Choose a Page category (ex: Company, Non-profit, Brand, etc.).
- Fill out key Page details – description, location, company size, etc.
- Upload images such as a logo, cover photo, and photos showcasing your team or brand.
- Click “Publish” to make your new Page live and visible to the LinkedIn community.
LinkedIn will walk you through the step-by-step process to publish your new Page. Spend time adding detailed information, images, and content to make your Page stand out and engage your target audience.
Admins and Contributors
When creating a LinkedIn Page, you can assign additional admins and contributors:
- Admins: Have full control over the Page. They can edit all settings, manage contributors, post updates, and respond to followers. Limit admin roles only to trusted team members.
- Contributors: Can post Page updates but not change major settings. Useful for employees who will interact with followers but don’t need full admin access.
Page admins can easily add contributors from their personal network of connections on LinkedIn. Contributors receive a notification inviting them to the Page.
Posting as Your Page vs. Personal Account
When logged into your personal LinkedIn account that created the Page, you will see options to post either as your individual account or as your Page. Be careful to post Page-related updates as the Page itself, not your personal account.
Page posts appear different than personal posts in these ways:
- They display your Page name and logo, not personal profile details.
- Other users see posts came from the overall Page, not an individual.
- You can tag the Page in the post so it’s discoverable when people click on the Page name.
In your account settings, you can configure LinkedIn to automatically switch posting access when you visit your Page. This eliminates confusion about posting as yourself vs. the Page.
Growing Your LinkedIn Page
Once your Page is up and running, focus on attracting followers through great content and engagement. Here are some tips:
- Publish relevant industry updates, company news, links, articles, images, videos, and other content your audience wants.
- Respond to all comments and messages in a timely manner to foster interaction.
- Use calls to action to invite people to follow your page, apply for jobs, etc.
- Run LinkedIn ad campaigns targeted to your audience based on criteria like job role, industry, location, etc.
- Encourage current employees to share and interact with your Page.
- Cross-promote your Page content through emails, other social networks, websites, webinars, events, etc.
Growing an engaged audience for your LinkedIn Page takes dedication, quality content, and consistent interaction. But it can become a valuable source of brand awareness, leads, and hires.
Conclusion
LinkedIn personal accounts and Pages serve different but complementary purposes. Accounts allow individual users to network and advance their careers. Pages empower organizations and brands to connect with LinkedIn’s professional community. Most professionals and companies will benefit from having both types of profiles.
The key is to keep the two separate. Use your personal account for your own networking and job searching. Use your Page to officially represent your business or organization. With the right strategy, both your individual account and Page can thrive on the LinkedIn platform.