Which do I use to post on LinkedIn – Personal or Page Profile?

Should you use your Company or Personal Profile to post on LinkedIn?

Navigating your way around LinkedIn will take time and using the platform to its fullest extent will come over time. Some platforms, such as Facebook is easier to use, because of the distinct differences between the business and personal pages.  Not so the case with LinkedIn, who seems to mix them together, which can create some confusion when starting out.

For most small businesses the question would be more around which of the two will give the best visibility and lend credibility to you and your business.

LinkedIn is a powerful marketing tool if used correctly. Taking the time to understand the platform and finding best practices and secrets to excel in this platform is often not within the general user’s highest list of priorities. When consulting with my customers around writing content for LinkedIn, I am often asked:

• Should I post using my personal or LinkedIn company profile?
• Why market my company on LinkedIn?
• What style should I write on LinkedIn?

In the first of a 3 article series, we tackle the question of Should I post using my personal or company LinkedIn profile?

LinkedIn marketing tends to be divided into the following three types of activities:

Personal Profiles

A company’s page is great to showcase products or services to visitors, it is the personal information that has marketing power. Because people are more interesting than companies. People connect with people, they want to hear the thoughts of people.

Company Pages

Having a company page on LinkedIn is easy, a template is all that you need to complete. The company page will also link to each of your employee’s profiles.  Heads up – if you do not have a company page and your employees state your company name, LinkedIn will automatically create a company page on your behalf.  If people start looking for your company and they find an incomplete company page, this will most certainly reflect negatively on your company.

Company / Individual Posts

Posts are the main channel to grow your audience. Understanding your customer base is key to determining your customer base and tone. Keep the end goal in mind – what do you want to achieve with the post? Encourage consumers to click on a website, subscribe to their email lists, or buy products from them.

It still leaves us with the question:

Should You Use Your Company or a Personal Profile on LinkedIn?

Both invite you to publish them regularly on the web. So, how do you decide which one to post to? Establish what you want to post, as this will determine where the content will go.

Blogs / Articles

You will have a far better response rate if the blog or article post originates from an individual. Again, people connect with people. The company can also share the post on their company page afterwards so that other employees can share the content with their followers.

Case studies

Examples and case studies have incredible value and is best posted from the individual’s profile. These can then be published on the company page in addition.  The benefit would then go to the individual but also to the company, as other employees will be able to share the content with their target market, highlighting the business.

Advertising / Job Advertising

Official announcements like the above should originate from the company page, which can then be shared by individuals, with an added personalized message

 What is the take-away from the above? A company page should highlight the collective efforts of all the individuals within the company. It is a place where other individuals and companies will see what is happening within the companies.  The real secret sauce lies in the individual profiles, building thought-leadership should be done within your personal profile. People will always connect with people and buy from where trusted friends tell them to shop.

Our future articles will look at two other areas:

1. Why should I market on LinkedIn?
2. What tone should I use when writing?

Please reach out to me if you would like to do an exploring session to see how LinkedIn can be used effectively to increase your thought-leadership and how to identify and reach your target market.