Personal profile vs. business page on LinkedIn

When leveraging LinkedIn, knowing the differences between a personal profile and a business page—aka Company Page—can make the difference between using LinkedIn effectively and wasting time, money, and resources.

Let’s take a look at the unique strengths and limitations of both, so you know which one to use and when.

Personal profile on LinkedIn

Personal profiles are for individuals. Your personal LinkedIn profile is your digital handshake, your virtual business card. It’s a personal billboard showcasing your professional journey, skills, and personal brand.

It’s ideal for building one-on-one connections, sharing your personal industry insights, and enhancing your professional credibility.

Advantages

• Network Building: An excellent tool for personal networking and professional relationships.
• Personal Branding: A platform to establish and grow your professional identity.
• Thought Leadership: Share your insights, articles, and professional achievements.
• Preferred by Algorithm: In general, the LinkedIn algorithm prefers posts from profiles, and will show those to more people.

Limitations

• Limited Business Promotion: More suited for individual professionals than broadcasting company news.
• Personal Focus: It’s about you, not your company.

Business page on LinkedIn

LinkedIn Company Pages—aka business pages—are for organizations, ie businesses and nonprofits. A business page is linked to a personal account because it the business page has administrators through personal accounts.

Your business page is where your company or nonprofit tells its story, showcases its culture, and connects with potential clients, customers, and employees. It’s about presenting a unified brand image to the LinkedIn world.

Advantages

• Brand Showcase: Ideal for building your company’s brand and voice.
• Analytics and Insights: Useful tools to understand your audience and engagement.
• Talent Attraction: A platform for recruitment and showcasing company culture.
• Low Bar: Small and medium businesses tend not to be very active on LinkedIn. So, minimal continual effort will likely put you far above the competition.

Limitations

• Less Personal Interaction: Can lack the personal engagement of a personal profile.
• Regular Content Needed: Requires consistent, quality content to keep the page active and engaging.
• Not Highly Flexible: Compared to a website or even other social media platforms, there’s far less that you can do with your LinkedIn Company Page.
• Algorithm Deprioritizes: Posts from your Company Page will tend to get less exposure from the algorithm than posts from your personal profile

So, should I post as myself or my company on LinkedIn?

If you own a business, are in charge of a nonprofit, or help either with marketing, it’s not about choosing one over the other. It’s about using both strategically.

Personal profiles are great for personal networking and thought leadership, while business pages are indispensable for broader company messaging and branding.

To maximize LinkedIn’s potential, use your personal profile for direct networking and personal brand building and your business page for wider brand stories and company updates.

On both, you should:

• Invest time, effort, and/or money in setting them up.
• Regularly review them for accuracy.
• Post regularly.
• Build your audience regularly.

If you want to make the most of LinkedIn, you should be using both a business page and your personal profile.

Need help?

On LinkedIn, both personal profiles and business pages play pivotal roles. Mastering how to use both effectively is key to a comprehensive LinkedIn strategy. Whether you’re looking to enhance your personal brand, amplify your company’s presence or both, Backslash Creative is here to help.

We offer LinkedIn training for DIY enthusiasts, as well as comprehensive setup and management services for those looking for a more hands-off approach.

Let’s partner to elevate your LinkedIn game! Reach out today to see if we can help you.