Fresh eyes
LinkedIn company pages get a facelift
October 15, 2012
LinkedIn has rolled out a radical redesign for the two million company pages on its popular professional networking site.
The changes provide businesses with additional opportunities to market their brands, as well as connecting with clients and stakeholders.
What the changes mean for business owners
One of the most significant changes in the new design is the inclusion of a brand image (646px wide x 220px high) at the top of the page to represent the company. This is similar to the header image that appears on both Facebook and Google+ company pages.
As a result, the profile text has now moved to the bottom of a company page, meaning that the new brand image must grab attention, explain who you are, and encourage people to keep on reading.
The redesign should boost page visitor numbers – with a more prominent ‘follow company’ button at the top of the page and company pages being visible for the first time through the Ipad, Iphone and Android apps.
Making the most of Featured Updates
A major element of the redesign is the introduction of a ‘featured update’ function. This is a new way for companies to showcase high-priority content by placing it at the top of their company update stream for up to 48 hours.
This free function is extremely useful for companies who regularly post to their pages – especially when you consider that Facebook makes companies pay for featured content.
In other news
LinkedIn has also introduced the ‘Endorsement’ feature to personal profiles. This allows your connections to endorse the skills you list on your profile with just one click – which is intended to boost your credibility.
However, the ease of use is also the Achilles’ heel of this feature – as no amount of endorsements have the value of a strong written recommendation on LinkedIn by a client or colleague.
At a time when it’s increasingly vital to stay ahead of your competitors in the social media space, we can help clients to make the most of their social presence. Contact us to find out more.
