The Best Resource for Your LinkedIn Business Page: YOU!
I teach a lot of small business owners and entrepreneurs about LinkedIn, and there’s one question I get without fail: Do I need a business page, too?
The short answer is yes. I always encourage business owners to make a page and add a few basics to show legitimacy. However, the other day I was teaching a class, and I got a question that threw me for a loop. The person wanted to know if it was possible ONLY to have a business page and not a personal page.
The short answer to that one is no. You need a personal profile to create and have access to a business page. However, there is more to unpack with this question than just a simple yes or no answer.
Being the Face of Your Business
For this person, the idea of being the face of the business was unappealing. They had no issues being the man behind the curtain but truly didn’t want to have to promote themselves as an extension of the business.
I get it. Before this business, I wasn’t a huge fan of putting myself out there. In fact, I wrote a whole blog about it. That said, I quickly learned that if I wanted to be successful, I had to put myself out there. There are tons of great writers out there, so why would someone choose me? Of course, budget, expertise, and availability are factors. Beyond that, people decide to work with me because of me.
Clients choose to work with me because they like, know, and trust me. And it’s up to me to give them a reason to. People work with people. But I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know--this is all marketing 101. However, what this audience member didn’t realize is LinkedIn really shines in helping people build that like-know-trust factor.
Of course, you could argue all social media is a great tool to achieve the like-know-trust factor. I happen to think that LinkedIn is particularly great at it. At the core, it’s a business platform designed to build business relationships. Once I started upping my personal LinkedIn presence, my business took off.
Your LinkedIn Business Page Is Nothing Without You
I certainly could only post from my business page, but I guarantee I wouldn’t have the same success. For starters, like many small business owners, my personal network is much larger. And secondly, if I’m only posting from my business page, I’m removing the most important part—me! And that’s why you’ll see me tagging myself in my business posts or cross-sharing from my business to my personal page (or vice versa).
This is the same rationale behind why LinkedIn encourages employees to share posts from their employer. Employees are a company’s best advocate. Even my largest clients, whose names stand on their own, have a few key faces that drive the brand.
So, the short answer is, technically, you cannot just have a business page on LinkedIn. The longer answer is that you could come up with some go-arounds to avoid being seen completely. And LinkedIn has made it easier as they recently allowed businesses to comment and follow pages, just like a person can.
However, I encourage you to lean into the personal branding aspect of LinkedIn instead of shying away from it. You don’t need to post selfies and videos daily, but even just reacting to posts or commenting can greatly influence your business.
When you engage as yourself, you’re humanizing the business. You’re giving people a reason to stay engaged with the business. So, if you want my opinion on the best resource for your LinkedIn business page, I’m telling you to look in the mirror. It’s YOU!
5 Things to Remember About Doing Business on LinkedIn
I’ll leave you with a few reminders about doing business on LinkedIn:
Small business owners should create and optimize a business page with a logo, background, and about section.
Make sure you’ve linked your business page to the experience section of your profile.
You don’t need to post every day on the business page, but enough that people know you’re alive and kicking. Keep up a cadence you can handle, even if it’s once a month.
Cross-sharing from your personal to business (or vice versa) is a great way to stay active without reinviting the wheel.
Recycle your content because no one is following your content as closely as you are. This means resharing an older post with a new graphic or updated copy. Or even tweaking a post from other platforms.
Nowadays, where everything is automated, the ability to connect with a human is huge. A person can build a connection with an audience in a way that graphics and copy alone cannot do. However, if you’re looking for some great copy that builds a connection, give me a shout!
