08 Feb COMING SOON! LinkedIn’s New Company Page Template

Keeping up with social media innovations can be about as challenging as keeping up with … a pair of labrador retrievers. Doesn’t it seem that, just when you have your company’s social media profiles looking top-notch, the game changes? I’m sure we’re all for improvements that keep social media moving upward, but wouldn’t it be nice to get a heads up on the changes that are coming down the pipeline and to be offered some useful tips on how to prepare for those upcoming changes? Well, that’s what I’m here to talk to you about in today’s blog.

Less than 2 weeks ago, LinkedIn announced its plans to introduce a new Company Page template to offer a better user experience. It’s a cleaner, simpler, more intuitive way for users to quickly access the jobs, information, and insights they need. The idea is that “professionals can be better prepared for daily meetings or learn more about a new skill they’d like to acquire.” This is the largest redesign since LinkedIn’s inception. Currently, the new layout is in beta testing per LinkedIn’s company page, and the rollout is expected to happen in the next 30 days.

What’s different? Better or not improved?

Overview, Jobs, and Life. You will now see these three content categories near the top of the page. Simply click and dive into the content that you’re interested in. These additions are clean and much easier to navigate compared to the existing layout.

The Overview section most likely will look like the current LinkedIn Company Page: About, Recent Updates, Showcase Pages, and Similar Companies. I’m excited about the addition of company photos! This is a great opportunity to provide prospective clients or employees with a closer look at what makes your company tick. One shortcoming of the new layout, however, is that the company updates are relatively minimized. You have to click on the Overview tab and then scroll down a ways to get to the news. Thankfully, most people will see these updates in their newsfeeds. But wouldn’t it be ideal if, back at the “drawing board”, they had planned for your updates to be displayed more prominently?

The Jobs section seems easier to maneuver than the previous Careers tab. Are there less branding opportunities to market yourself to prospective employers? Possibly. But perhaps this clean and simplified layout will make it easier and faster for job seekers to get to the information they are seeking. Employee Insights are now in this section. This can prove helpful for making decisions about whom to hire.

The Life section: What a great idea! This is a completely new section that helps your company tell its story more effectively. Similar to the current Careers tab, you can add a highlight video right at the top. What’s different on the new layout is that you can actually see the senior managements’ LinkedIn profiles. You don’t see this too often. Not only is this beneficial to job seekers but also to the employers. Take a peek at how GE has beefed up their Life section:

Some added bonuses are that you will soon be able to include more detailed content in the About section and add some pizzazz in the new Culture section right on the page. Within the Life section you’ll see Employee Perspectives which I’d imagine pulls from any employees who may have used the LinkedIn Publishing feature. And at the bottom of the Life section you will have the opportunity to highlight additional information such as Languages We Speak, Causes Our Employees Care About, and Organizations Our Employees Support. Again, all are beneficial to convey who you are and what makes you stand out from your competitors. Afterall, isn’t that one of the main reasons you have a LinkedIn Company Page?

What can you do now to prepare for later?

• Bring the Life section to life! Does your company have a video that tells your company’s story? If you answered no, get one! The more video, the better.
• Another great opportunity for your brand in the Life section is the senior executives’ profiles. Start working with your senior management to build their LinkedIn profiles now; later, you will be pleased with the added improvements to this section.
• You might want to start thinking about the best way to convey your Culture. This is something that is important to your company and not to be rushed, so take the time to brainstorm and write a paragraph of copy today. Here are some basic questions to consider: What is your company’s mission or values? What makes you different from your competitors? What makes your employees proud to be a part of your company?
• In order to make Employee Perspectives work for your company you will need content published by your employees to highlight. (Makes sense, right?) That means taking the steps now to encourage your staff to tout the brand from their eyes. Giving them the chance to express themselves can be a chance for better buy-in to the mission and values of the company. Giving them ample time to write their perspective will give you a better success rate to make this section shine!

At McMahon Consulting, we encourage you to #JustStartToday by taking these strides to improve your company’s LinkedIn company page in anticipation of the upcoming new layout. You’ll pat yourself on the back later. Let us know what you think of the new LinkedIn Company Page template to come!

About the author: Kim McMahon has performed sales and marketing for more years than she cares to count. She writes frequently on marketing, life, the world and how they sometimes all come together.