Personal profile or company page: which does your business need?
A LinkedIn company page speaks for the business, and a personal profile speaks for a person. Each does a different job, and the strongest setup uses both. This comparison sets them side by side and shows how a founder and a company page can work together.
- The company page is the official home of the brand. A personal profile is a person's voice.
- People tend to engage more with people than with pages, so personal profiles often travel further.
- Use both: a complete company page, supported by the founder and team posting as themselves.
5 min readPublished By Domeq Solutions
What is the difference?
A personal profile belongs to one person. It carries their name, photo, experience and opinions, and they use it to build relationships. A company page belongs to the business. It carries the brand, the services, the news and the jobs, and it is run by administrators on the business's behalf.
Neither replaces the other. A buyer may meet the founder in a post, then check the company page to see what the business does. Both should be complete, and both should say the same things about the business.
A person builds trust. A page confirms it.
How do they compare?
The table compares them on the points that matter for a business deciding where to put its effort.
Personal profile and company page on eight points.
| Aspect | Personal profile | Company page |
|---|---|---|
| Who it represents | One person | The business |
| Voice | Personal and conversational | Professional and on brand |
| Typical reach | Often wider, because people engage with people | Narrower unless it is supported by people |
| Who controls it | The person alone | Administrators the business chooses |
| If the person leaves | The profile goes with them | The page stays with the business |
| Best content | Opinions, lessons, stories and replies | Services, news, jobs and company updates |
| Builds | Relationships and credibility | Brand presence and a home for information |
| Main risk | Too personal, or too salesy | Dull and rarely updated |
Features and layouts on LinkedIn change, so follow the labels you see on screen.
How do the two work together?
The page sets out what the business does and stands behind it. The people carry it further. A founder or team member who posts useful thoughts on their own profile brings people to the page, and the page gives them somewhere credible to land.
How a person and a page support each other.
A person posts
Shares something useful in their own voice.
A reader engages
Likes, comments or follows.
They check the page
A complete page confirms the business is real.
They visit the website
A clear page turns interest into an enquiry.
What should a founder do on a personal profile?
Founders are often the best voice a small business has. People like to know who is behind a business, and a founder can speak with more candour than a brand. Keep the profile complete, with a clear headline, a short summary of what you do and a link to the website.
Seven things for a founder's profile.
- A clear headline that says what you do and for whom
- A summary in plain words, written in your own voice
- The company listed correctly as your current role, so it links to the page
- A link to the website and a clear way to get in touch
- A recent, friendly photograph
- Posts that teach, show or share a view, not only company news
- Prompt, courteous replies to comments and messages
For post ideas, see LinkedIn content ideas for a business.
What should the company page do?
The page is the brand's reference point. It should be complete, current and consistent with the website, and posted to on a steady rhythm. Set it up with the LinkedIn company page checklist, and ask the team to add the company to their own profiles so the two are connected.
Five mistakes with personal and company profiles.
Only a company page
A page alone is hard to grow. People engage with people.
Only a personal profile
The business has no official home, and everything leaves if the person does.
Different stories on each
A buyer who sees two descriptions will wonder which is true. Keep them consistent.
Using a personal profile for hard selling
A feed of pitches drives people away. Lead with usefulness.
Making the team post from the page only
A page has less reach than a person. Encourage people to share in their own voice.
How does Domeq approach it?
Domeq manages the company presence through LinkedIn Marketing, as a monthly retainer within Social Media Marketing, and designs LinkedIn graphics under Graphic Design. Founders often post from their own profiles as well, and the content plan can account for both. Get in touch through the contact page to talk it through.
Questions, answered.
What is the difference between a LinkedIn profile and a company page?
A profile belongs to one person, with their experience and voice. A company page belongs to the business, with its services, news and jobs. Each does a different job, and a business benefits from both.
Should my business use a personal profile or a company page?
Both. The company page is the official home of the brand, and personal profiles of the founder and team usually reach more people. The strongest setup is a complete page supported by active people.
Which gets more reach, a profile or a company page?
Personal profiles often get more engagement, because people engage with people more than with pages. Reach varies with the audience, the content and changes on the platform.
What happens to a personal profile if the person leaves the company?
The profile goes with them and keeps its followers. A company page stays with the business, which is one reason to keep a complete page and not rely on one person's profile.
Can I post as the company page from my personal account?
If you are an administrator of the page, you can post as the page. Posts from the page appear in the company's name, and posts from your profile appear in yours.
Should the founder promote the business on their own profile?
Yes, with care. Lead with useful, honest posts about your field and your work, and mention the business naturally. A feed of pitches tends to put people off.
Does Domeq manage both a company page and a founder's profile?
Domeq manages the company presence as a LinkedIn retainer. Founders usually post from their own profiles in their own voice, and the content plan can be designed so that the two support each other.
Keep reading.
More guides on the same topic, and on the ones around it.
- LinkedIn Company Page Checklist: Build a Page People TrustA LinkedIn company page checklist for B2B businesses: the profile, the banner, the about text, the first posts and the habits that keep the page active.LinkedIn Marketing
- LinkedIn Content Ideas for a Business: What to PostLinkedIn content ideas for a business: six kinds of post, twenty prompts, how to turn one idea into several posts and what to avoid.LinkedIn Marketing
- Social Media Content Calendar Template You Can CopyA social media content calendar template for a small business: columns to copy, a sample week, content pillars and a monthly routine for steady posting.Social Media Marketing
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