About LinkedIn
Linked in positions itself as the largest professional network in the world. It boasts 380 million registered members, with nearly 40 million students and recent college graduates.
Brands interact with user-created, resume-like profiles in a number of ways: Company Pages, Groups, University Pages, and Showcase Pages. Your approach to LinkedIn will vary greatly depending on your goals.
Regardless, LinkedIn is used by our development officers to connect with individuals, finding that, at times (and particularly for international alumni), LinkedIn’s contact information is more current than that of University databases.
Company Pages.
Do not create a Company Page for your LSA department or Unit.
The first iteration of LinkedIn, company pages are place for brands to establish itself as and employer and entity with which users can do business. Brands post updates about products and post job openings.
The strategic target for company pages does not typically match that of most departments.
Groups.
Contact LSA Social before creating a Group for your organization.
LinkedIn introduced groups as micro environments that allow companies or individuals to host a gathering of people around a specific topic. For example, you may choose to be a part of an alumni group for your alma mater or a professional organization like Social Media Marketing.
Groups can only be tied to companies or individuals. Because a department like Women’s Studies should not create a company inside LinkedIn, an individual would then take ownership of the group. This, however, is not best practice.
LSA recommends that units desiring to have a Group presence on LinkedIn have that group created under the umbrella of the LSA university page.
Choose groups, if you desire
- your department posts to come from an individual;
- posts/conversations to be restricted to group members; and
- desire to allow any group member to post content.
University Pages.
Do not create a University Page for your LSA department or Unit.
In 2013, LinkedIn introduced University Pages as a way to enable schools to market itself and build a community. Alumni can include your school in their profile’s education. Students can add a school to their “Decision Board” as they explore higher education possibilities.
At this time, LSA social is disappointed with the rate at which LinkedIn is developing this platform.
If you have content you would like us to post on the LSA or University of Michigan LinkedIn pages, please contact LSA social.
Showcase Pages.
If you have interest in creating a Showcase Page for your department, please contact LSA social.
Showcase Pages are the most recent addition to the LinkedIn family. They most closely resemble Facebook Pages. LSA is currently working on a strategy to employ Showcase Pages for units and departments.
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