Last Thursday, we announced that LinkedIn Company Pages were getting a nice, refreshing
makeover, and provided a brief overview of the changes. While we wait for LinkedIn to apply these new changes to all Company Pages (which LinkedIn indicates will happen over the next few months), and because HubSpot's Company Page was lucky enough to be a part of the initial roll-out, we thought we'd do a deeper investigation into the aesthetic changes coming soon so you can be fully prepared to optimize your page once the new design is available to you.

So we pulled together a comprehensive new ebook on the subject -- A Step-by-Step Guide to LinkedIn's New Company Pages -- and thought we'd share a more detailed explanation to help you get accustomed to the new anatomical changes coming to your Company Page. To learn more about how to set up and optimize the new design, download the full, free guide here.

Remember: the changes you'll see will affect only the design of your Company Page. In other words, no new features have been added; just the look, feel, and the way you navigate a page is a bit different. You still have complete access to your Overview, Careers, Products & Services, and Insights sections of your page, so make sure you’re taking full advantage of them! Now have a seat, as we walk you through exactly what's changing about LinkedIn Company Pages.

Overview Page

Cover Image

Is your company on Facebook? How about Twitter and Google+? If so, you might notice you have the ability to customize its cover, background, or banner images to show off your company’s personality. You may have also noticed that, previously, LinkedIn’s Company Pages did not allow customization to this extent.

With LinkedIn’s new updates, you'll have the ability to add a cover-style image that represents your company/brand at the top of your Overview page.

Take a look at HubSpot's cover image as an example:

Company Updates

If you try posting a Company Update on the new page, you’ll notice it has a much different feel. LinkedIn advises you to “share an article, ask a question, or post a special offer to interested LinkedIn members.” Previously, this space was occupied by a blank box with no such guidance.

Furthermore, the content targeting feature is also much more prominent in the new design. You have the ability to share with a “targeted audience” or “all followers,” depending on what type of post it is and whom you're targeting.

If you click the “targeted audience” option, a box will pop up and offer detailed targeting options based on company size, industry, function, seniority, or geography. These options are available for you to target employees or non-employees, depending on who you’re trying to reach. When you begin clicking on options, you will see exactly how many people you are choosing to target with your post. While this is not a new feature, it was a somewhat hidden an underutilized feature.

Are you missing your “attach a link” button? Don’t worry -- you can still attach a link. It just appears differently. If you wish to post an update including a link, just paste the link into the post box and wait for a preview box to pop up. Once the preview has revealed itself, you may delete the link from the post box and start typing your commentary. (This feature is similar to the way Facebook handles link sharing in updates.)

You will also notice that you can check or uncheck a box that says “Include Photo,” located under your targeting options. If you uncheck this box, the photo will be removed from your link preview once you click “share.”

Curious about the performance of your update? Twenty-four hours after you’ve posted your update, you will notice a few different metrics, appearing in grey font. These show the number of impressions, clicks, and percentage of engagement with your post and are located on the bottom left side under the preview photo.

Summary (AKA 'About Us')

LinkedIn’s new cover image capability is awesome, but do you remember what was there before the update? That’s right, your company summary, or the 'About Us' section. This has been moved to the very bottom of the Overview page, below the page’s company updates.

Just remember, users who are trying to learn about your company for the first time will see your cover image first, then your company updates, and will finally have to scroll all the way down to find out more general information. Better make sure your cover image is captivating and informative!

Careers Page

You might also notice that the tabs at the top of your Overview page have disappeared. To find your Careers page, you’ll need to look on the right sidebar, where you’ll see a box with a title, image, and arrow that says, “Go to Careers Page.”

If you don’t currently pay for a subscription to the Careers page, you’ll need to navigate through your Edit page by hovering over the blue box on the top right side of the page where it says Admin tools. You’ll then see an option that says Edit. Click on this, and suddenly your old tabs will appear again! From there, you can click Careers and post jobs at your company.

When you purchase a subscription for this Careers page, you’ll own a page consisting of a large, clickable cover image that can be transformed into a call-to-action. This image can direct users to a specific job, a list of jobs and opportunities located on your website, or examples of your company’s culture. Below this image you might see a list of jobs, people at your company, a summary section for your careers, what employees are saying about working at your company, and recent updates. The look and feel of this page depends on what information and images you choose to include.

Products & Services Page

The Products & Services section of your Company Page is now featured on the right sidebar, same as the Careers page. This is compared to the tiny link in the tabbed section at the top of the old page design.

Structurally, the new version of the Products & Services page is very similar to the old one. The main difference is in the right sidebar, which now highlights the names, job titles, companies, and profile images of LinkedIn users in the visitor’s network who have recommended particular products/services on your page.

This is great news for marketers, because it puts recommendations at the forefront and displays testimonials much more prominently. Below these highlighted users, you’ll find any videos you’ve added to the page, which were also available in the former page design.

You’ll notice that your company’s Product and Services showcase images have stayed the same. These were the only ‘cover images’ available before the new design updates, and they still exist today. Now, however, they are more aesthetically integrated into the rest of the page’s new design.

Note: Make sure your product ‘cover photo’ image is still optimized for your new page. If the image looks to be of low-resolution, try re-uploading a higher resolution image.

Mobile App, Now Including Company Pages

Previously, you could use the LinkedIn mobile app to only search for people, not companies. Now, users can look up information about your company on the go! Company Pages now exist on iPhone, Android, and iPad apps. This is great news for marketers, and it reinforces the importance of an updated, optimized Company Page.

While the new LinkedIn Company Page design isn’t dramatically different, the design is certainly more customizable, similar to the business pages of other social networks such as Facebook and Google+. This gives companies a better opportunity to create a more branded, unique-looking LinkedIn page that stands out from competitors' pages.