LinkedIn pages vs. groups
When building an online presence for your Chapter, it's essential to choose the right platform to effectively communicate with your audience. We’ll get into all of the different social media options but for today we’re going to be talking about LinkedIn company pages. While LinkedIn offers both Groups and Company Pages as options, the two serve very different purposes. For Chapters looking to maximize engagement, visibility, and professional branding, a LinkedIn Company Page is the best option. In this overview, we'll explore the key differences between the two and why a Company Page provides more value to Chapters looking to expand their reach and connect with members.
For Chapters looking to build a professional presence, a Company Page offers far more benefits than a Group, allowing Chapters to engage more effectively with their members and the broader safety community.
1. Visibility and Branding
LinkedIn Company Pages are public and visible to anyone, whether they follow your page or not. This makes them an ideal tool for increasing your Chapter's visibility to a wide audience, including potential members, partners, and sponsors. Company Pages can be optimized with logos, banners, and detailed descriptions, giving your Chapter a professional and polished image.
In contrast, LinkedIn Groups are often private or semi-private, meaning they require approval to join and have limited discoverability. While this might be useful for niche discussions, it restricts your Chapter's ability to attract new members or reach a broader audience. Groups are also less visually customizable, limiting their potential as a branding tool.
You can see here that when I begin searching on "Region VI" this happens to be the first result in my search. The ability to search on groups won't be as easy or visible as if searching on Pages inherent to the intention of each type.
2. Content Sharing and Reach
With a Company Page, you can share a variety of content, including articles, announcements, event updates, and more. These posts can be seen by all your followers, and thanks to LinkedIn’s algorithm, they can even reach people outside your immediate network if followers engage with the content. This allows Chapters to promote events, highlight achievements, and showcase member involvement on a much larger scale.
On the other hand, LinkedIn Groups are more suited for discussions and peer-to-peer interaction. Content shared in a group stays confined to group members, limiting its reach. Groups are primarily designed for conversations rather than broader content distribution, which can limit how effectively you share important Chapter updates.
An example of how you can repost content posted by others through your company page. Here you can see you can click Repost which you would then select your Page to repost from.
3. Analytics and Insights
Company Pages offer a range of analytics tools that allow administrators to track the performance of their posts and understand who is engaging with their content. You can monitor follower growth, post engagement rates, and even see demographics about your audience. This data is incredibly valuable for Chapters because it allows you to refine your communication strategy, target specific audiences, and increase overall engagement.
Groups, on the other hand, offer minimal analytics. Administrators can see the number of members and some basic activity levels, but there is no detailed insight into post performance or audience demographics. This lack of data makes it difficult to measure the success of your group and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Example of what the analytics looks like on a company page
4. Professional Image and Control
Company Pages provide a professional platform where Chapters can curate and control their image. Administrators have full control over what is posted and who can post, ensuring a consistent and professional tone. The page can be managed by multiple administrators, which allows for better control and delegation among Chapter leaders.
Groups, by contrast, are community-driven, meaning members can post content as well. While this can foster discussion, it also introduces the risk of off-topic or unprofessional content appearing in the group. Group administrators have less control over the overall messaging, which can dilute your Chapter’s professional image.
5. Audience Engagement
With Company Pages, you have the ability to engage with followers beyond simple posts. You can create event pages, share sponsored content, and interact with comments and messages directly from the page. This makes it a versatile tool for fostering ongoing engagement with your audience and for promoting Chapter activities.
While Groups are great for fostering discussion among members, they don’t offer the same level of engagement options. Posts are largely text-based, and engagement is limited to group members. Additionally, it can be harder to keep group discussions on track or relevant to the Chapter’s goals.
Why ASSP Chapters Should Prioritize Company Pages
For Chapters, the Company Page is the ideal tool for professional branding, member engagement, and communication. It allows Chapters to:
Increase visibility to potential members and partners.
Engage a larger audience with content that extends beyond current members.
Present a professional image, which is important for recruitment and member retention.
Track performance through analytics and make data-driven decisions to improve engagement.
Promote Chapter events and activities with greater control and reach.
By focusing on building and maintaining a LinkedIn Company Page, your Chapter can ensure it stays visible, connected, and relevant to both current and potential members. While LinkedIn Groups can still be used for smaller, niche discussions, a Company Page serves as a more effective platform for promoting the Chapter’s work and advancing its mission.
Check out the video below to help you get started creating your page. As always, reach out to me if you need any help.
See you next week 🙋🏻♂️
