[intro] Before you begin this guide, you need to ensure that you have installed the Social Plugins feature on your EKM online shop and have already created a personal profile for yourself on LinkedIn beforehand. If you have not completed this task, click here to do so. [/intro]

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If you're already familiar with Facebook, LinkedIn is best described as the 'Facebook for Businesses'. You can create a Personal Profile that is effectively your online resume and lets other users know your skills, experience and employment history. It's a fantastic platform for making professional connections in your industry. Like Facebook, LinkedIn allows you to create Business Pages, which are profiles that represent your company. It's worth creating one of these for your EKM online shop as this provides another platform for potential new customers and businesses that would work well with your own to discover your company. You can regularly update your Business Page status too, and use this platform to advertise for employment vacancies when your EKM online shop is big enough.  

Creating your LinkedIn Business Page

1. Log in to your LinkedIn account and click the Work symbol on the top right:

2. Click Create a Company Page:

3. Complete the field provided by adding your company name. Ensure that there are no spaces or characters within it to make your Business Page easier to find in a search. When your Company Name has been added, this will automatically generate a page address for you in the field below. Click the blue Create Page button:

4. Click the Get Started button:

Customising your LinkedIn Business Page

5. You will now see what will become your LinkedIn Business Page. As I don't technically have a business, I'll be using the branding for a local group that I volunteer for instead. The Cover Image for a LinkedIn Business Page needs to be 1536 pixels wide by 768 pixels high. Click Update Cover Image:

6. When you have uploaded an image from your computer, you can drag it to reposition it perfectly on the page:

7. You will then need to populate the details on the rest of the Page. Scroll down to the Locations header and click Add Location:

8. Complete the details, and then click the blue Save button:

9. Scroll up the Page and above the Locations header, you need to complete the fields for your URL (the domain name of your EKM online shop), Company Size, Industry, Company Type and Year Founded:

10. You then need to populate the About Us field, before clicking the Publish button:

11. You should now be able to edit the Profile Image at the top of the Page. This image needs to be 400 pixels square. Click the pencil symbol to upload the image from your computer:

12. When the image has been uploaded, click the Publish button:

If you click See Member View on the top right:

You will see how your Business Page appears to other LinkedIn Users:

How to update your Business Page Status

1. Click the Updates tab on the top left:

2. Like Facebook Pages, you can add an image to your Status Updates. On LinkedIn, these images should ideally be 646 pixels wide by 220 pixels high. To attach an image, click the Images button, alternatively, write your Status Update in the field provided and then click the blue Post button

Business Page Analytics

As you interact with your LinkedIn Business Page, you will need to keep an eye on the Analytics pages. You can access these by clicking the Analytics tab - You can select either Visitors, Updates or Followers:

The Visitors screen will let you know how many LinkedIn users have visited your Business Page within a specific period:

The Updates screen lets you know how well your Status Updates have performed:

The Followers screen provides a breakdown of the Followers that your Page has attracted:

Attaching your Personal Profile to your Business Page

1. To link yourself to your Business Page, you need to view your Personal Profile, and click the plus symbol on the Experience header:

2. This will open a window on your screen. Complete the fields related to your job role at your EKM online shop, and within the Company field, search for your Business Page's Username. Select your Business Page and when all fields have been completed, click the blue Save button.

[caution] Currently you can only have one main job role on the LinkedIn platform. If your EKM online shop is your primary employment then this is not an issue, however, if you have a full-time role elsewhere and your EKM online shop is a side or part-time job for you, don't link your Personal LinkedIn Profile to your Business Page as doing so will cease the link with your current employer if you're already linked there. [/caution].

Linking your Business Page to your EKM online shop

1. To do this, you need the username for your Business Page, which can be found easily in the address bar of your browser as you're looking at the Page via Member View:

2. Log into your EKM online shop, click the Features tab and then open the Social Plugins feature. Drag the LinkedIn logo from the top field into the lower field:

3. Add your Page Username into the Username and then click the green Update button:

You have now successfully linked your LinkedIn Business Page to your EKM online shop. Be sure to read Creating your Social Media Strategy for further advice on creating content for your target market. 

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[contact] If you need our help with your EKM online shop, contact your Account Manager or Customer Support, who will be able to point you in the right direction. We're open from 8am-6pm weekdays and 9am-5.30pm on the weekends. If you'd like to suggest a feature or an upgrade on any of the EKM platforms, please let us know on the EKM Suggestions board. If you have a non-account specific question ask the EKM Team, join us in EKM Community.  [/contact]