LinkedIn Removes the Products and Services Tab for Company Pages

LinkedIn announced that beginning on April 14, the Products and Services tab for Company Pages will be removed. LinkedIn says this change is designed to “provide a simple and efficient experience” for members.

The Alternatives
The soon-to-be-discontinued tab provided a way for companies to share important information about their products and services. LinkedIn suggests two alternatives:
1. Provide Company Updates on products and services. Followers will see these updates on their newsfeed, and if they engage with your posts, this will increase your post’s reach. This is a great way to increase visibility of your company on LinkedIn.
2. Use Showcase Pages for products and services. LinkedIn explains: “A Showcase Page should be used for building long-term relationships with members who want to follow specific aspects of your business, and not for short-term marketing campaigns.”

Overview of Showcase Pages
Whether you want to promote a business unit, company initiative, or a brand, Showcase Pages may be your best option. Showcase Pages debuted in November as a way for companies to better explain and promote multiple products and brands.

Consider using Showcase Pages to highlight your most important products or services. One benefit is that subscribers can follow the individual pages they are most interested in tracking. When you post to these pages, your followers will see your updates in their newsfeed across mobile, tablet, and desktop.

To set up a Showcase Page, you’ll need:
• Showcase Page name
• Showcase Page description (75-200 characters)
• Industry
• Name of at least 1 Showcase Page administrator
• Hero Image (recommended)

Showcase Pages are linked to your main Company Page and appear in related search results. You can have up to 10 Showcase Pages, and for each page, you’ll have a separate set of metrics.

Once your page is set up, you can begin to share updates about the product or service you’re showcasing. For an example of a Showcase Page, visit Microsoft’s Office page.

Recommendations
Be aware that any recommendations you might have on your Products and Services tab will be removed as of April 14. Company Page admins will need to copy and paste the recommendations into a separate document.

It’s also important to know that if you plan to use these recommendations in marketing materials, you’ll need to request permission from each individual.

Image courtesy of LinkedIn