By bbr

LinkedIn is about to roll out a major update to Company Pages, so round up your design team and social media page administrators. You won’t have to start from scratch, because content will automatically be migrated to the new format, but what you will need is an updated cover image, logo and tagline.

The company suggests cover images sized at 1536 x 768px and logos of at least 300 x 300px. Besides the new look, admins will have access to a revamped analytics dashboard that gives you more options for measuring impact and optimizing the performance of all your content.

LinkedIn promises that your overall experience will be easier and more efficient, with in-line editing and a better designed approach to managing your Company Page. If you love it, hate it or have additional suggestions, you can send feedback by clicking on Product Guide, which is located at the bottom of your updated admin view page.

So far only a few giant companies like IBM and GE have had access to the new style while it was in beta mode. Now it’s time to roll it out for all users. While this is happening, you can choose to switch between the administrator features you’ve been using and the new set of controls by clicking on your page’s uppermost banner. Whether you choose to do this or not, you should use the overlap period to prepare for the moment when the redesigned page is your only option, learning how to use the expanded management tools and uploading your new cover image and logo.

So far we’ve talked about the update in terms of page owners, but what will be different for the LinkedIn users who visit your Company Page?

• A bigger, cleaner and simpler design. The new page layout appears less cluttered and easier to interpret if you’ve just landed there for the first time.
• Content divided into three categories, shown in boxes just below the company intro. These are Overview, Jobs and Life.
• Basic information like About Us, Industries and Specialties is included on the Overview tab; visitors can click to expand their view of any section.
• Posts from your firm also appear on the Overview tab; users should click and scroll down to see more of them.
• Showcase Pages are housed on the Overview tab as well, right under the About Us and most recent update teasers.
• Company photos is a new element that allows you to add pictures and text that illuminate your firm culture, events, specialties – whatever you’d like to share. Users can access these by clicking on the photo that appears to the right of the main Overview window.
• Clicking on the Jobs tab opens up an array of boxes showing the positions you’ve listed as open. The new layout makes these easier to see and navigate. You can also share information about your team here with the Employee insights feature, which is a nice way to give job seekers a snapshot of your firm without making them dig.
• Life is a brand new tab that offers firms and social media users a great opportunity to learn about the company’s culture. Photos, videos and text can be combined to present a clear understanding of who you are, what you do and what’s unique about the company in an easily accessible manner.
• Scrolling down the Life section reveals Employee Perspectives, which showcases articles published by employees through LinkedIn Publishing. This is great news for firms that encourage their people to utilize LinkedIn Publishing, and an excellent incentive for those that don’t to start taking advantage of it.
• Culture insights, also on the Life tab, allows visitors to learn more about the company’s people and what’s important to them at a glance.

The verdict: LinkedIn’s updated Company Pages will take some getting used to, but they appear to hold great potential for creating a visually appealing, engaging way to interact with your firm.

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