A client recently asked us to help them use LinkedIn to build company awareness. They asked us to start, facilitate and maintain a discussion group. We said we’d be happy to do this, but asked them to consider another approach.

We proposed to start by building a strong and active presence for key employees on LinkedIn. Through them, over time, we would position them as experts and demonstrate that the company was an industry leader. To gain trust and credibility, we suggested starting with basic steps, making full use of the tools and opportunities offered by LinkedIn.

One of the key tools is the LinkedIn company page. As LinkedIn documentation says, “it is like a LinkedIn profile page for a company.” People are using it to research companies, stay updated with company news and learn more about products and services. A company page is a way to put a human face on a company by giving, as LinkedIn says, “a peek at the individuals behind your brand and highlighting how members use your products. Your Company Page offers tools to bring your brand to life.”

Our social media marketing team put together a complete LinkedIn strategy for our client that included a company page, and they quickly agreed that it made sense for them. Later, once established and credible, we will create a group.

Here are some of the things you’ll be able to do with a company page:

• provide company status updates
• present a complete company overview
• show your products and services
• build a recommendation showcase
• use analytics to learn about your followers

How do you find a company page? From the LinkedIn navigation bar at the top of every page where you’ll see “Search Companies.”