By Marc W. Halpert and Colleen McKenna

Editor’s note: “Company Pages” may sound like something only for-profit businesses should care about. But those pages provide valuable visibility to nonprofits as well. On Wednesdays, we’ll be running a five-part guest series on how nonprofits can reap significant benefits from LinkedIn’s Company Pages.

LinkedIn’s Press Center reported that as of August 2011, more than 2 million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages. How does a nonprofit stand out in the crowd? By continually updating, of course, but also by adding its logo, value proposition, key causes and services, hiring information, employees, and other social media activity.

When built well, profile pages become “microsites” that create a well-rounded perspective, as we’ve already discussed in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. Compared to a fully built, dynamic LinkedIn profile, websites seem static and audiences don’t get an authentic understanding of the organization. However, don’t let your nonprofit’s website look like an electronic brochure; instead, aim to present your audience with an interactive and engaged portrayal of your organization. 

A well-built nonprofit company profile page creates a personality for your organization, with live and dynamic content based on real people. This liveliness is important; it generates awareness and potential engagement 

Take a quick look at the analytics your viewers will find on LinkedIn Company Pages. Go to the “Overview” tab on the Company Page and find the image on the right side. Click on “Check out insightful statistics about {your nonprofit} employees.”

Displayed on every Company Page will be a quick graphs and insight into employees, functions, experience, educational degrees, and most commonly attended universities, that contribute to the nonprofit’s culture and the types of professionals that gravitate to the organization.

These graphs paint a picture of the organization and compare it to others. In today’s economy, people want to be associated with nonprofits and other organizations that are innovative and vibrant and that can prove financial security and active growth.

For potential donors, a few minutes reviewing a nonprofit’s Company Page statistics reveals other compelling snippets of information, as does each employee profile. Ultimately, these will benefit your organization. For example, the individuals below may not have the largest internal network (of connected current employee pages), but they clearly have a strong external network of connections. Each profile has its connections displayed on the main page.

The user-generated details that surface provide insight for recruitment efforts done by staff, board members, and volunteers.

These details communicate important information, tell a story, convey your message, evoke emotion and create a call to action for your organization. Turn your Company Page into an “Interest Page.”  Don’t forget: You can direct people to certain pages on your Web site from areas with the Company Profile Page. Consider a link that says “Click here to reach our online donation page!”

How are you building out your nonprofit’s Company Page?  Stay tuned for more ways to create a Company Page that speaks to who you really are.  Tell us your story, we want to hear.

Next week, we’ll show you the ways in which LinkedIn expands your reach.

For more information about Nonprofit Company Pages, read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

Marc W. Halpert has started, and continues to operate three companies in the past 10 years; the most recent is called and Connect2Collaborate, in which he uses his skills in networking and his LinkedIn evangelism to train and coach others. He teaches LinkedIn to groups as well as coaches individuals, is a frequent speaker at national, regional, and local conferences, and has authored numerous articles.

Colleen McKenna, Principal, and Intero Advisory teaches people and organizations how to build their creative and competitive professional brand to ensure greater productivity and success.

We do this by creating a plan and implementing the appropriate tools. LinkedIn, the professional social network, is where we begin.