Can I Create Multiple Linkedin Profiles For Different Business Initiatives?
There are a number of reasons why you may be tempted to create more than one Linkedin profile. Usually you ask yourself this question when:
- You have very unique business initiatives that you want to keep separate to avoid brand/lead confusion.
- There’s a noncompete issue with your current employer.
Will you get in trouble for having more than one account?
Not serious trouble. Linkedin may identify that you have two accounts and force you to merge them or remove one. Or, they may ban you from their platform altogether (which is very unlikely). Duplicate accounts are created on a regular basis – on purpose and on accident (lost passwords, trying to get around account penalties, etc).
Is it a good idea?
Keep in mind having more than one Linkedin account does violate Linkedin’s user agreement. It may also create more confusion if someone is looking for you and they find two accounts. But the pain points mentioned above (unique business initiatives and non-competes) are very real. So is the temptation to create more than one account and deal with any fallout later. Is it a good idea? You’ll have to weigh the risks and make a decision.
When does it make sense to create two accounts?
When the pain of having one outweighs the risk of having two. Make a smart decision.
