Can we trust the data from the Company Pages on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn has become a must-have professional social network for companies and professionals looking to grow their network and business. 

With over 930 million users, LinkedIn offers a rich and diverse database of companies. 

In addition, LinkedIn's Business Pages have also become a common source of company data. 

However, the question of the reliability of business data arises. 

In this article, we will explain how LinkedIn's company database works and whether the data is reliable. 

Marc Wahba, co-founder and CTO of Infobel, shares his experience with data reliability. He explains:

• The flaws in the data you can find on LinkedIn;
• The risks associated with their use.

What is company data on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn collects data from company profiles created by users themselves. 

LinkedIn's company pages provide a variety of information about companies, such as: size, industry, geographic location, products and services... 

How reliable is the company data on LinkedIn? 

Although LinkedIn is a quality platform for business research, the reliability of this data can be questioned. 

Companies may fill in information on their LinkedIn Company Page without independent verification, which can lead to inconsistencies and errors. 

Some companies may intentionally exaggerate their size and success to attract investors and customers.

In addition, some information is entered on LinkedIn without the knowledge of the companies involved. 

Indeed, anyone can create a company's profile on LinkedIn, and if it is not claimed by the company itself, it will simply have an "Unclaimed" status which concerns 94% of the profiles (according to data collected by Infobel Pro). 

So, you can find many company pages on Linkedin without publication, or even with fake profiles.

This obviously causes problems when these unreliable data are used for prospecting. 

Who uses LinkedIn data?

Beware, company data published on Linkedin is used by many software or service providers. 

When an online data provider or marketing automation software offers company data, check to see if the data is not from LinkedIn. 

If it is, be cautious about using that data and make sure you use quality B2B Data Providers that harvest and process company data from more reliable sources (such as those you can get on Infobel Pro's B2B data services). 

Prospecting: What are the consequences of using low-quality data?

Using low-quality data can have significant consequences for businesses. 

First, it can affect decision making, as unreliable data can lead to incorrect choices. 

It can also lead to increased costs due to wasted time and effort to collect additional data or correct errors.

In addition, it can damage the company's reputation, as using low-quality data can lead to poor or inconsistent results.

In sum, the use of low-quality data can have significant hidden consequences and costs for businesses. Therefore, it is crucial for companies to ensure that the data used is reliable, accurate and compliant with current regulations. 

This can help companies make informed decisions, reduce costs and protect their reputation.