LinkedIn or Facebook: Which is better for B2B?

When it comes to social media for business, many people believe that LinkedIn is the place where you should be investing your time and energy. Yet, Facebook’s number of users vastly outweighs LinkedIn. If we take a closer look at these platforms there are some distinct advantages of using both.

LinkedIn is the perfect place to connect with other professionals in your industry. You can search for people by name, company, or keyword, and then send them a message asking for a connection. LinkedIn also offers several features that are specifically designed for business networking, such as groups, articles, and SlideShare presentations.

Facebook is great for building relationships with potential and current customers. You can create a fan page for your business, and then post updates about your products or services. You can also invite fans to events, offer special discounts, and run contests.

Here are some of the key differences between LinkedIn and Facebook when it comes to advertising.

 Users

Facebook has a much larger user base with 235.02 million US users while LinkedIn counts 180 million members (Statista). Yet, LinkedIn is a professional networking site, whereas Facebook is not. While LinkedIn is ideal for generating leads, you may reach a considerably larger, more diverse audience on Facebook.

Cost

Ads on LinkedIn cost more per click than on Facebook but most believe that the quality of leads is better on LinkedIn. However, with Facebook ads, you can promote your business to people a larger group of people.

Targeting

Targeting filters on LinkedIn are a great way to find people who have business connections. These include things like company name, title or industry sector - all of which may be useful when you're looking for someone with specific expertise in your area! Facebook’s ad targeting can create lookalike audiences, target based on ages and/or interests.

Which is better?

There is no definitive answer because it depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you are looking to connect with other professionals in your industry, LinkedIn is the best platform. If you want to build relationships with potential and current customers at a lower cost, Facebook is a better choice. For the best possible results, perhaps combining your digital marketing efforts across both channels.

Our team can provide suggestions for which strategies might work best for your company. Contact us today at info@ranallimarketing.com.