LinkedIn vs. Facebook: Which is Right for Your Brand?

LinkedIn is a popular social media network for professionals. With over 810 million users, the platform offers companies and professionals the opportunity to network, build authority, and display accomplishments. 

Facebook is a casual platform, designed to help friends and family connect. Unlike social media platforms that focus on building an audience, Facebook is about sharing and dialoguing with those that users already know. With just under 3 billion users, Facebook provides a wide reach for companies looking to advertise.

In the Facebook versus LinkedIn debate, neither platform is better than the other. Rather, the two platforms offer vastly different benefits, audiences, and marketing strategies. 

Who is the Audience?

LinkedIn is used almost exclusively by white-collar professionals and the companies that employ them. This reduces the audience reach. However, this narrow focus can benefit brands geared toward this type of audience. 

For example, a subscription service for luxury watches could advertise on both Facebook and LinkedIn. Facebook has targeting that would allow the company to advertise to the ideal persona for this product. Yet this brand is particularly well-suited to the audience on LinkedIn, where CEOs and other high-powered executives are certain to spend time. 

Popular Content on Each Platform

Facebook and LinkedIn share a lot of similarities as well. Both platforms allow users to create Groups, send direct messages, and share status updates. However, the type of content users create and engage with is very different.

A young professional might share their thought leadership blog post or look for a new job on LinkedIn. That same person might use Facebook to share pictures of a cake they baked or catch up with friends from high school. This distinction is important to remember when developing a social media strategy. 

LinkedIn offers companies a way to present the “brass tacks” of their business. With a base of professionals as the audience, companies can create technical content or debate changes within an industry. This offers a unique opportunity to position a brand as a leader among brands that are similar. LinkedIn is also used by companies to find high-quality sales and employee leads. 

Facebook provides companies with an opportunity to build community around their brand. It is ideal for spreading the word about a product or service to an audience that is diverse in every way possible. Companies that wish to advertise on social media will appreciate the features Facebook offers; while B2B companies should consider LinkedIn.

How to Leverage LinkedIn or Facebook for Your Business

As with any social media platform, it is important to know your audience and target content accordingly. LinkedIn is strongest for networking among professionals. While Facebook has the largest user base of any social media platform. 

Brands communicate across platforms in order to reach a wide audience and establish authority. Both of these social media platforms provide tools to do just that. When considering Facebook versus Linkedin, brands should determine which platform is more suited to its outreach goals. From there, plan the marketing strategy accordingly and be willing to pivot based on the response.