While Facebook offers a number of valuable networking and advertising tools, both paid and free, more and more people are abandoning the popular social media platform. Due to a large number of data breaches and confidentiality problems, businesses and consumers alike are leaving Facebook in favor of other, more reputable platforms. One of these platforms is LinkedIn and while they may not have the advancements that Facebook currently offers, they’re not far behind. In fact, we believe that LinkedIn has a number of advantages over Facebook, especially in the business sphere. Here are 8 of the most prevalent reasons why LinkedIn is better than Facebook for business.
Facebook vs LinkedIn, Which Is Better?
1. Stronger B2B Targeting
When using Facebook, you can easily perform generic searches for companies that might interest you, but it falls short on targeted searches. There’s no clear-cut way to search for employees or consumers. On the contrary, LinkedIn offers a unique interface that allows you to take your searches to the next level. Since LinkedIn is a very business-oriented social media platform, they utilize a number of features that allow you to perform in-depth searches for the past as well as the present on both companies and employees alike.
For example, LinkedIn allows you to target a current or a past company in terms of employees. Since people tend to build their LinkedIn profiles like a resume, they often stay connected to a company who employed them in the past even if they’re no longer associated with them. Because of this, you can make searches based on the different connections that employees have to that company and beyond. Company connections are valuable to your business because of lead generations, marketing tactics, testimonials, or even direct sales. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd connection feature in LinkedIn allows you to build a multilayered focus that you can use in your marketing strategies.
From there, you can see the company name of all of your connections in terms of who they’re employed by; the industry that they’re in, and how big each company based on employees as well as locations across the globe. This allows you to target your advertising efforts with ease and efficiency. It also means that you can exclude people or companies that you know will not be a good fit for your products, services, or clients.
2. Efficient B2C Networking
In addition to connecting with other businesses, LinkedIn offers a strong way to network with a number of different consumers without coming off as creepy or annoying. The best way to do this is to keep an active profile and post engaging and valuable content for people to see. The more value you bring, the stronger your brand will be and people will grow to trust your business. To keep people coming back, post things in a timely manner and keep it interesting. As you begin to grow your following you can start posting and promoting new products and/or services that your followers will enjoy without coming off as to sales-oriented.
3. Multilayered Targeting
In addition to targeting based on company connections, you can target individuals by their job titles, level of seniority within a company, and what skills they posses. Regardless of the company that someone is employed by, if you’re looking for a business development director, or any other job title for that matter, you can simply make a search query and be presented with a vast number of results. This is great for businesses that are trying to find a point of contact, fill a job, or simply build their network with people in similar roles. If you know you need to talk to someone who has a high level of authority in a company, you can also search by their seniority. Again, the function of these searches depends on your needs, but filtering out people who aren’t decision makers is a huge way to save time in the long run.
Finally, depending on what your goals are, the ability to search for people with a specific skill set is something that is unique to LinkedIn. Since LinkedIn relies heavily on third-party endorsements, you’re able to see what they’ve been rated best at thus, quickly identifying why they’d be important for your business.
4. Readily Available Contact Information
Facebook offers a remarketing feature, but it can be more difficult to access— especially if you’re trying to find company-specific information. LinkedIn offers more readily available contact information and includes a direct messaging system that doesn’t involve strict filtration systems like those used in Facebook. Due to the algorithms involved in LinkedIn, there are a number of ways for you to run paid ads to a list of matched audiences through their email addresses or simply a number of company contacts. This means that you’ll be able to reach a larger audience with less effort, thus increasing your lead list and future sales potential.
Similarly, LinkedIn allows you to run targeted searches and generate lists based on different demographics if you need a more refined audience
5. Sponsored Mail
The chances of someone opening a sponsored advertisement in Facebook are slim to none—and if they do, most people will be annoyed and may even block your company. However, sponsored in-mail on LinkedIn is well known and often appreciated. This is because of the user mindset on LinkedIn and the value that most sponsored in-mail provides. When you create your marketing campaign, all you need to do is put together content that will be relevant and valuable to those that you’ll be reaching out to. Include a clear and responsive CTA and send it out to your audiences using the targeted lists you’ve created. A distinct benefit of LinkedIn mail is that your message will only be delivered to your audience members when they’re active, which increases open rates and overall responses.
6. Stronger Business Mindset
The thing to remember about Facebook is that it is first and foremost, a social media platform that consumers use primarily for fun. People log in to mindlessly look at videos, talk to friends, and see what the world is up to. They’re looking for an escape from their daily lives and stressors, if only for a moment. People use LinkedIn with a purpose. They’re either looking for valuable information, leads for jobs, updates on products or services, or new ways to take their careers to the next level. This means that the people actively using LinkedIn will be more qualified for your business needs. They’re more likely to enjoy seeing ads, as long as they’re relevant, interesting, and engaging. Facebook Ads often annoy people and some people even see them as creepy due to the intense algorithms in place. However, when on LinkedIn, ads offer value and are thus offer a great place for your business to excel in content marketing. One of the most popular ways to do this is to create ads that exchange white papers for email addresses. This is a great way to showcase your expertise and give people the answers or education they’re looking for. You can do this through creating a number of lead generation forms that are simple, fast, and easy to fill out.
7. More Qualified Leads
The people that move forward and fill out lead generation forms on LinkedIn are usually more qualified leads than those that fill things out on Facebook. Since people who browse on LinkedIn genuinely interested in bettering themselves and furthering their education, when they receive your email with a free whitepaper, they’ll less likely to unsubscribe from subsequent emails—especially if the information proves to be valuable.
8. Improved Customer Satisfaction
Since you can easily interact with your customers through LinkedIn’s platform, it offers you a way to grow overall customer satisfaction. You can create surveys, ask for testimonials, or even send direct messages thanking customers for their loyalty. Over time, this will help you see what works and what doesn’t, while simultaneously showing your customers that you care about them and the business they give you. The levels of appreciation that come with being heard are unbeatable so foster a mix of both public and private interactions. Just like Facebook, LinkedIn offers a way to handle your customer service and resolve any issues that may arise, just on a more professional level.
A LinkedIn profile is a great asset to have for your business, but using it as a platform for paid advertising and social engagement is even better. There are more targeting options that allow you to reach out to businesses and consumers alike. If you want to make sure your business is excelling, create a LinkedIn profile, manage it efficiently, and start using paid advertisements. If you need help with any of the social media management or content marketing strategies, don’t hesitate to contact us today.
