There are many social media platforms which all offer different things and it can be difficult to know which one will benefit your business the most. Facebook and LinkedIn are two of the biggest platforms available and have a few key differences when it comes to the audience.
A quick recap
LinkedIn is a social media platform with the main purpose of providing networking abilities for professionals. Initially LinkedIn was created to offer a recruitment platform to businesses, however in time it has developed to boast many features including, status’, blogging, and private messages.
In comparison, Facebook was specifically created as a place for the general public to share and communicate. The “sharing” element of the platform is its most prominent aspect, but similar to LinkedIn, Facebook now has many other features to reach audiences.
Both platforms come with a group feature that enables you to connect with other people with the same interests, as well as both coming with effective ad set ups.
The difference in audience
When it comes to the number of users, Facebook hosts an astounding 2.8 billion monthly active users across the world, in comparison to LinkedIn’s 64.7 million monthly active users.
Across both platforms the largest audience age range is 25 – 34 years old. Facebook does also have a wider range of users with approximately 10% being under 18 years old or above 64, this is because LinkedIn caters more to professionals looking to network in comparison to Facebook which is more open to the general public.
The benefits of LinkedIn
LinkedIn is seen as the “go-to” spot for business driven individuals. This means the platform is a great tool for business-to-business (B2B) brands. LinkedIn provides businesses with many benefits including:
- Easier to network with other businesses and professionals
- Occupies the largest share of B2B display ad spending.
- Designed specifically for business conversations
- Content can be created to reach a specific audience
The benefits of Facebook
Facebook is seen as the social platform users go to for social purposes, this could be entertaining videos or catching up with friends and family. Facebook serves a more informal service when compared to LinkedIn. The benefits of using Facebook include:
- Larger audience
- Can easily engage with customers
- Users friendly
- Offers shopping options
- Can be more specific with target audiences
Which one is best for you
While LinkedIn and Facebook offer similar features to users it is quite clear that their purposes and audiences are different.
The best platform to use depends on the industry, target audience, and marketing goals of your business. It is also important to remember that you don’t necessarily have to choose.
Our recommendation would be to use LinkedIn for target lead generation campaigns, and using Facebook in correlation with Facebook which will be used for increasing brand awareness and engaging with customers.