Social media is now an essential consideration for all businesses – in fact it’s one of the most powerful tools in any business’ arsenal, and the foundation of both online marketing and communication. Choosing the right social media platforms to focus your attention on, however, can be much easier said than done.
LinkedIn and Facebook are two of the most common social media platforms associated with businesses – indeed with 1.6 billion estimated users, Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world. With that in mind, is one of them actually better than the other for your business?
The answer to that question depends entirely on what you want to achieve with your social media presence.
What does Facebook offer businesses?
Facebook’s sheer size and market dominance mean it should be a consideration for any business looking to reach as many potential customers as possible. With Facebook, you have the opportunity to build your brand and develop a large online customer following. It’s also an excellent way to share news directly with your customers, such as special offers or new product ranges, etc. Customers often form much more loyal connections with businesses when they feel a part of a “community” – and Facebook is the ideal place to cultivate that community, and by extension, customer loyalty.
What does LinkedIn offer businesses?
LinkedIn has a totally different focus than Facebook, in as much as it’s targeted towards business to business networking and employment, rather than customer interaction. LinkedIn will be your portal to connecting with influential contacts, whether they’re peers, suppliers, or potential employees. As your list of connections grows, you will have the opportunity to connect with the peer group of your connections, further widening your pool of influence. LinkedIn also has members who regularly offer advice for businesses from everything to marketing budgets to employee management, so it should be considered as an excellent business-focused learning resource, as well as a social network.
Which is better for your business?
There is no simple answer because both Facebook and LinkedIn have entirely different user-bases and objectives. The natural conclusion to draw, is, that any business wanting to maximise its social media potential and influence should have both a Facebook and a LinkedIn profile.
Facebook can help you spread the word about your business to a new audience around the world, while LinkedIn can help foster the kind of industry connections necessary for business development.