Are you struggling to make your B2B products/services shine in the digital space? Well, here’s the secret: ads are your BFFs. However, there’s a catch: these can’t be just ads. They must be engaging and persuasive ad campaigns, especially on Facebook and LinkedIn.
The reason?
About 77% of B2B customers conduct extensive research before buying a product. This is why you must post ads on relevant platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn.
However, when it comes to the big question of which platform you should choose, many factors come into play. Want to know how to choose between LinkedIn and Facebook ads? Read on!
Target Demographics for LinkedIn
Before we start comparing Facebook ads vs LinkedIn ads, let’s check out the different target demographics that are best suited for both platforms. When it comes to LinkedIn, here are the things to keep in mind:
Audience Base
LinkedIn is a business platform where your primary audience base will be business and working professionals.
If you’re planning to cater to an exclusive niche segment of professionals, LinkedIn is the best platform for B2B advertisements.
Unlike Facebook, you can be certain that key decision-makers and influencers—who have higher chances of converting into leads—see your ads on LinkedIn.
Lead Generation
On LinkedIn, you’ll have the option of Lead Gen Forms, where users can directly submit their professional details.
This not only streamlines the process of receiving leads but also lets you know what kind of professionals are interested in your company. It ensures you reach only the right leads.
Sponsored Content
Some of the sponsored content on LinkedIn includes InMail and other perks, like precise targeting of your audience based on their job profiles, interests, and work experience.
This ensures that your advertisements are curated toward the right audience. Thus, it’s a game-changer for your B2B campaigns, as you can easily build meaningful connections.
Target Demographics for Facebook
While Facebook might be more popular as a platform that lets people connect socially, it’s also used for generating and posting B2B content. Here are the target demographics for Facebook:
Audience Base
Quite naturally, Facebook has a much wider reach of audiences belonging to different age groups, professions, and locations.
However, there’s no guarantee that you’ll reach the right professionals who belong to your target audience, unlike LinkedIn.
Lead Generation
Facebook has its own advertising platform that allows you to pinpoint and figure out the kind of customers you want to attract. This is based not only on demographics but also on the interests and behavior patterns of the consumers.
Still, LinkedIn offers an edge with its professional targeting abilities and insights into industries, job roles, and organization-specific information.
Affordability and Optimal ROI
Facebook’s B2B advertising fees are $0.79 cost-per-click (CPC). LinkedIn is more than double this amount, at $2 CPC, with an average of anywhere between $3 and $8.
Despite its limited targeting options, small and medium-sized companies prefer Facebook due to its affordability. Many beginners think that the ideal way to use Facebook ads vs LinkedIn ads is first to try out Facebook and grow your company before transitioning to LinkedIn.
However, at the end of the day, the return on your investment (ROI) matters the most. If you spend a lot on LinkedIn vs Facebook ads but are not getting the desired results, it won’t amount to anything.
LinkedIn ads, though more expensive, offer unmatched ROI since every dollar of your campaign connects you with quality leads.
Your Audience
If you’re confused about LinkedIn vs Facebook ads, the first thing you should think about is what kind of people you’d want to sell your products and services to.
For B2B sales, most people prefer LinkedIn because this platform provides the right information to reach your customer base. LinkedIn offers insightful data on the professional and academic qualifications of the people you’re targeting.
Facebook, however, provides interest and behavior-based data that are useful for B2C advertisements–not B2B ones.
In the LinkedIn vs. Facebook debate, if you want to reach B2B customers, LinkedIn is the ultimate solution.
LinkedIn vs. Facebook Algorithm
To skyrocket your sales through B2B advertisements, you have to understand the algorithms of both these platforms.
LinkedIn’s algorithm can extract demographic data and segment it according to your preferences. Use these segments to develop ads custom to each audience.
For Facebook, the algorithm for B2B sales can work well when you wish to retarget your current audience. Using your own data, you can work with the Facebook algorithm to receive better results.
The basic thing to remember here is that LinkedIn’s algorithm is more targeted and specific for professional connections, helping you reach decision-makers, unlike Facebook’s algorithm.
Type of Leads
Advertising on LinkedIn vs Facebook can generate different kinds of leads.
With a wide reach, Facebook generates a higher number of leads, but it doesn’t always indicate better quality. Often, most of these generated leads might not even turn out to be fruitful.
LinkedIn, on the other hand, provides you with specific audiences, which is important for B2B advertising. Its high-quality leads often outweigh the high-quantity Facebook leads.
If you’re not reaching the right audience, you should switch from Facebook ads to LinkedIn ads.
B2B Prospecting
B2B Prospecting or Data Enhancement is a key feature of advertising. Your company’s sales and marketing teams will surely be looking for new individuals and companies to target by enhancing the information that you currently own.
Both Facebook and LinkedIn have company pages, but the ones on Facebook are not directly linked to employees. This means that the member profile of one employee will not be linked to another.
On the other hand, LinkedIn’s company pages contain this feature, where the website algorithm links member profiles around the company’s profile. This particular feature makes LinkedIn a fan favorite for B2B advertising and targeted prospecting.
If you’re thinking of advertising on LinkedIn instead of Facebook, know that you can view everything on the company page, from current employees to their tenure, history, and job titles, on LinkedIn.
Moreover, if you sync the paid version of LinkedIn with automated software like LinkedIn Helper, you will get detailed information on which companies to target and their potential employees.
Even though the paid membership can be a little costly, the time and resources that you’ll save are worth the money.
Communication
Simply posting an ad is not enough. You also need to communicate with your audience and let them know you’re interested in working with them.
Facebook’s messenger platform is free and can also be hooked to other software and chatbots for easier usage.
LinkedIn InMail is paid and has limited features, with a maximum of 30 InMails per month. This messaging feature is limited to LinkedIn and can’t be hooked to any other messaging software.
Many think Facebook has an edge over LinkedIn when it comes to communication. However, LinkedIn’s professional InMail tool is way more powerful in building direct connections with influential decision-makers.
Conclusion
Advertising on LinkedIn vs Facebook has always been an ongoing debate. However, overall, LinkedIn ads are always proven to be more effective, even if they’re expensive. They help you reach and convert your B2B audience better.
So, if you want to invest in LinkedIn ads, contact us at Speedwork, and our team of experienced professionals will help you craft the most effective campaigns!