A lot of companies have recognized the huge potential that comes along with social media. Many of them have multiple profiles on different social media platforms that serve various purposes. It is hard to keep track of all the various social networks because of their large number. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Tumblr, LinkedIn and Twitter are only a few of the possibilities that exist in today’s online world. This article will focus on Facebook and LinkedIn which are increasingly used by companies worldwide.

Facebook

Facebook is the biggest social media platform in terms of its users. In April of 2018, more than 2 billion people worldwide used this network actively. This is more than a quarter of the world’s total population and half of the population that uses the internet in general. This offers huge potential for consumer-oriented firms because they have the opportunity to reach a big audience. On Facebook you can share everything that is of interest to your target group and relates to your company or business field. Content is key, because it helps to create traffic. Facebook also gives you the possibility to visualize this content by allowing you to share pictures and videos. This is especially important since users are more likely to look at content that is visual. You can also place paid posts in order to enhance your reach. However, content and visualization are still key for creating engagement among customers. Because of its incredible size and many private users Facebook helps companies to reach various target groups. That is why it is best suited for firms that operate in the B2C-segment and want to engage with their customers. The network gives them the possibility to connect with people worldwide, to broaden their knowledge about the target group and analyze them.

LinkedIn

Compared to Facebook, LinkedIn has much less active users. However, the absolute number is still very big with 200 million people being active in April of 2018. These numbers coincide with the fact that Facebook and LinkedIn are made for different groups of people. While Facebook has users of all ages with all kinds of interests, LinkedIn is targeting a much more specific part of the population. On this social network you can find business professionals. Companies, or rather important personalities within the company, can maintain their network and build it up by making new connections. They do so by representing themselves and their employees in a professional manner to potential employees and customers. This is why LinkedIn is especially popular among B2B companies. The platform also has a variety of different groups where people that are interested in a certain topic can exchange views. Once more, content can help to engage the audience and call attention to the firm.

Facebook or LinkedIn?

Which social network site works best for you depends highly on your type of company. In general, one can say that Facebook is most beneficial for B2C-companies. LinkedIn’s big network of professionals can help in establishing new B2C-connections or recruiting employees. Both networks can contribute to a company’s goals if they are used properly and frequently. Content is a very good way to captivate and engage the audience and should be combined with media like pictures or videos in order to increase visibility. Companies can also choose to use both platforms if they have enough resources to implement a proper strategy on both.