Linkedin Paid Ads Vs Facebook Paid Ads

Linkedin Ads VS Facebook Ads

People really like to compare different ad channels to each other to try to see which one is better or where they should put their money or maybe even just what to try next. 

I’ll start off by saying that each channel is actually pretty different for a few different reasons and you can’t just be thinking in terms of cost per click or cost per lead. 

You need to evaluate channels on these criteria. 

1. Targeting

• Each channel builds targeting in a different way and is better suited for targets that match a certain demographic.  Part of this is because people actually use each platform differently and are in different modes when using them. 

Facebook is traditionally considered a more consumer-type platform where people come to consume content, be entertained, and buy B2C-type products. These are typically impulse buys. 

It’s typically not the best place to start a B2B relationship or build a target list using their filters but it can be a great medium to show up on if you bring your targeted list from outside. 

Targeting on Facebook:

On Facebook, you can’t really get that granular on the position title, years of experience, industry, and things of that nature. You can target “business owners” or professionals and then you can work in interests that might help identify what bucket they fall in. 

Targeting on Linkedin:

Linkedin is the world’s largest professional database which gives it a pretty big advantage when it comes to building targeted lists for B2B ads or outreach. 

You can specify things like:

Position tile

Job function

Seniority level

Geography

Years of experience

Industry

Company size 

And then on top of those..things like interest in marketing automation, retargeting, sustainability and more. 

You can stack job/industry criteria on top of interest/skill sets to really get an ideal prospect who is more likely to have a need and be interested in your offering. 

Audience mindset

The other thing I try to keep in mind when advertising on a channel is this. What is the average user really here to do. And is my ad going to disrupt that activity in a good way or bad way? 

Linkedin is probably the only platform that B2B decision-makers actually log on to with the mindset of being influenced on business and buying decisions. They are looking for industry news/insights, tips + hacks, and also to discover new products/services and vendors that could save them money or deliver better client success. 

Price vs Quality

The other sticking point for many is that they hear “Linkedin ads are just too expensive” or maybe just more expensive than facebook. 

If you are looking at cost per click or cost per lead…i’ll 100% agree with you. 

I’d argue that Linkedin delivers much higher quality traffic for the above reasons and that a booked call from Linkedin is 3-5 more likely to end up as a new paying client than a Facebook call. 

I’d take 5 Linkedin ads booked calls over 10 Facebook booked calls any day of the week. 

So what’s the answer? - I’d use both but favor Linkedin with my spend. To me it’s rarely ever a matter of this or that..but more how do we leverage each platform to their best functionality.