LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram?

Lately, I have been getting many questions like: ‘We’re on Facebook, why would we start LinkedIn?’.

Not so long ago, I did a webinar with Katja Breznik for new business owners where we presented these platforms. When I started writing this article, I thought it would be easy to explain the difference technically. But guess what. When I put it in the picture, there were more commonalities than differences 😊, So I had to find another way to explain it.

I talked to several friends and users of the platforms, asking them what they thought of each platform, and the answers were interesting.

Facebook has become a new TV and ‘newspaper.’ People go to Facebook to look for news. The problem is there’s no filter. Everyone can post whatever they wish, and people take it as it is. Have you ever had a friend telling you about a particular topic and then adding – I saw it on Facebook, it must be true?! So we can say many users see Facebook as a go-to source for news. Shocking.

Then it’s become a fishing pond for scammers, in many ways. You have all kinds of widowers who prey on lonely souls, and you are the one they’ve been waiting for, and they profess their undying love within a week. Sure thing. And after that, they start asking for money. Ring a bell? I know of many cases that were approached the same way on Instagram. And lately, during the pandemic, I see the pattern spreading to LinkedIn as well. Still, on Facebook, I get at least 1 of these requests per day.

When I asked men, they are approached by profiles with knockout women on profile pictures—offering sex.

Have you had a chance to be offered an irresistible business? You practically don’t have to do anything. Start to earn money after you pay a certain sum of money.

Prize-winning games have also become sophisticated. Usually, we would see them on business pages for a specific brand, but now many scammers make a fake profile of a public person and set up a landing page where they try to get information or your credit card info from you.

After all, chats I had with users, I realize that Facebook is not a safe place as someone is trying to scam you at every click 😉

But still, keep in mind that it has 2,7 billion users, so if you are doing it the right way, you can get your message out. It just has to be a special message to be noticed amongst all unuseful information.

And people like it because it gives a chance to keep in touch with friends and family they don’t get to see very often, and it somehow strengthens the bonds as they know a lot about one another they wouldn’t have it not been for Facebook.

I am noticing that the trust in the platform is decreasing, and people are switching to other options.

Instagram is the ‘new beauty standard.’ It’s a fairy tale for influencers. I call it ‘the perfection’ platform. Why? Have you noticed that almost all the pictures are professional and retouched? Influencers dedicate a lot of time to each post they do, which is excellent. What is not so great is the fact that they portray unrealistic beauty standards.

I have already mentioned that scammers are trying to get money out of naive users here too. As per other usages, I see it as a go-to platform if I want to see fashion trends. If I want to know what clothes to buy or which cosmetic products to use.

I can also research my dream vacation destinations here, the food trends…

All I have to keep in mind is that there’s probably no picture without a filter o retouched here.

Facebook and Instagram have the same owner, which also presents opportunities for cross-promotion on both platforms.

LinkedIn is the ‘scarry’ platform for non-users. And it’s OK. The worst mistake they could make is starting to use it as they use Facebook. And in the situation with the pandemic last year, I see people switching from Facebook to LinkedIn trying to use it the way they use Facebook and complaining about not getting any likes?!? They can’t get them as they don’t get the platform.

Many people that are on LinkedIn are not on Facebook. So it means a whole new potential opening up. But people don’t go to LinkedIn to have fun as they do on Facebook. They go there to get business-related news, industry trends, high-quality content, and get in touch with business people. LinkedIn is ideal for connecting with people you wouldn’t have the chance to do elsewhere. I connected to several of my coaches here, and I keep in touch with them. And I know I am communicating with them, and there’s not a person appointed to run their profiles. Why? Because if LinkedIn detected it, they’d delete their profiles.

You will not find negative comments or debates that evoke them. Positivity wins on LinkedIn. People are here to contribute. So one of the specifics is that you can’t measure your success by the engagement you get on your posts. 90% of users are lurkers. They read, they’ll even contact you in a private message, but they won’t react to your post. So if you are in for vanity metrics, LinkedIn is not suitable for you. If you are looking to do some serious business, LinkedIn is the one. When used correctly.

And of course, if you are trying to build your authority, grow your company’s brand awareness or think of changing jobs, LinkedIn is a MUST.

Please keep in mind that the above reflects my experience and thinking. But let’s also give you some official facts

*Not available to everyone.

Now you’ve been given my insight into platforms and some official facts. When you decide which platform to utilize for your business, there’s only one thing to consider: WHERE IS YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER SPENDING THEIR TIME.