Online communities are a great way to bring people together. It is a place where you connect with people, discuss important topics, share ideas, generate leads, promote your products, etc.
There are different social media platforms to consider when building an online community. The platforms that have the upper hand in building an online community for businesses are Facebook and LinkedIn.
Facebook and LinkedIn have a lot of similarities. They are both popular social media platforms that can be used for professional and personal networking.
One key difference between the two is that LinkedIn is primarily geared towards professional networking and career development, while Facebook focuses more on personal connections and social interactions.
Both platforms can be valuable tools for networking, connecting with others, and staying informed about your industry or interests. However, depending on your specific needs and goals, one platform may be more beneficial than the other.
Businesses or organizations must know which platform to consider while setting up an online community. Businesses might choose Facebook or LinkedIn without knowing which is best for them.
You can compare Facebook and LinkedIn groups to know which would work best for you.
In this article, you will learn the differences between Facebook and LinkedIn groups, so you can decide which will suit your needs better. Let’s get started.
Features of LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn groups are communities with features allowing users to connect with others with similar professional interests. These groups can be used for networking, sharing industry news and insights, and finding job opportunities.
Group members typically moderate LinkedIn groups, focusing on professional and industry-related content.
LinkedIn groups have powerful community management features that may not be available on other social media platforms. Some of these features include:
Group Discussion
This feature allows users to post and comment on discussion threads within the group. This discussion forum enables members to share important information, ask questions and provide answers.
Group Analytics
This feature lets group admins view analytics and insights on the group’s activities and engagement. It includes getting information on members’ engagement, such as the number of likes, comments, and shares on posts.
It also includes knowing the number of new members and the group’s growth. The group admin can also view demographic information on group members, such as their job titles, industry, and locations.
With this data, the group administrators can make informed decisions on group content and strategies. They can also identify potential opportunities for growth and engagement.
In a nutshell, this feature provides administrators with the ability to know how the group is performing and how to enhance necessary growth and engagement.
Group Documents
This feature allows members to share and collaborate on documents in real-time to work as a team and share knowledge within the group.
This feature can help share information such as meeting minutes, presentations, white papers, and other types of content.
The administrators can also use this feature to control the permissions of who can upload and edit the documents in the group.
Group Polls
With this feature, the group admins can create polls for members to vote on and survey members within the group. This feature can gather feedback, conduct market research, or gauge interest in specific topics.
The administrators can make the poll anonymous to encourage more honest responses.
All members of the group can view the results of the polls. These results can be used to make informed decisions about the group’s content and direction. Also, the admin can control who has permission to create a poll.
Group Job Postings
This excellent feature allows group admins to post job openings and internships that can only be visible to the group members.
Companies and organizations can use this feature to reach a targeted audience of professionals who are members of the group.
The job postings can include information such as the job title, location, salary, and required qualifications. In addition, group members can apply for the job directly through the LinkedIn platform.
This feature can be a powerful tool for recruiting and filling job openings within a specific industry or field. It allows companies to reach a highly-qualified and engaged audience.
Group Membership Approval
With this feature, the group admin can approve or deny membership requests or open the group to anyone.
This feature controls the growth and composition of the group, ensuring that it remains focused and relevant to its intended audience.
The group admin can review the profiles of individuals requesting to join the group and make deliberations based on their experience, qualifications, and interests. Also, this feature helps moderate the group and prevent spam or unwanted content from being posted.
The admin can allow members to automatically join the group without needing approval from the admins.
Group Privacy Settings
This feature allows administrators to control who can see the group and its content by managing the privacy settings. The admin can set group privacy settings to either open, closed, or secret options.
The open option means that the admin can enable the group to be visible to all LinkedIn members and anyone. These members can join without needing approval from the administrator.
The closed option means that the admin can make the group visible to all members, but these members need the admin’s approval before they can join.
The secret option means that the admin can make the group invisible to those who are not the group members, and new members require admin approval to join.
This option is to ensure that the group content is only visible to a specific audience, such as employees of a company or members of a professional association.
It can also control the visibility of group discussions and activities and keep the group content confidential. The administrators can permit members to invite other members to join the group.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Community Platform
Building a community comes with great work and responsibilities. When you want to create a group, it is advantageous to choose a platform that aligns with the purpose of your community.
Considering the size and demographics of your target audience and their preferred communication channel is also advisable.
Other things to consider include:
The Features: Make sure the platform offers the features and functionality that align with your community’s needs.
Integration: You should consider if the platform can integrate with other tools or apps that you are already using.
Customization: The platform should allow customization to match the aesthetic and message of your brand.
Security and Support: You should ensure the platform you choose provides robust security features to protect user data and prevent unauthorized access. Also, consider the level of support the platform offers, including documentation, tutorials, and customer service.
Pricing and Scalability: Some platforms might require payments, so make sure that the cost of the platform aligns with your budget. Also, check if the platform is worth the investment. A community platform should also be able to handle growth. You should consider the number of active users the platform can support.
Analytics: You should make sure that the platform provides analytics so that you can track the engagement and growth of your community.
Communication: The community platform should have community and engagement tools such as forums, chat, and private messaging.
Mobile Compatibility: Consider the platform’s mobile compatibility and responsive design to ensure the community is accessible to users on all devices.
By considering these factors, you can choose a community platform well-suited to your needs and goals. In addition, you should consider the number of active users, audience engagement, admin tools, and conversions when choosing a community platform for your business.
LinkedIn Groups vs. Facebook Groups: Comparing the Two to Know Which is Best
Comparing LinkedIn and Facebook groups makes it easier to decide which is better for your needs and goals.
The table below shows the comparison between LinkedIn groups and Facebook groups using some of their features.
| Features | Facebook Groups | LinkedIn Groups |
| Active Users | It has a large user base | Its active users are limited |
| Analytics | It provides analytical tools | Analytical tools are also available |
| Customization Options | It has a wide range of customization options | It has limited customization options |
| Moderation | Less strict moderation | The moderation is more strict |
| Integration | It provides integration | Integration is also available |
| Networking | It focuses more on social interaction and connection | It focuses more on professional networking and career development |
| Advertising Options | It has extensive advertising tools/options | Its advertising tools/options are limited |
Let’s elaborate on the table above to portray a detailed comparison:
1. In the User Base Aspect
Facebook has a larger population than LinkedIn. Facebook currently has about 2.8 billion active users and is still adding. Around a billion of these users are members of Facebook groups, and more people are still joining each day.
Compared to Facebook, Linkedin’s total users are minimal, with a total number of 575 million active users. Also, the number of LinkedIn members is fewer than those using Facebook groups.
As a business owner, you need more people to know about your brand. Facebook groups are the better choice for you to attract more members and grow your community.
2. In the Engagements Aspect
Since Facebook is designed to facilitate personal connections, its group members can share photos and videos, create events, host live webinars, tag others, check in, and even share how they feel. These enhance engagement.
However, LinkedIn is more focused on professional networking, so there is a limit to the type of content people can post. Therefore, LinkedIn group members have limited access to engaging content.
Facebook sends activity notifications and group posts to group members directly to their newsfeeds. In contrast, LinkedIn group members can only view posts manually by seeking them out within the group.
Based on these facts, a Facebook group is the better option to encourage engagement and grow your business.
3. In the Aspect of Administrative Tools
Facebook is a limited competitor regarding group member qualifications, emailing your group, and providing group statistics.
Facebook group admins are limited to three short questions when assessing pending members, while LinkedIn group admins can create an entire application for pending group members.
Also, LinkedIn has leveled up its group options with in-depth group statistics and analytics features compared to Facebook.
Group admins on LinkedIn can analyze and market to key demographics, titles, job functions, and more.
Judging by these elements, LinkedIn is the better option for the group administration category.
4. Looking at the Advertising and Conversion Aspects
Facebook has more advertising tools and conversions than LinkedIn. It is said that most advertisers experience less conversion rate from their LinkedIn ads.
However, some people argue that LinkedIn ads tend to have a higher conversion rate than Facebook ads because of the professional and business-oriented audience on LinkedIn. It is said to have a more targeted audience for B2B and recruitment advertising.
Based on this assertion, users on LinkedIn are more likely to be interested in the advertised product or service and are more likely to convert.
However, you should note that the conversion rate is not the only metric to consider when evaluating an ad campaign’s effectiveness. Other metrics, such as the number of clicks, return on investment, and cost per conversion, can also provide valuable insights. Facebook is competent in that aspect.
5. In the Moderation Aspect
Facebook groups are generally more open and accessible, with less strict moderation and membership requirements. LinkedIn groups have a more professional audience and strict moderation standards.
Reasons Why Facebook Groups Are Better Than LinkedIn Groups in the B2C Environment
Regarding business-to-customer (B2C) relationships, Facebook groups are the better option. Below are some of the reasons why:
It Has a Larger Audience
Since Facebook has a more extensive user base than LinkedIn, it is easy for businesses to reach a wider audience and connect with more potential customers through Facebook groups.
Facebook’s enormous user base is a significant factor in lead generation and conversion.
LinkedIn doesn’t stand a chance in this aspect because its user base is much smaller. It is more suitable for B2B interaction than B2C.
It Has Higher Engagements
Facebook allows a wider variety of content formats, such as video, images, and live videos, which businesses can use to connect with customers better. The algorithm of Facebook prioritizes content from groups which can lead to greater engagement.
The extensive range of exciting content posted on Facebook groups encourages more users to develop an interest in and engage with the group.
LinkedIn groups don’t attract much engagement compared to Facebook because the content posted on LinkedIn groups is limited. Most of them are professional and less engaging.
Easy to Access and Manage
Facebook groups are built on top of the existing Facebook platform, which makes it easier for users to create and join them, share content, and communicate with group members.
Small businesses can easily create and maintain a presence on Facebook groups compared to LinkedIn groups.
It is easy for users to locate your group on Facebook because Facebook has made it super easy to search for groups on their mobile app.
Due to this, there is a higher chance of exposing your business to the world. Users can more easily access and manage groups they are part of on Facebook than on LinkedIn.
It Is More User Friendly
Facebook has a more friendly user interface and intuitive navigation that makes it easier for users to find and join groups. The user interface of Facebook enables you to create a Facebook group and start engaging with users without delay.
Facebook’s interface is simple to use and has a more bloated design than LinkedIn, enabling you to do more interesting things on Facebook groups.
Its Functionality
Facebook groups are much more functional than LinkedIn groups. It tends to have a more informal and relaxed atmosphere.
These informal settings make it much easier for managers and group members to share a very interactive and friendly post, creating a memorable experience for viewers.
It also increases brand awareness and loyalty, making it more conducive to building customer relationships.
Final Thoughts
Facebook Groups can be a great way to connect with friends, family, and people you care about. This includes building a good relationship with customers and finding support and encouragement from others.
LinkedIn groups, on the other hand, is strictly professional and does not encourage interpersonal relationships. It focuses on professional relations and career development.
Though Facebook groups can also be used for professional purposes, LinkedIn groups are better for professional and B2B interaction.
However, regarding B2C and personal relationships, Facebook groups are the right platform to choose. Setting up a Facebook community is one thing, but successfully operating it is another. This brings us to Group Leads.
Group Leads is a powerful tool that helps with the smooth running of your Facebook group. It is a cloud-based lead-generation solution designed to help businesses convert new Facebook group members to leads and paying customers. It also helps businesses to create Facebook group funnels.
With Group Leads, group admins or users can do more interesting and important things that enhance the successful operation of Facebook groups. Save more time, energy, and money. Make your Facebook community a comfortable and successful one by clicking here. Get started with Group Leads now!