If social media represented a hairdo, LinkedIn would be “business in the front,” with Facebook assuming the role of “party in the back.” The networks have much in common, but it’s the tone and intent that distinguish the pair. As such, the posting strategy tends to take drastically different tacks.
As we’ve seen, LinkedIn is the undisputed business vehicle driving companies and individuals. When it comes to Facebook, it’s predominantly businesses that are touting their clients and employees in an informal setting. Want to post a blog about responsible AI? LinkedIn is your go-to. Want to splash pictures from your summer barbecue? Facebook it is.
Still, there are no rules etched in stone. The traditional argument against businesses posting to Facebook was that people didn’t want to mix business with pleasure, and that they did they want to deal with sales in any form. Some observers feel LinkedIn has loosened its tie, while Facebook is more amendable to content other than pictures of grandchildren and cat videos.
As we dig into this month’s State of the Industry report on marketing, we’ve queried our panel to see how they approach the various networks and the messaging they seek to convey on a given platform.
The key to effective social media messaging is understanding the platforms’ strengths and audience preferences, notes Keven Ellison, vice president of marketing for AIS of Las Vegas. As such, tailoring the message and content format to match their dynamics is key to driving meaningful engagement.
“On Facebook, I focus on visuals, storytelling and interactive content to foster community engagement,” he said. “For LinkedIn, I emphasize thought leadership, professional networking, and sharing actionable insights tailored to business audiences. Each approach is carefully crafted to leverage the strengths and audience preferences of the respective platform.”
Backed by her experience in leading the marketing efforts of Kyocera, Danielle Wolowitz made significant (and ongoing) improvements in the social media presence of Shore Business Solutions, the Wall, New Jersey-based dealership she owns with her husband Chris. She doesn’t see social media as a particularly impactful way to generate qualified leads, but as a flavor of public relations, it is helping to boost Shore’s brand recognition and awareness.
“Product posts are great and sharing curated content from our manufacturers is fantastic,” she said. “But for a majority of the clients we do business with, it’s still a relationship business. I want them to be able to connect with us and see the people behind the company. I’d say 80% of our content on LinkedIn and Facebook is about who we are as an organization and the things that we’re involved in. We’ll highlight our team members and the nonprofits that we work with. We have an extensive community engagement program and we do a lot for the employees. It’s been successful as a recruiting tool.”
Specific Roles
Expectations setting is critical for having a presence with four or more social networks. GoodSuite of Woodland Hills, California, employs Instagram and Twitter/X in addition to LinkedIn and Facebook. While the dealer doesn’t have a significant amount of followers on Instagram and Twitter/X, its primary purpose is to aid its Google ranking as opposed to lead generating, notes CEO Dan Strull.
LinkedIn, by far, garners much of the dealer’s focus. Marketing works hand in hand with sales to identify target clients; the reps have a quota of 16 LinkedIn prospect connections per week. Strull pointed to a relatively large win that originated with a LinkedIn connection.
Still, the onus doesn’t fall squarely on the reps’ shoulders. “In addition to sales reps, our marketing team is being pretty aggressive with posting, connecting and commenting on various posts,” Strull said.
Some dealers target certain platforms to accomplish specific goals, such as hiring, which is the case for Levifi of Charleston, South Carolina. According to CEO Thomas Fimian, LinkedIn has been essential in its efforts to cultivate a strong pipeline of potential team members. Increasing market awareness and driving traffic to Levifi’s website are secondary goals.
“The Business Premium subscriptions enables effective filtering to identify potential candidates and connections that would benefit from our content,” he said. “The initial contact with many of our key team members was made on LinkedIn.”
Corporate Voice
LK Hoopingarner, vice president of managed marketing services for Impact Networking of Lake Forest, Illinois, believes social media content should dovetail with what the target audience seeks. With uniquely crafted strategies for each platform comes the need to ensure the messaging or positioning is consistent with where it needs to be for the business—tone of voice, resonating and feeling authentic. When multiple segments are being targeted, Hoopingarner adds, it needs to feel cohesive.
“Make sure it’s differentiated from the competition as well as resonates with the audience in a way that feels unique to the business,” she said. “Because you will have done the work in the research, strategy and planning phase, the way you execute on any one channel will be connected to the consumer and the way they use it in their buyer journey.”
Brand building is the key social media thrust for Nauticon Office Solutions of Gaithersburg, Maryland. LinkedIn is the company’s go-to platform, according to President Carter Hertzberg, and he notes that the company’s marketing coordinator has invested a lot of time in building up the dealer’s following.
“We post content pretty much on a weekly basis,” he said. “If we do a company event or someone gets an award, that goes up on LinkedIn. It’s mostly about brand recognition for us.”
