At 620 million strong, the number of Facebook groups eat LinkedIn groups for breakfast. LinkedIn only has around 2 million groups, and while the platform is fantastic for forming professional connections, it is lagging behind the social media giant Facebook in the groups department.
When Social Selling & LinkedIn expert Melonie Dodaro choses Facebook over LinkedIn to communicate around her book launch & business coach Samantha Hartley also choses to launch her group on Facebook instead of LinkedIn, even though her clients are consultants & coaches, that tells you something about the popularity of LinkedIn Groups…
Below are 5 reasons why Facebook groups are more popular than LinkedIn groups.
1. There is More Engagement on Facebook
If you look at the raw numbers, Facebook gets way more engagement than LinkedIn. 79% of internet users between the ages of 30 and 49 only use Facebook, vs. 32% for LinkedIn in that same age demographic. Facebook also has a tagging system that is far more sophisticated than LinkedIn, making posts and shares more likely to go viral. I still don’t get notified when someone posts something in one of my groups – or worse, when a new member requests to join!
2. Facebook Groups are More User Friendly
User-friendliness is a huge draw for getting people to engage with a website or a platform. Facebook’s interface is much easier to use for the average person. This is true on the participant side and the management side of a Facebook group. Instead of taking precious time to fiddle around with a complicated interface, you can quickly and easily form a Facebook group and start engaging with members fast.
3. Functionality
Communication within a group is extremely important for engagement and connection. Facebook groups are much more functional than LinkedIn groups. Managers and group members can post, share photos, videos, create polls, files, and events. This interactive marketing strategy creates memorable experiences for the participant, increasing your brands awareness and loyalty to it.
4. Facebook Live
Users are starting to enjoy and consume video content more than static content. Facebook groups offer managers the ability to record live sessions through Facebook live. You can engage with members in real-time, adding a personalized touch to the interaction. You can let your personality really shine through with a live event, further differentiating yourself, your brand, and any special events you have from the competition.
5. Finding Facebook Groups is Easier
Social media visitors are starting to view news feeds and group conversations on mobile devices. Facebook has responded by making it super easy to search for groups on their mobile app. LinkedIn has not done this. It isn’t possible to search for LinkedIn groups on their app. Hopefully, this will change soon.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn is an excellent platform for forming professional connections, finding clients and getting in touch with recruiters, it still has a bit of work to do regarding the groups function. We have been promised an important update last year but that’s to this day still outstanding.
If nothing changes until November of this year I will also use a Facebook Group for my yearly LinkedIn Challenge!
Check out this great infographic, created by my colleague Michael de Groot.
