Social networks have revolutionized the way people communicate, and the way businesses market their products. No matter who you are trying to reach with your marketing message, social selling is the way to get it done. 

With 2.7 billion monthly active users, Facebook is by far the largest social network. For the other social networks, things are looking great as well. Twitter has 329 million monthly active users, and Instagram has 1 billion users. With 260 million active users, LinkedIn might seem to be lagging compared to other social networks. However, with 63 million of these users being key decision-makers in their company, LinkedIn social selling is the way to go for B2B marketers. 

Despite sounding similar, there are lots of differences between major social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Knowing these differences will help you select the right social network to reach the right audience with the right messages. 

Let’s have a look at some of the key differences between social networks, and how to choose the right one for your lead generation needs:


1. Facebook

It’s safe to say that Facebook is what started the social networks revolution. With 2.7 billion active users, Facebook has more users than LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest combined. People use Facebook to share different types of content and stories, and it’s a great channel for both B2B and B2C businesses. 

Due to its large user base, you can reach any demographic you can think of on that network. You can use ads and featured stories to reach the right audience. Not to mention the groups and communities on these platforms, which make reaching the perfect audience even easier than you think.


2. Twitter

If you want to start conversations with your audience, Twitter is the best social network. People use this platform to start and join different types of public discussions with other people and brands. So, it’s a great place to engage your audience. 

One thing you should remember about Twitter is that it focuses on things that are happening right now. So, it’s more suitable for real-time discussions and things like customer support.


3. Instagram

This network focuses on visual content like pictures and short videos. If you’re a B2C business with products of visual nature, Instagram is a great place to build a following. Since 72% of Instagram users have bought something after seeing it on that network, there is a big potential for marketing different types of products there. 

Having super-active users is another thing that makes it great for promoting products. Half of Instagram’s 1 billion active users check their accounts daily, and 35% check it multiple times per day.


4. Pinterest

People visit Pinterest to find new products and ideas they like. That’s the purpose of this image-based platform, and that’s what makes it stand out from other networks. Of course, Pinterest ads can help you reach more people by promoting pins, but the key to success there is to create visual content that’s useful for your target audience. 

Keep in mind that Pinterest works well for specific industries, like consumer goods retailers, and businesses like event planners. Similar businesses can thrive on Pinterest. For B2B though, Pinterest is not the best choice.


5. LinkedIn

Nowadays, it’s hard to have a conversation about B2B leads generation without mentioning LinkedIn social selling. There are many reasons that make LinkedIn’s lead generation process perfect for B2B companies. The most important of these reasons is the fact that LinkedIn is a professional network. 

People who create accounts on LinkedIn are business professionals, and many of them are decision-makers in their companies. This means that your chances of finding the right lead there is much higher. Despite having fewer active users compared to networks like Facebook or Instagram, LinkedIn is responsible for 80% of social B2B leads generation. 

While most LinkedIn users do have other social media accounts, it’s much easier to target the right B2B leads there. LinkedIn users provide detailed information about their job title and the role they play in their company on LinkedIn. This allows you to use laser-focused targeting to maximize your marketing ROI, and not waste time with the wrong leads.


Conclusion

Despite having more social networks now than ever, trying to generate leads on all these networks is a waste of time. The right social network that you should use for lead generation and social selling depends on your industry. 

If you’re a B2B business, generating leads on Instagram is not an ideal approach. You want to be where the business decision-makers are, and that’s on LinkedIn.