30 Jun B2B Social Network Communities (LinkedIn vs. Facebook Groups)

Over the past decade, brands have found that profile pages and/or business (fan) pages on their social networking sites have peaked in terms of audience reach and engagement. This has led to considerable investments made in running B2B social network communities where group members feel more involved in idea sharing or supporting causes. Some would argue that social network business pages by themselves have earned a reputation for being too promotional. Consequently, social networking communities/groups tend to rely more on public forums and less on brand sites when interacting with their cohorts.Leading the pack of these communities are LinkedIn Groups and Facebook Groups. Common to both are forums that allow members to share content or engage in dialog much like those conducted on our Canvas discussion boards. Among the advantages provided to those running these groups include an ability to showcase thought leadership. Group leaders can also manage messaging and content marketing attention that often benefits their own brand exposure.To understand the comparative functionality, features and benefits provided by LinkedIn Groups and Facebook Groups, I have parked a series of articles in Pinterest (Links to an external site.). You may be surprised to find that Facebook shows signs of outperforming LinkedIn, the darling of B2B. AssignmentPresent an argument that favors your case for either LinkedIn Groups or Facebook Groups as the superior social networking forum. Following the rubric below, make sure to adequately describe the platform’s functionality and benefits for social media and content marketing strategies. Then argue your case for best community platform (i.e., LinkedIn vs. Facebook Groups) based on features, business trends and overall benefits.Grading Rubric0.6Comprehensive description of LinkedIn Group capabilities0.6Comprehensive description of Facebook Group capabilities0.6Demonstrated understanding of LinkedIn and Facebook Group distinct features and attributes 0.6Demonstrated understanding of the community’s business oriented benefits relevant to consumers, clients or other targeted audiences0.6Demonstrated understanding of LinkedIn and Facebook Groups’ distinct functionality for brand awareness and/or thought leadership0.6Demonstrated understanding of LinkedIn and Facebook Groups’ distinct functionality for lead generation0.6Demonstrated understanding of the target audience trends supporting long-term group success0.6Persuasive arguments for your choice of group (Facebook vs. LinkedIn) as a superior platform for hosting social network communities 0.6Overall sound rationale for your choice’s staying power0.6Well articulated argument for candidate choice