Have you had difficulty deciding on the best social media platform for your manufacturing business?
Statista reports that 93% of marketers in the United States use social media for advertising their businesses.
One of the most challenging aspects of running a manufacturing business can be finding innovative ways to reach new customers. One of the more effective strategies is social media marketing for manufacturing companies, especially on Twitter and LinkedIn.
However, there are some important differences between the two sites that you’ll want to know about before committing your hard-earned dollars to one over the other.
This article compares and contrasts their effectiveness in various categories and helps you decide what’s best for your situation. Whether you’re using one or the other or both, it’s important to know the ins and outs of each social media platform so that you can spend your ad dollars wisely.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- What is Linkedin Advertising and How Does it Work
- What is Twitter Advertising, and How Does it Work?
- Comparing the Two Platforms – Differences & Commonalities
- Pros and Cons of Each Platform
- Which is Better for Your Manufacturing Business?
Let’s dive right in!
What is Linkedin Advertising, and How Does it Work?
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network, with over 850 million members in over 200 countries and regions. Linkedin has become one of the most popular business-oriented social media platforms, as it allows users to both connect with others and showcase their business.
B2B LinkedIn Ads are an effective way to reach this vast, engaged audience with a message that is relevant to their interests and needs. This Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising platform allows businesses to target users based on their LinkedIn profiles.
(Source: Engaio Digital)
It is a great way to connect with others in your field, build your business network, and spread your brand awareness.
For example, you can target LinkedIn users by job title, company size, or even their work industry. Hence, LinkedIn advertising is an extremely powerful tool for B2B companies.
But are LinkedIn ads worth it?
Let’s consider a case study from a California-based foam manufacturing company called Foam Molders & Specialty.
They entrusted Flying V Group with handling their digital marketing campaigns, including LinkedIn lead generation and message outreach.
The result was a 78% increase in website traffic within one month due to reconfiguring their technical SEO. They also noticed a 22% increase in the average number of monthly phone calls and an increase in their average keyword rankings by up to 8 positions.
If you are unsure where to proceed from here, we’ll give you an outlook on how LinkedIn B2B Ads work.
How does LinkedIn Advertising Work?
B2B LinkedIn Ads allow businesses to create ad campaigns targeting a specific audience. Businesses can then use LinkedIn’s auction-based system to bid on ad space. The more money an advertiser spends daily, the higher their ranking will be.
Unlike Google Ads’ cost-per-click bidding system, where advertisers only pay when someone clicks on their ad, LinkedIn works on an objective-based pricing system. It charges advertisers every time someone views one of their ads regardless of whether they click through to your website.
What is Twitter Advertising, and How Does it Work?
If you’re already on Twitter, you probably know it’s an incredible tool for building your personal and business brand. But did you know that you can also use Twitter as an advertising platform?
Twitter advertising is a powerful way to reach out to potential customers on social media by creating engaging ads and targeting specific users.
But are Twitter ads worth it?
Twitter has more than 237.8 million daily active users, making it one of the largest audiences. Finding these people through targeted keywords allows you to segment your followers into smaller groups with similar interests and demographics.
(Source: Data Portal)
With Twitter Ads’ social media marketing for manufacturing companies, you’ll be able to find those interested in your product or service, whether it’s luxury cars or children’s toys.
How does Twitter Advertising Work?
Twitter is a social media platform that allows users to share short messages, called tweets, with other users. In addition, Twitter is unique in that it allows businesses to advertise directly to users through paid ads called Promoted Tweets.
When a user sees a Promoted Tweet, it will appear in their timeline just like any other tweet. However, Promoted Tweets are marked as ads. What’s more, the advertiser only pays when someone clicks on the link within the ad and visits their website or makes a purchase.
This type of advertising has become popular that advertisers only pay for results, not impressions.
Comparing the Two Platforms – Differences & Commonalities
While there are pros and cons to each social media marketing for manufacturing companies, Twitter and LinkedIn advertising have their place in your marketing strategy if you’re trying to reach a manufacturing audience.
Knowing their specific strengths and weaknesses can help you choose which paid manufacturing ad works best for your company so you can decide which platform to advertise on—or whether it’s better to combine them both.
Here’s an overview of the major differences and similarities between these two social media giants to help you make the best decision possible for your business.
Differences between LinkedIn Advertising and Twitter Advertising?
Manufacturing companies across the globe have been able to connect and grow their customer base through social media marketing for manufacturing companies. However, some key differences between LinkedIn and Twitter aren’t always apparent to companies just starting on either.
Here, we outline the key differences between LinkedIn and Twitter Advertising so you can decide which platform will better suit your business goals.
Budgeting
Deciding how much to spend on social media marketing for manufacturing companies can be tricky; you don’t want to overspend and run out of money quickly, but you also don’t want to underspend and miss out on potential customers.
LinkedIn is more expensive than Twitter at $5.26 per click, but it also has a higher return on investment.
So if you have a smaller budget, Twitter may be a better option at $0.38 per click.
(Source: WordStream)
Targeting
B2B LinkedIn Ads allow you to target individuals based on job title, company size, or other professional characteristics. You can also target specific companies or groups on LinkedIn.
On the other hand, Twitter Ads lets you target users based on interests, keywords, or behaviors. You can also create lookalike audiences on Twitter, which allows you to target users similar to your current customers.
Measurement Methods
LinkedIn B2B Ads use cost-per-click (CPC) bidding, meaning you’re charged based on how often your ad is clicked. You can also use cost-per-impression (CPM) bidding, which charges you based on how often your ad is seen.
With Twitter Ads, you’re charged based on engagement, which includes clicks, Retweets, replies, follows, and mentions. You can also choose to be charged based on video views or website clicks.
Click-through Rates
B2B LinkedIn Ads also have a lower click-through rate (between 0.44 and 0.65%) than Twitter Ads (0.86%).
(Source: Brafton)
Similarities between Linkedin Advertising and Twitter Advertising
Both LinkedIn and Twitter are social networking sites, though they function quite differently from one another.
Let’s explore some of the most noteworthy similarities between them:
Location Targeting
Both LinkedIn and Twitter have a vast pool of users to draw from. And, because people from all walks of life use both platforms, you can target just about any demographic with your ads. The key is to know your audience and what they’re looking for.
Demographics
One of Twitter’s most powerful tools is targeting. If you have a product that appeals to a very specific niche or audience, it makes sense to go directly after them on Twitter and pay for their attention.
Targeted users will be exposed to your ads so that you can take advantage of one of its most valuable features with little effort.
Interests
LinkedIn and Twitter have tools that allow you to target users based on their interests. LinkedIn calls these Interests, while Twitter calls them Topics. You can target as many interests as you want, and LinkedIn will show your ad to users who have at least one of those interests.
Promoted Tweets and Sponsored Content
Both LinkedIn and Twitter offer Promoted Tweets and Sponsored Content as ad types. Promoted Tweets are tweets that are boosted to appear higher in users’ timelines, while Sponsored Content is native advertising that appears in the LinkedIn or Twitter feeds.
Customization
Finally, you can customize LinkedIn and Twitter ads with images, videos, or links to drive traffic to a landing page or website.
Pros and Cons of Each Platform
Having understood the basics of LinkedIn and Twitter advertising for manufacturers, along with their differences and commonalities, let’s examine the pros and cons of each platform.
6 Pros of LinkedIn Advertising
LinkedIn advertising may sound intimidating, but it’s pretty easy to set up and start optimizing your campaigns for success.
Are LinkedIn ads worth it or not?
If you are still unsure about why LinkedIn is important for businesses like yours, borrow a leaf from 4D Systems, a Flint-based company that offers manufacturing solutions.
They use process innovation to improve production, production integration, quality of products, and decision-making.
4D Systems tasked Flying V Group with boosting lead generation, message outreach, and SEO.
The result?
4D Systems’ website traffic increased by 62% YoY and a 5.6x ROAS from creating technical SEO optimizations along with additional content buildout for lacking text to HTML pages. LI leads also increased by 34%.
So, if you aren’t already advertising on LinkedIn, here are six reasons why LinkedIn is important for businesses like yours might be the right move for your manufacturing business and maybe even where you should start when building out your first-ever digital marketing campaign.
1) Lots of Targeting Options
LinkedIn Ads offers targeting options that are much more specific than most advertising platforms. For example, you can target people by their job title, company size, or even keywords in their profile.
This advantage allows you to laser-focus your marketing efforts and ensures that your ads are seen by people who are interested in what you offer.
2) Potent Lead Generation Tool
LinkedIn B2B Ads have certain targeting abilities, making them a potent lead generation tool. For example, LinkedIn Ads allows you to target users by job title, company size, or other factors.
Hence, reaching your target market becomes easier, resulting in higher-quality leads.
3) You Can Target by Job Title
LinkedIn Ads allows you to target users by job title, which is perfect if you manufacture products specific to certain industries.
For example, if you have a product geared toward healthcare professionals, advertising on LinkedIn will allow you to show your ads only to those working in the healthcare industry.
4) Easy Setup and Management Dashboard
The first thing you’ll notice about B2B LinkedIn Ads is how easy it is to set up your account and get started. The management dashboard is also straightforward to use. You can easily see your ads’ performance and make changes as needed.
5) A Wide Variety of Bid Types are Available
LinkedIn B2B Ads offers a variety of bid types to help you reach your advertising goals. You can choose from cost-per-click (CPC), cost-per-impression (CPM), or even cost-per-conversion (CPA). Plus, you can set a budget that’s comfortable for you and adjust your bids as needed.
6) Straightforward, Easy-to-Understand Reporting System
LinkedIn Ads has a great reporting system that makes it easy to understand your ads’ performance. You can see how many people have seen your ad, clicked on it, and how much you’ve spent.
This information is vital in understanding whether or not your ads are working and if they’re worth the money.
Cons of LinkedIn Advertising
You’ve heard the upsides to LinkedIn marketing for manufacturing companies, and now it’s time to find out about the cons of this great marketing channel.
If you are considering advertising on LinkedIn, you should consider the following downsides before diving in and creating an ad campaign that could potentially hurt your business more than help it.
1) More Competition
When you advertise on LinkedIn, you’re competing with some of the biggest brands in the world. And because LinkedIn is a business-focused platform, those ads can be very expensive.
2) Costly
At $5.25 per click, LinkedIn is pretty expensive, especially since its conversion rate is relatively lower than that of less-expensive options like Twitter Ads.
6 Pros of Twitter Advertising
Facebook might have the most users, but Twitter is still one of the best places to advertise your business because it allows you to connect with your followers more directly and effectively than any other social media platform.
Are twitter ads worth it for manufacturing businesses?
Here are six reasons why Twitter marketing for manufacturing companies can help you achieve your advertising goals.
1) Target Your Desired Audience
When you create a Twitter ad, you can target your audience in various ways. For example, you can target by location, gender, interests, and even specific keywords. It ensures that your ad reaches the people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to say.
2) Real-Time Engagement
Twitter is all about real-time engagement, and because it is so fast-paced, you can quickly jump on trending topics and join relevant conversations.
3) Help Increase Brand Awareness
Twitter advertising can help increase brand awareness and reach potential customers who may not be familiar with your business.
4) Create Retargeting/Remarketing Ads
Retargeting/remarketing ads are a powerful tool to help you reach your target audience on Twitter.
(Source: Postcron)
By targeting ads to users who have visited your website or engaged with your brand on social media, you can ensure that your message is seen by people who are already interested in what you have to say.
Plus, retargeting ads are highly effective at driving conversions, so they can be a great way to boost sales and grow your business.
5) Better Brand Presence Through Engagement on All Levels
Twitter is a powerful social media marketing for manufacturing companies that can help businesses of all sizes to better engage with their target audiences.
Through Twitter marketing for manufacturing companies, businesses can create tweets targeted at specific users based on interests, demographics, and even keywords.
This way, you can be sure that your message is being seen by the people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to say.
6) Cheap and Easy Setup and Management
Twitter advertising is one of the most affordable and easy-to-use forms of online marketing available. You can get started with a very small budget, and the platform provides a self-serve interface that makes it simple to set up and manage your campaigns.
Cons of Twitter Advertising
Twitter advertising has its benefits, but there are also some significant cons that every Twitter advertiser should be aware of before using the service to promote their product or brand.
Here are the two cons of Twitter marketing for manufacturing companies that every business owner needs to consider before investing in this platform.
1) Constantly Changing Targeting Options
One of the main issues with Twitter advertising is that it can be difficult to target your ads effectively. The targeting options are constantly changing, making it difficult to keep up with the latest changes and ensure that your ads reach the right people.
2) Most Users Don’t Even Realize that They’re Advertisements
Most people who use Twitter don’t even realize that there are advertisements on the site. The ads are so well integrated into the rest of the content that they blend seamlessly. It can be good or bad, depending on how you view it.
Which is Better for Your Manufacturing Business?
After weighing the pros and cons of each platform, you may find that one is a better fit for your manufacturing business than the other. Both are great tools to get in front of targeted prospects, but the best one depends on your business needs.
Are you still unsure which social media marketing for manufacturing companies will be best for your business?
We can help.
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