Most marketers run straight to LinkedIn for B2B leads. It makes sense. The platform feels professional and built for business. But here’s the problem — relying only on LinkedIn can limit your reach and quickly drain your budget.
That’s why you should look beyond LinkedIn. Facebook Ads, when done right, can give your B2B campaigns a serious boost. They offer reach, cost savings, and tools that help you find the right people at the right time.
Why LinkedIn Alone Doesn’t Work
LinkedIn has a clear strength. It’s full of professionals, from interns to executives. But this also makes it competitive. Advertisers are fighting for the same audience. That pushes the cost per click higher and higher.
For many small businesses, those costs are tough to manage. Running a campaign on LinkedIn might feel effective at first. But the high price can force you to cut back too early. This means fewer impressions, less testing, and weaker results.
There’s another issue. Professionals don’t spend their entire online life on LinkedIn. They check it during work hours, but outside of that? They’re on Facebook or Instagram. If your ads only run on LinkedIn, you miss those extra daily touchpoints.
Think about it this way. A decision-maker might see your product once on LinkedIn, then completely forget it. But if they see your ad again on Facebook that evening, the message sticks.
Why Facebook Ads Work for B2B
At first, Facebook might not look like a B2B platform. It’s where people share photos, follow hobbies, and read the news. But that’s exactly the advantage. Your audience is relaxed, open, and scrolling — not just thinking about work.
Here’s why Facebook Ads are so powerful for B2B:
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Huge reach: Facebook has billions of active users. Decision-makers, managers, and influencers are all part of that audience.
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Smart targeting: You can filter by job role, yes, but also by behaviors and interests. This gives you extra precision.
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Lower costs: Facebook clicks and impressions often cost less than LinkedIn. You stretch your ad budget further.
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Strong retargeting: Custom Audiences let you reconnect with website visitors, email subscribers, and even LinkedIn leads.
The combination of broad reach and precise targeting is rare. That’s why Facebook Ads deserve more space in your B2B strategy.
How to Use Facebook Ads for B2B Leads
Running Facebook Ads for B2B is not about luck. You need a system that guides people from awareness to conversion. The good news? With the right steps, you can keep things simple and effective.
1. Build custom audiences
Custom Audiences help you avoid wasting money on cold traffic. Instead, you focus on people who already know your brand. That makes them much more likely to respond.
Here are some easy ways to build these audiences:
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Upload email lists of past leads.
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Retarget people who visited your site.
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Sync your CRM to reach warm contacts.
You can also go further with LeadEnforce. This tool lets you create audiences from Facebook group and page followers. For B2B, that’s a big advantage. Imagine targeting members of niche industry groups or followers of professional pages. These people are already interested in your space, which makes them far more likely to convert.
To see how it works in practice, read this guide on how to build your target audience from a Facebook group.
Custom Audiences should always be your starting point. They give you a warm foundation for campaigns and keep your budget under control.
2. Layer your targeting
Broad targeting wastes money. The trick is to combine different filters so your ads reach the right people.
On Facebook, you can mix:
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Demographics, such as age and location.
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Industries or job functions.
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Behaviors and interests.
For example, you could target supply chain managers who also follow sustainability groups. That’s much stronger than targeting “supply chain managers” alone. If you want to dive deeper, take a look at Facebook Ad Targeting 101: How to Reach the Right Audience.
Layered targeting makes your ads feel relevant instead of random. When professionals see ads that connect to their real interests, they’re more likely to pay attention.
3. Offer real value
Professionals don’t have time to waste. If you want clicks, you must give them something worth their attention.
Strong offers include:
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A free guide that solves a problem.
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An industry report with useful data.
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A checklist they can use right away.
Keep the process simple. Don’t ask for a long form with ten questions. Just name and email are enough to start the relationship.
When you lead with value, people remember your brand. They’re more open to your future ads and follow-ups.
4. Retarget with purpose
Not everyone converts on the first try. That doesn’t mean they’re lost forever. Retargeting helps you stay in front of these people and slowly build trust.
Effective retargeting ads include:
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Case studies that prove your results.
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Customer reviews that build credibility.
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Demo videos that show how your product works.
This approach works because you’re answering objections instead of pushing harder. Retargeting turns cold leads into warm ones and moves warm leads closer to conversion.
If you want to set this up step by step, here’s a clear guide on how to set up Facebook retargeting. And if you’re already running retargeting ads but not seeing results, check this resource on why Facebook Ads might not be converting.
5. Focus on mobile
The majority of Facebook users scroll on their phones. If your ads or landing pages don’t work well on mobile, you’re losing opportunities.
Make sure your landing pages:
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Load quickly, even on slower connections.
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Work smoothly on different devices and browsers.
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Use short, simple forms that take seconds to complete.
Every extra second of delay costs you leads. By optimizing for mobile, you make the process painless — and that boosts your conversion rate.
Using LinkedIn and Facebook Together
The smartest marketers don’t see LinkedIn and Facebook as rivals. They see them as partners. Each platform covers different parts of the buyer journey.
LinkedIn works best for starting conversations and connecting with cold audiences. Facebook keeps you visible after that first touchpoint. It’s where you retarget, build trust, and show social proof.
Here’s how you can use both in your funnel:
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Reach new prospects on LinkedIn with sponsored posts or connection requests.
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Retarget those same professionals on Facebook at lower costs.
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Reinforce your message with case studies, testimonials, or free resources.
This cross-platform approach also saves money. Instead of paying LinkedIn’s high rates for every impression, you move some nurturing to Facebook. You still reach the same people, but for less.
Think of it as teamwork. LinkedIn starts the conversation, while Facebook makes sure it continues until the lead is ready to act.
Final Thoughts
LinkedIn is powerful, but it has limits. High costs and low daily use make it risky as your only channel. Facebook Ads balance the equation. They give you scale, flexibility, and more touchpoints with your audience.
The best approach is balance. Use LinkedIn to target and connect. Then use Facebook Ads to nurture and convert. This way, you meet your audience wherever they are — in the office and outside of it.
B2B lead generation isn’t about choosing one platform over another. It’s about building a system that works across both. When you do that, you reduce costs, strengthen your funnel, and close more deals.
