Is there any aspect of our digital lives Facebook isn’t keen on conquering?

While LinkedIn mightn’t be the sexiest of platforms, it’s always been a reliable hub for professional networking (and seeing who’s been checking out your profile).

However a new study shows Facebook is treading on LinkedIn’s turf.

New Sheriff in town

The State of Inbound 2017 study by HubSpot reveals Facebook is closing the gap when it comes to B2B marketing.

For example, 78% of professionals surveyed use LinkedIn for professional reasons, compared to 74% for Facebook. In Australia, 66% use Facebook for professional reach out.

In regions such as Latin America, professionals are actually using Facebook for B2B outreach more than LinkedIn.

And it's not just young guns, high-ranking execs are shifting to Facebook too. Close to three-quarters of VPs, directors, and managers used Facebook for professional reasons, while 80% of C-level executives do.

Further insights

The report also revealed that 'Generating Traffic and Leads' is the top marketing challenge (63%) this year, followed by 'Proving the ROI of Marketing Activities' (40%), and 'Securing enough Budget' (20%).

Video features largely in the plans for marketers in 2017. YouTube is still the medium of choice for video – but only just. 48% of respondents favour YouTube, just ahead of 46% for Facebook.

To read the full report visit stateofinbound.com.