Is Facebook building a competitor to LinkedIn?

Looks like Facebook is getting into the professional networking game. A new secret project called “Facebook at Work” is in development to rival LinkedIn. Zuckerberg isn’t stopping there. Facebook is looking to use Facebook at Work as a baseline to compete with Google Drive and Microsoft on the business apps front.

Here are some of the early details of the Facebook at Work project:

• Facebook will keep business accounts separate from personal accounts. Your client Bob will not be able to see your vacation pictures on your personal page.
• Collaboration tools look to be a core part of the offering. Group chats, file sharing and more are all part of the plan.
• This is one additional step in Zuckerberg’s plan to build a Facebook ecosystem to rival Google. With Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus VR in its ecosystem, the opportunities for cross-platform interaction are growing.

Some might see this as a huge threat to LinkedIn, while others may see a connection between Facebook and business as odd and fruitless. At Stryve, we think it’s a good thing on two fronts:

1) LinkedIn needs to do a better job of developing a platform that’s rich in targeting data if it wants to monetize its platform. Although we recently praised LinkedIn’s Sponsored Updates platform, there is a long way to go to transform the ad platform into a rich and effective tool. Some competition from Facebook should focus LinkedIn on richer targeting options and also reduce their high CPC rates.

2) Facebook may not be a direct competitor to LinkedIn, but rather a productivity tool. LinkedIn may still be the destination of choice for recruitment, networking and business newsfeed information. Facebook may bring an entirely different approach to their platform.

If you’d like to learn more about Facebook at Work, check out Tech News Today’s podcast; Facebook Turns Pro.