Facebook is Dead for B2B: Where to Spend Your Marketing Time

I had quite the revelation today when I logged into Facebook. I scrolled for a few minutes and only saw ads and group posts. There wasn’t a single person that I either knew or was at least acquainted with in my feed. The place is a ghost town.

To make matters worse, none of the ads were even targeted to me. Maybe that is an advantage as a user, so I don’t get the urge to buy something I don’t need, but it was still clutter glazing over my eyes. Some of the random garbage I saw were weight loss supplements (yeah, I need to hit the gym), inbox organizers, scams, and mobile games (that I won’t play). In my opinion, if marketers have given up on proper targeting, then that tells you what you need to know about the platform.

I’ve been on Facebook nearly since its inception. Back then, it was an actual social network where I connected with old friends from high school and college. People that I cared about. I was able to see what they were up to, when they were getting engaged, when they had kids (although I kept my own kids off the platform, because I’m a maniac when it comes to privacy), and even what they were doing for work (although that’s what LinkedIn is for now). It was fun, and there weren’t a lot of ads.

Speaking of which, that’s when Facebook had to really monetize on us and the ads started coming in. It wasn’t too much to start with, but with the algorithm changes, the targeting, and the cash rolling in, Facebook decided to scale that revenue model. I’m not faulting them for it, I ran ads too. But the overall human experience on the app started to dwindle.

Then I started to feel the real decline. Facebook had its data. Customers could be targeted better. And the disinformation and polarization began. I know so many people who jumped off Facebook at this time, and I’ve never seen them since. They’re either too far away for me to visit or we are just too busy to get coffee or lunch.

And we come full circle to the start of this article/rant. The bots, the AI slop, the non-relevant fluff. This platform is such a sad state of affairs and in total disrepair that it really isn’t worth my time, let alone a B2B marketer’s time.

My Receipts

After these revelations and disappointing two minutes (believe me, there’d been a lot more disappointment before today on this app), I dug around for some data. And here’s what it shows about Facebook and B2B offerings.

According to Statista, only 28% of B2B marketers say Facebook delivers the best value for their organization. So, 72% know this platform is a steaming piece of you know what; good to see we’re like-minded. Now, compare that to LinkedIn, 86% of B2B marketers use it as their primary platform; again, thanks Statista.

How about engagement? Sprout Social says that Facebook’s engagement rate is 0.15% in 2025. Other studies show worse. Search Engine Land reports that RivalIQ found the median engagement rate across all industries is just 0.063%. That means for every 1,000 people who follow your page, maybe 1-2 actually see your posts organically. Are we having fun yet?

Here is the dagger. 75% of Facebook shares are made without even reading the content, according to Psypost. And honestly, I’ve never even shared something on Facebook. I didn’t know it was a thing until reading that piece. I guess I’ve been too worried about which emoji I was going to throw up on one or two people’s posts about their cats, which hasn’t happened in years, mind you. The people just aren’t engaging with you let alone your brilliant B2B content. They’re mindlessly clicking. Full stop.

This isn’t the Facebook we grew up with. That platform is gone.

What I Actually Miss

Forget the ads for a second. What I really miss is the human connection. I mentioned that before.

People have moved to LinkedIn for professional networking. They’ve moved to Instagram for visual content (note that the enshittification started a while back there too, I’m just not seeing as much of it compared to Facebook). They’ve moved to TikTok for entertainment. They’ve moved to Reddit for real conversations in niche communities. They’ve moved to YouTube for more in-depth videos or for influencers. Because, how can anyone influence anyone on Facebook when it’s all bots and nobody gives a crap?

Facebook today is where you go to see ads, watch the AI slop people are prompting through Sora, and argue with your uncle about politics. RIP high school/college friends and your exploits, I’ll miss you all.

Unless You Have a Super Niche B2B Case, Stop

Now, there are edge cases where Facebook still works for B2B. If you’re in a hyper-specific industrial niche where enthusiasts gather in Facebook Groups like machining forums, specialty manufacturing communities, and very specific technical fields, maybe it’s worth monitoring. But even then, why not just do that on LinkedIn? It’s more professional anyway.

For 99.999% of B2B companies, Facebook is a time suck that returns nothing.

If you even generate one B2B lead and your prospect has had to scroll through a feed of ads and AI-generated content, are they even worth the money you spend? These likely aren’t even your target buyers. Those folks are over on LinkedIn, reading trade publications, attending conferences, finding networking groups, and asking colleagues for recommendations.

So Where B2B Marketers Should Actually Spend Time?

LinkedIn: I already brought this one up. LinkedIn is where your B2B buyers actually are. B2B marketers ranked LinkedIn as their most used social media platform in 2025, according to Sprout Social. It makes sense, and it works.

YouTube: I have a love-hate relationship with YouTube. The ads are ridiculous over there too (and this is coming from someone who runs ads for their agency), but it is full of useful content. The place certainly isn’t dead. In fact, I’ve been told I need to put up some YouTube videos over there. More to come on that front.

Reddit and Industry Related Forums: Reddit is a tricky one. You can’t go over there and just start promoting your brand. You’re going to get booted. Also, ads on Reddit aren’t really that special either. They look like every other thread or user post and are quickly ignored. But those forums? You might be able to offer some help there and shout out your company, if the mods allow it.

Emails and Newsletters: You OWN these lists. This is still the highest ROI channel for businesses, bar none. I was just talking to someone about this whose organic traffic was killed by AI Overviews, but they’d been building a list for the last ten years, and that has proved to be a lifesaver for them. Keep building these relationships and get people to sign up for your newsletters!

In-person events: This is a given. Trade shows, conferences, and industry meetups. Real human connections that aren’t interrupted by ads or AI slop.

I Know This Has Been Said Before

I hate being negative, and I know this topic has been beaten to death since 2020. “Facebook is dead for B2B” isn’t a hot take.

But it’s 2026 and this platform isn’t dying anymore. It’s a zombie.

If you’re still investing time trying to make Facebook work for B2B marketing, do yourself and your budget a favor and just stop. Use that time on channels where your buyers actually are and build up those relationships.

I’m not calling for a boycott. I’m not saying Facebook has zero value for anyone ever. I’m saying it’s not worth B2B marketers’ time in 2026 (and quite frankly, another moment of my time).

The social platform I joined in 2006 is gone. Thanks Zuck.

Sources

Statista – B2B marketer platform preferences: https://www.statista.com/statistics/259382/social-media-platforms-used-by-b2b-and-b2c-marketers-worldwide/

Sprout Social – Facebook engagement rates: https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-statistics/

PsyPost – Facebook sharing behavior: https://www.psypost.org/study-finds-75-of-facebook-shares-are-made-without-reading-the-content/

Search Engine Land – Facebook statistics overview: https://searchengineland.com/guide/facebook-statistics

Facebook Groups can work in very specific niches like specialized manufacturing communities, technical forums,and industry-specific discussions. But even then, LinkedIn often provides better quality conversations and actual decision-makers. Most B2B Facebook Groups are either spam-filled or inactive. Unless you’re in a hyper-specific technical field where enthusiasts genuinely gather on Facebook, your time is better spent elsewhere.

Brand awareness only matters if you’re reaching your target audience. With 0.15% organic engagement and poor ad targeting (as evidenced by the random, irrelevant ads most users see), you’re not building awareness with B2B buyers. You’re potentially damaging your brand by being associated with low-quality content, bots, and misinformation. Better to build awareness on platforms where your buyers actually spend their professional time.

Just because competitors are doing something doesn’t mean it’s working. Many companies maintain Facebook pages out of habit, not results. Ask yourself if your competitors are actually generating B2B leads from Facebook, or are they just posting into the void? If it’s the void…that’s a time suck you don’t need.

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