Which social media platform is right for my business?
You don't need to be on every platform. For most small businesses, two done well beats five done badly. Here's how to pick the right ones for what you actually do.
Back to Knowledge HubLocal trades and consumer services: Facebook + Instagram + Google Business. B2B services: LinkedIn + your website. Visual creators: Instagram + TikTok. Most small businesses should be active on 2–3 platforms maximum — trying to be everywhere usually means being mediocre everywhere.
One of the most common questions we get from new clients is “which platforms should I be on?”. There's no universal answer because it depends entirely on who your customers are and what your business does. But there are clear patterns by business type, and most owners are surprised how short their actual list ends up being.
Start with your customer, not the platform
The wrong way to choose platforms is to look at where everyone's posting. The right way is to ask: where do my customers spend time? An accountant's clients aren't scrolling TikTok looking for accounting tips. A bridal salon's customers absolutely are scrolling Instagram for inspiration. A B2B IT consultant's clients live on LinkedIn.
If you don't know where your customers spend time, just ask 5 of them: “what social media do you actually use?” You'll get an answer in 10 minutes that's worth more than any general advice article.
Platform-by-platform breakdown
Best for: local consumer-facing businesses, trades, retail, food, family services, anything serving an audience aged 35+. Still the broadest UK reach, especially outside major cities.
Strengths: Local groups, events, age range that includes most homeowners. Most small business owners can manage Facebook themselves with reasonable results.
Weaknesses: Organic reach (the % of followers who see your posts) has collapsed to 2–5%. Younger demographics have largely moved away. Heavily commercial — people don't want to be sold to here.
Worth being on? Almost always yes for local consumer businesses. The profile needs to exist and stay active even if engagement is low.
Best for: visual businesses (salons, food, design, retail, trades with photogenic before/afters), audiences aged 25–45.
Strengths: Visual content performs well. Stories and Reels reach beyond followers. Strong for inspiration-driven shopping (the customer who didn't know they wanted you).
Weaknesses: Time-consuming to do well. Photo quality matters, which means real effort or hiring a photographer. Algorithm rewards consistent posting, which becomes a treadmill.
Worth being on? Yes for visual trades and creative businesses. Skip if your work isn't naturally photogenic and you can't commit to the time.
Best for: B2B services, professional services (consultancy, legal, accounting), recruitment, anything sold to other businesses.
Strengths: Audience is in work-mode and receptive to professional content. Good organic reach compared to Facebook. Direct decision-makers are reachable.
Weaknesses: Useless for consumer businesses. Posting culture skews toward thought-leadership and self-promotion in ways that can feel performative.
Worth being on? If your customers are other businesses: yes, prioritise it. Otherwise, don't bother.
TikTok
Best for: businesses that can produce short, entertaining video. Particularly creators, food, beauty, education, anything where personality and visual energy matter.
Strengths: Massive reach potential when you hit. Younger audience (18–30 mainly). Algorithm pushes videos to non-followers more than other platforms.
Weaknesses: Quality bar is high. Time investment is significant. The audience skews young, which doesn't suit many B2B or older-customer businesses.
Worth being on? Only if you can genuinely commit to producing decent video weekly. Half-effort TikTok presence is worse than no presence.
X (formerly Twitter)
Best for: media, journalism, politics, tech — tight specialist audiences.
Strengths: Real-time reach for breaking topics. Direct access to journalists and influencers in your space.
Weaknesses: Increasingly chaotic since 2022. Audience has fragmented across alternatives. For most local small businesses, no meaningful customer base.
Worth being on? Almost certainly not for typical small businesses. Only if you have a specific reason.
Google Business Profile
Not strictly social media, but worth flagging here because it sits in the same “profile to maintain” bucket. For local businesses, it's more important than any social platform combined. Free, fast to set up, and shows up at the top of local Google searches. See our local SEO guide for full setup instructions.
For local consumer businesses, the right priority order is: 1) Google Business Profile, 2) Facebook, 3) Instagram (if visually relevant), 4) optional everything else. If you're not active on the first three, don't bother starting on TikTok.
Recommended combinations by business type
Local trades (plumber, electrician, gardener): Google Business + Facebook. Skip Instagram unless your work is visual and you have decent photos. Skip everything else.
Salons and beauty: Instagram + Google Business + Facebook. Photos drive bookings.
Local cafes and restaurants: Instagram + Google Business + Facebook. Photos of food + reviews are everything.
Professional services (accountants, consultants, lawyers): LinkedIn + Google Business. Optional Twitter/X for specialist audiences.
Retail (physical): Instagram + Facebook + Google Business. Optional TikTok if you have visual flair.
E-commerce: Instagram + TikTok if visual product. Otherwise focus more on SEO and ads.
Coaching/consulting: LinkedIn + Instagram. The mix depends on whether your clients are individuals or organisations.
It's tempting to claim profiles on every platform “just in case”. Claiming the profiles is fine. Trying to actively post on all of them isn't. Pick 2–3 platforms, do them well, ignore the rest.
What to do once you've picked
Once you've chosen 2–3 platforms: aim for 8–10 posts per platform per month, consistently, for at least 6 months before judging results. Below that volume the account looks dead; above 12 returns drop off sharply. Read our piece on how often to post for the detail.
If you don't want to manage it yourself, our Social Media Management covers all of this at £19/mo per platform.