The best social media platform for a small business is the one your customers already use, run properly. For most local businesses that means Instagram and Facebook together. If you sell to other businesses, it's LinkedIn. If you can make short videos and want to reach new people fast, add TikTok. Pick one main platform and one secondary, post consistently, and ignore the rest until those two are working.
That's the advice we give every client, and below is the evidence behind it: real numbers from the accounts we run, platform by platform.
Quick answer: which platform for which business?
| Your business | Start with | Add second | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local service (trades, salons, clinics, gyms) | Local people and community groups are on Facebook; Instagram shows your work | ||
| Shop, maker or product brand | Products look good in Reels and posts; Facebook reaches an older local audience | ||
| Coach, consultant, B2B service | Instagram or none | Your buyers are on LinkedIn during the working day | |
| Tourism, hospitality, experiences | TikTok | Short video sells a place or an experience better than any description | |
| Charity, club or event | Groups, events and sharing are Facebook's strengths |
If you'd rather someone else ran both accounts, our social media management service plans the content, shoots the photos and video, writes the captions and posts for you, with no lock in contract.
Instagram: best for anything you can show
Best for: businesses with something visual to show: products, premises, treatments, results, people. Time it takes: a fair amount, mostly because Reels need filming and editing. Batching content from one photo shoot saves the most time.
Instagram rewards consistency and short video. For Aileen Ross Rehab & Pilates, we published 18 posts and 19 Reels across August and September, covering new classes, a studio tour, rehab tips and community walks. Compared with the two months before, her Instagram reach rose 120% and her content was viewed 29,800 times. Most of the people it reached weren't following her yet, which is exactly what you want from a platform: new people, not the same followers.
The Historical Herbologist, a shop in Dorking, shows the same pattern. Using our own photos of their shop, products and workshops, their Reel views rose 144% in August and September and their Instagram interaction rate hit 27%. Real photos of your real business beat stock images every time.
Facebook: still the best platform for local businesses
Best for: local service businesses, shops with an older customer base, clubs, charities and events. Time it takes: very little extra if you already post on Instagram, because you can share the same content to both.
Facebook isn't fashionable, but it's where local communities, village groups and event pages still live. The Historical Herbologist's Facebook page had posted just twice in the two months before we started. Across August and September we posted 24 times, their posts were viewed 2,000 times and the page gained 37 new fans. Aileen's Facebook page reached 10,400 people over the same two months, up 56%.
It works for trades too. We run Facebook for RGS Joinery & Building, builders and joiners in Sherburn in Elmet, alongside their website and SEO.
And for events, Facebook is hard to beat. When we took over social media for the EJB Memorial Shield, a charity event in memory of Elliot James Bransby, the organiser put it simply:
"Our following grew rapidly, and continues to do so. The Elliot James Bransby Memorial Shield is now in a much stronger place." David Bransby
LinkedIn: best if you sell to other businesses
Best for: coaches, consultants, accountants, engineers, trainers, anyone whose customer is another business or a professional. Time it takes: less than you'd think. It rewards a few thoughtful posts a week more than lots of quick ones.
On LinkedIn, your personal profile matters as much as your business page, because people buy from people. For executive coach CC Coaching, we redesigned Carolyn's LinkedIn banner to match her new website, so anyone checking her out sees the same professional brand in both places.
We've also posted on LinkedIn for Alistair Bromhead, who runs nationally recognised instructor courses, alongside Instagram and Facebook, and designed his LinkedIn banner:
"Marketing Handled are doing a great job handling my social media management. They have been posting for me on Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin and helping on some design issues as well." Alistair Bromhead
TikTok: best for reach, if you can make video
Best for: tourism, hospitality, food, fitness, and any business that's fun to film or reaching under 35s. Time it takes: the most of any platform, because it's video only and it rewards frequent posting.
TikTok can put your videos in front of people who have never heard of you, but only if you're willing to film. Over a six month collaboration, Ella joined tours across Australia for adventure tour operator Untamed Escapes, filming the content and posting it straight to their TikTok:
"So great was she to work with that I ended up assigning her as an admin to our TikTok account to post directly." Anna Heaton, Marketing Manager, Untamed Escapes
For a plumber or an accountant, TikTok is usually a nice to have, not a priority. Get Facebook or LinkedIn working first. If you're unsure whether you need polished films or quick phone clips, our guide to Reels vs polished video covers what actually performs.
What about YouTube, Pinterest and X?
- YouTube suits businesses that can make longer how to or explainer videos. It's slow to build but videos keep getting found for years.
- Pinterest works for weddings, interiors, crafts and recipes, where people plan ahead.
- X (formerly Twitter) is useful for news and quick customer replies, but rarely the first choice for a local small business.
How many platforms should a small business be on?
Two, for most businesses. One main platform where you put most of your effort, and one secondary platform that mostly reuses the same content. Five half run accounts look worse than two well run ones, because a profile with no posts since March tells customers you might have closed.
You don't need double the work for two platforms:
- Post the same photos to Instagram and Facebook, with the caption adjusted slightly
- Share your Instagram Reels to Facebook as well
- Turn one photo shoot into weeks of posts across both platforms
- Plan a month of content at once, so you're not deciding what to post each morning
How often to post depends on the platform; our guide to how often you should post on social media gives realistic numbers for each.
How to tell if a platform is working
Give any platform at least two months of consistent posting before judging it. Then compare with the two months before, the same way we report to our clients:
- Reach: how many different people saw your posts. Growing reach means new people are finding you.
- Views: especially on Reels and video.
- Interactions: likes, comments, shares and saves, which show whether people care.
- Enquiries: messages, calls and bookings that mention social media. This is the one that pays the bills.
If a platform shows no growth in reach after two to three months of steady posting, move your effort to a different one.
For the full picture on planning, time and when to get help, read our practical guide to social media management for small businesses.
Not sure which platforms are right for you, or don't have time to run them? Book a free 30 minute call and we'll look at where your customers are. You'll speak directly to Ella or Alex, and we reply within 1 business day.
Written by Ella Bromhead, cofounder and Director of Social Media and Photography at Marketing Handled. Ella holds a First Class degree in Media, Communications and Cultural Studies from Newcastle University and plans, shoots and posts the content for our social media clients.
FAQs
What is the best social media platform for a small business?
For most local small businesses, it's Facebook and Instagram together, because that's where local customers spend their time and both work well with photos of your real work. Businesses that sell to other businesses should start with LinkedIn instead.
Is Facebook still worth it for small businesses?
Yes, especially for local businesses, clubs and events. One shop we manage went from 2 Facebook posts in two months to 24, and those posts were viewed 2,000 times and brought 37 new fans to the page.
Should my business be on TikTok?
Only if you can make short videos regularly and your customers are there. It's excellent for tourism, hospitality and anything visual, but most trades and professional services get more from Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn first.
How many social media platforms should a small business use?
Two is the sweet spot for most small businesses: one main platform and one that reuses the same content. It's better to run two accounts well than five badly.
Is LinkedIn good for small businesses?
Yes, if your customers are other businesses or professionals. Coaches, consultants and trainers often get more enquiries from a well kept LinkedIn profile and a few useful posts a week than from any other platform.