You don’t.
Not straight away, anyway. Nobody can tell you which platform will work for your business before you try it, and you definitely don’t need all of them. What you can do is make a sensible first pick, then check it against real results.
This checklist will help you choose.
Your business
- What do you sell, and who buys it? A local cafe, an accounting firm and a crane hire company don’t find customers the same way. If your customers are under 16, keep in mind that since 10 December 2025, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have to take reasonable steps to stop under-16s from holding accounts. They can still see public content without logging in, so don’t assume you can’t reach them at all.
- Where do your customers come from now? Ask them how they found you. It’s also worth checking where your competitors are active, and whether they’re doing it well.
- What’s the goal? Enquiries, bookings, sales, recruitment and awareness all point to different channels.
Your content
- What type of content will you post? Short video suits TikTok and Reels. Photos and behind-the-scenes suit Instagram and Facebook. Written insight suits LinkedIn.
- Do you have a bank of photos and videos? If not, visual platforms like Instagram will eat your time.
- Who can be the face of the business? LinkedIn rewards real people, and video needs someone happy to be on camera.
Your capacity
- Who’s responsible, and who replies to comments and messages? One named person (plus a backup for leave) beats “whoever has time”. Every channel is another inbox to check.
- How often can you realistically post? Weekly for a year beats daily for a month.
- Will you put any budget behind posts? Organic reach is limited on most platforms.
- How will you measure it, and when will you review? Look at enquiries, not likes. Give a channel three to six months, then keep, change or drop it. Public Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube posts can also turn up in Google, and Search Console now shows when they do. We covered that in social media, search and AI: what gets your business noticed.
Weekly for a year beats daily for a month.
Where do businesses like yours usually land?
Here’s a starting point.
| Business type | Usually a strong fit | Worth testing |
|---|---|---|
| Professional services (finance, legal, accounting) | LinkedIn, Facebook | |
| Health and allied health | Facebook, Google Business Profile | Instagram, LinkedIn |
| Tourism and hospitality | Instagram, Facebook | TikTok, YouTube |
| Food, wine and producers | Instagram, Facebook | TikTok, YouTube |
| Trades and industrial | Facebook, LinkedIn | YouTube |
| Retail and e-commerce | Instagram, Facebook | TikTok, Pinterest |
| Community and not-for-profit | Facebook, LinkedIn |
It isn’t a rule. Two businesses in the same industry can land on completely different channels, and somewhere out there is a plumber absolutely killing it on TikTok. What works comes down to your customers, your content and how much time you can give it.
Google Business Profile isn’t a social channel, but for local businesses it’s often where customers find you first. Whichever channels you pick, it’s worth keeping up to date.
What about TikTok?
TikTok gets plenty of attention, but headlines shouldn’t decide your channels. It’s worth a go if you can make short video regularly, someone is happy on camera, and your customers are actually there. If not, skip it and put the time somewhere that works.
Start with one or two channels, do them well, and add more once you know what’s working.
Start with one or two channels, do them well, and add more once you know what’s working.
Frequently asked questions
How many social media channels should a small business have?
Start with one or two and do them well. Add more once you know what’s working, and only if someone has time to post and reply on each one.
How long should I give a social media channel before deciding if it works?
Give it three to six months of regular posting. Then look at enquiries, not likes, and keep, change or drop it.
Does my business need to be on TikTok?
Only if you can make short video regularly, someone is happy on camera, and your customers are actually there. If not, skip it and put the time somewhere that works.
Not sure where to spend your time?
Every business is different, and there’s no formula that works for everyone. If you’d like help working out which channels are worth your effort (and which aren’t), we’re happy to take a look. Get in touch with the team, or read more about our digital marketing work.
By Josie Small, HyperWeb.
