Which social media platforms should a small business actually be on?

You opened a Facebook page years ago, started an Instagram when a customer asked, made a TikTok after your nephew said you should, and claimed a LinkedIn page because it seemed professional. Now you have four accounts, three of them quiet, and a nagging feeling that you're supposed to be everywhere. You're not. Most small businesses do better on fewer platforms, run well.

Most Houston small businesses should be on Facebook and Instagram first, because that's where the broadest mix of local adults already spends time. Add one more platform only when it fits your customers: YouTube or TikTok if your work looks good on video, LinkedIn if you sell to other businesses. Two platforms run well beat five run poorly.

Here's how I'd think it through, using the best public data on who actually uses what.

Start with where people actually are

The most reliable numbers on American social media use come from the Pew Research Center's social media fact sheet. Its latest survey asked 5,022 U.S. adults between February and June 2025 which platforms they ever use. Pew is a nonpartisan research group, and it doesn't sell ads, which is why I trust it more than numbers published by the platforms themselves.

Here's what share of U.S. adults said they use each one in 2025:

• YouTube: 84%
• Facebook: 71%
• Instagram: 50%
• TikTok: 37%
• WhatsApp: 32%
• Reddit: 26%
• Snapchat: 25%
• X (formerly Twitter): 21%

LinkedIn wasn't in the 2025 list. In Pew's 2024 survey, 32% of U.S. adults said they use it.

Age changes the picture

The totals only tell part of the story. Pew also breaks the 2025 results down by age, and the gaps are big.

• Facebook is steady across ages: 68% of adults 18 to 29, 80% of those 30 to 49, 74% of those 50 to 64 and 57% of those 65 and older.
• Instagram leans younger: 80% of adults 18 to 29, 62% of those 30 to 49, 40% of those 50 to 64 and 19% of those 65 and older.
• TikTok leans younger still: 63% of adults 18 to 29, 44% of those 30 to 49, 30% of those 50 to 64 and 12% of those 65 and older.
• YouTube is strong everywhere, from 95% of adults 18 to 29 down to 64% of those 65 and older.

So if your best customers are homeowners in their 40s and 50s, Facebook is hard to beat. If you run a coffee shop near a campus, Instagram and TikTok deserve more of your time. Think about who actually writes the check.

My recommendation for most Houston small businesses

Start with Facebook and Instagram. They share one set of business tools from Meta, so you can plan, post and answer messages for both in one place. Between them you reach a wide range of ages, and they're where people already go to check hours, look at photos and read comments before they call.

Then pick at most one more, based on your business:

• Home services (roofing, HVAC, plumbing, remodeling): before and after photos and short job videos do well. Facebook carries a lot of weight with homeowners. Short video on Instagram is a natural second. YouTube is worth it if you like explaining things on camera.
• Healthcare practices: Facebook and Instagram for friendly faces, office updates and helpful tips. Keep patient privacy front of mind in every photo and every reply.
• Restaurants and cafes: Instagram first, since food is visual. TikTok is worth testing if you can film short clips in the kitchen without slowing service.
• Professional services (law, accounting, insurance, consulting): Facebook for local trust, LinkedIn if you sell to other businesses or get referrals from other professionals.

That's two platforms, sometimes three. Anything past that should earn its place.

What about YouTube, TikTok and the rest?

YouTube tops Pew's list at 84%, so it's fair to ask why I don't put it first. The reason is effort. YouTube rewards regular video, and most owners don't have the time to film, edit and upload every week. If you do enjoy the camera, it's a great fit for businesses that explain things, like a plumber showing how to shut off a water line before a freeze or a dentist answering common questions. Those videos keep working for years.

TikTok is worth a look if your customers skew younger and you can film quick, honest clips. WhatsApp is more of a messaging app than a place to post, though some businesses use it to talk with customers who prefer it. Reddit, Snapchat and X can work for certain niches, but for most local businesses they're a lower priority than getting the basics right. If you do add a video platform, our content creation work covers short video you can use across accounts.

A quick checklist before you add a platform

Before you open one more account, answer these honestly:

1. Are my actual customers on it, based on the age and type of buyer I serve?
2. Can I post there at least a few times a week without dropping my other accounts?
3. Do I have the kind of content it rewards? TikTok wants video. LinkedIn wants expertise. Instagram wants strong visuals.
4. Who will answer comments and messages there, and how fast?
5. How will I know if it's working? Count calls, form fills, bookings or walk-ins. Likes alone won't tell you.

If you can't answer the last two, wait. A quiet profile with unanswered questions can look worse than no profile at all.

What to do with the accounts you already have

You don't have to delete old accounts. Update the profile photo, hours, phone number and website link, then pin a post that tells people where to find you. That way nobody lands on a dead page from 2019 and wonders if you're still open. This matters in Houston during hurricane season too. When storms hit, customers check social pages to see whether you're open, so the accounts you keep should be the ones you actually update.

If you're not sure which platforms fit, this is exactly what a social strategy and content calendar sorts out. And if your posts send people to a website that doesn't load fast or doesn't capture calls, our sister studio HEX Web Design handles that side.

Want a second set of eyes on yours?

We'll look at your current profiles for free. Our Social Check reviews your profiles, your posting rhythm, whether the content looks like you, how comments and reviews are handled, whether any ads are aimed at the right people and whether social visits show up as calls and forms. You get a short written summary. If the answer is "not much needs to change," we'll tell you that. Request your free Social Check.