Whether you’re just starting out or are looking to grow your business, social media is an invaluable tool. But with so many platforms available to you, it can feel overwhelming to pick where to start. Should you establish an online social media presence across every channel or focus your efforts?
If you’re wondering which are the best social media platforms that promise the greatest return for business growth and audience engagement, this helpful guide has you covered. Here, we’ll take you through the top 8 important social media platforms you need to grow your business with top tips on how to make the most of each social media platform. Let’s dive in!
The Top Social Media Platforms For Your Business
While there are countless social media platforms to choose from, it’s important to consider which social media platforms prove most popular amongst your target audience and have the greatest potential for brand reach and engagement.
With that in mind, here are the top social media marketing platforms for small businesses in 2024.
Platform 1. Facebook
(3 billion Monthly Active Users)
Why your small business should include Facebook in its social media marketing strategy
- Deliver timely customer service responses with Facebook Messenger: Did you know that people are 53% more likely to shop from a business they can message?
- Offer real-time updates about your small business: From seasonal opening hours to special events, Facebook is a reliable source of truth that your customers will turn to when planning to visit or shop from your brand.
- Foster a loyal customer base in your local area: With niche Facebook Groups and the ability to target posts and ads to specific geographic areas, Facebook is a powerful platform for boosting awareness in your local community.
How to maximize your Facebook presence as a small business
- Turn on automated responses and instant replies: Make sure every customer receives an instant response to their question via Facebook Messenger with templated responses. This boosts your chances of scoring a ‘Very responsive’ badge by delivering a top-notch customer experience.
- Encourage customers to leave a Facebook review: Just like Google Reviews, these testimonials are powerful pieces of social proof that help other customers trust and preference your brand.
- Join and interact with relevant Facebook Groups: From local community pages to groups related to your products and services, being active in Facebook Groups can get your brand’s name in front of high-intent audiences–just make sure to keep your responses helpful rather than overly promotional.
Over 3 billion people use the Facebook social media site monthly, according to reports from Statista, so it’s not surprising that it’s recognised as the largest social networking platform. Add to that the fact that more than 200 million businesses use the platform’s tools and more than seven million advertisers promote such businesses, and it’s clear that Facebook should not be overlooked in your social media strategy.
Facebook social media users span a range of demographics, but the most engaged audience ranges from 18 to 44 years old. With tools embedded into the platform, such as Facebook Groups, Facebook Ads Manager, and Facebook Analytics, you can communicate with your audience directly, create targeted ads, and grow your following with meaningful interactions.
Consider the example from EHPLabs below. It used its Facebook page to run a giveaway competition and encouraged entrants to tag three friends in the post, allowing it to expand its reach and engage potential new customers.
👉 Keep Reading: Discover how to use Facebook Messenger to grow your business with our top tips and expert strategies.
Platform 2. WhatsApp
(2.78 billion Monthly Active Users)
Why your small business should leverage WhatsApp as a social media platform
- Offer fast, automated responses to customers: With the ability to set up instant replies, scheduled away messages and automated responses for frequently asked questions, WhatsApp ensures your customers always receive a prompt response—even if you’re not online.
- Streamline your customer support channels: Rather than using multiple chatbots, phone lines and email inboxes, WhatsApp allows you to centralize your customer communications into one consolidated inbox.
- Access powerful analytics to improve your customer experience: How long does it take you to respond to customers? What time are customers most likely to message your brand? With WhatsApp’s detailed analytics, you can make informed decisions about how to best serve your customers.
How to maximize your WhatsApp presence as a small business
- Set up templated responses to fast-track response times: With a WhatsApp Business account, you can draft and save a range of templated responses to empower your team to provide timely, on-brand answers to your customer’s enquiries–whether they’re enquiring about your opening hours, checking if a specific menu item aligns with the dietary preferences or enquiring about the different service packages you offer.
- Use labels and Catalogs to organize your products: Think WhatsApp is just a messaging app? Think again. You can actually save and promote your offering through labelled Catalogs, helping shoppers discover what you’re selling with ease—whether you’re a service provider or an e-commerce brand.
- Set up your profile to attract customers: Just like all social media sites, your WhatsApp profile needs to be on-brand and up-to-date. Make sure to fill out your business name, a compelling bio description and contact information to boost new enquiries.
This messaging app boasts a staggering 2.78 billion monthly active users and is used by people in over 180 countries. While you may be familiar with the communication platform for your own personal messaging needs, in 2018 the company launched WhatsApp Business which became a popular platform for brands looking to provide customer support and inform customers about their order with updates in real-time.
Since its launch, WhatsApp Business has grown to over 200 million monthly active users as of June 2023. The business app is a great tool for small businesses to implement into their marketing strategy, especially if they’re looking to create a service channel with customers to streamline order information and increase brand loyalty.
Platform 3. YouTube
(2.49 billion Monthly Active Users)
Why your small business should leverage YouTube as a social media site
- Boost your organic search discoverability: YouTube is owned by Google, meaning the search results are dominated by relevant YouTube videos. If you’re looking to grow your brand awareness with high-intent users as a small business, showing up consistently with SEO-friendly YouTube videos is a no-brainer.
- Tap into new short-form video content opportunities: YouTube Shorts is a powerful new short-form video content channel. With less competition and content vying for attention (unlike TikTok and Instagram Reels), now is the time to be jumping on YouTube Shorts as an early adopter to boost your chances of success.
- Experiment with highly searchable long-from video content: From in-depth explainer videos to interviews and even product unboxings, YouTube’s emphasis on long-form content allows you explore topics thoroughly in an engaging visual format.
How to maximize your YouTube presence as a small business
- Repurpose your existing short-form videos to YouTube Shorts: Work smarter not harder and leverage Plann’s cross-posting tool to share the same short-form vertical video across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts. It’s a proven way to maximize the value of every piece of content you create.
- Follow the principles of SEO to increase the organic visibility of your content: By leveraging SEO copywriting techniques, you can add searchable keywords to your YouTube content to ensure it reaches the right audience. Find out 10 more ways to boost your YouTube SEO to gain more subscribers as a small business.
- Leverage playlists to curate your YouTube content: Don’t stop at publishing content! With curated playlists and SEO-friendly playlist names, you can make it easier for viewers to find and engage with your content. Learn more about how to optimize your YouTube channel to boost your discoverability!
The video-sharing platform with 2.49 billion monthly active social media users worldwide stands as the second-largest social media app. A billion hours of videos are watched daily, covering everything from entertainment to product tutorials, reviews, demonstrations, and the more recent launch of YouTube Shorts which receive over 50 billion views per day.
With a highly engaged user base, the platform can greatly improve the visibility of your brand, especially when you include a link to your website in your videos. Given that YouTube videos often appear in Google search results, you’ll boost your website’s SEO and organic traffic. Ultimately, to get the most out of the YouTube as a social media, you need to show up consistently and ensure you adhere to the guidelines concerning video metadata to help boost visibility with a strong thumbnail, keywords, and accurate description.
Take this example from Fenty Beauty, which has garnered over 17,000 views. Using YouTube Shorts, the brand draws on user-generated content by beauty influencer Chloe Morello to boost visibility, while the striking thumbnail and keywords used in the title ensure the video reaches its target audience.
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Platform 4. Instagram
(2.04 billion Monthly Active Users)
Why your small business should leverage Instagram as a social media platform
- Tell your brand story visually: Instagram is a visual-first platform, giving brands the ability to curate a grid of content that’s aesthetic, on-brand and strategically shares your unique positioning and points of difference.
- Harness an ever-evolving library of content formats and tools: Instagram (owned by Meta) is continually investing in and rolling out powerful new platform features to help small businesses succeed. From Instagram Stories to Instagram Reels and Instagram DMs, there are endless ways to connect with your audience and foster an engaged community.
- Joins forces with customers, content creators and other brands: Collaboration is a big part of the Instagram experience. As a small business, you can easily reshare user-generated content, facilitate an influencer partnership through Instagram Collab or team up with another brand for an Instagram Stories takeaway or joint giveaway.
How to maximize your Instagram presence as a small business
- Optimize your Instagram profile for maximum search visibility: Your account name, handle, and Instagram bio should all include searchable keywords related to your industry or areas of expertise. Make sure to use a visual link-in-bio landing page (like EasyLink by Plann) and leverage Stories Highlights Covers and three pinned posts to introduce profile visitors to who you are and what you do.
- Use Instagram Reels to grow your reach organically: If there is one content format to prioritize on Instagram, it has to be Reels. Experiment with a mix of styles, lengths and formats when it comes to Reels, from B-roll footage with text overlays to ‘day in the life’ style vlogs with voiceovers. Dive into our ultimate guide to Instagram Reels!
- Leverage Instagram Collab to reach new, relevant audiences: Team up with relevant content creators and influencers who have an audience that aligns with your target market. With the Collab feature, you can publish one post to both of your feeds, instantly doubling your reach and organic visibility!
With 2.04 billion monthly active social media users, Instagram is a powerful social media site for both connecting with your target audience and showcasing your products or services. With a range of features that include grid posts, live videos, question-and-answer prompts, Stories, Reels, and countdown stickers, you can create a range of social media content that speaks to your audience, boosts brand visibility, and increases engagement.
That said, unlike Facebook, Instagram’s main social media demographic skews younger and is aged 18 to 34. If you’re looking to attract Gen Z shoppers, you’ll be able to create Instagram social media content that resonates and utilize in-app shopping features that make it easy to direct followers to your website or to purchase a product online.
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In this example from the fashion label Reformation, the company draws on user-generated content to create a Reel showcasing how to style one of their designs. Using trending audio on social media and a captivating description, they were able to showcase their product while boosting brand awareness.
Platform 5. TikTok
(1.22 billion Monthly Active Users)
Why your small business should leverage TikTok as a social media platform
- Untapped organic reach opportunities: Going viral on social media is something brands of all sizes can access on TikTok thanks to the platform’s For You Page. In fact, the entire TikTok social media platform is geared towards helping small businesses and emerging brands gain traction with an algorithm that actively prioritizes showing new content to relevant users.
- Raw, authentic content rules: There’s no fancy production or expensive camera required to create social media content on TikTok. In fact, low-fi content filmed on an iPhone and edited in a free tool like CapCut tends to generate stronger results as audiences are craving relatable content on the platform.
- Huge partnership opportunities: With thousands of content creators on the TikTok social media site, it’s easy for smaller brands to find niche creators to team up with. Look for content creators with a highly engaged audience that aligns with your ideal customers for the best results!
How to maximize your TikTok presence as a small business
- Leverage trending audios and sounds: Use Plann’s weekly guide to the trending tracks you need to know about to discover which songs are most likely to skyrocket your reach on TikTok.
- Harnessing in-app editing tools: Features like the green screen filter and instant closed captions help to make your TikTok social media videos more accessible and engaging.
- Focus on lighthearted, relatable topics: Ditch polished, high-production videos and opt for candid, conversational content that your ideal customers can relate to. Humorous and aspirational content work well on TikTok along with behind-the-scenes videos that show the unfiltered side of running your small business.
With 1.22 billion monthly active users, TikTok’s short-form video-sharing social media platform is the perfect tool for small businesses looking to engage with younger audiences with creative videos and catchy content. Videos on the platform can only be up to 10 minutes long, and with the app providing a range of sound effects, music, and filters to entice audiences, it allows you to save on resources as you can film all your social media content with ease on your phone alone.
In many ways, TikTok social media usage presents a level playing field to small business owners. You don’t need the high-quality production crew a YouTube video would benefit from on TikTok.
Instead, the TikTok’s social media sites encourage creativity and trend-focused videos that appeal to those aged 10 to 29 (who make up 47.4% of TikTok users in the US). To really stand out on TikTok, hook users within the first few seconds of your video as the algorithm favors video watch time and engagement.
@laneige_anz I keep that thang on me 😏🙂↕️ #Laneige #laneigeanz #lipglowybalm #laneigelipbalm #laneigelipglowybalm #lipbalm #viralbeauty #skintok #kbeauty
In this example from Laneige, the skincare company hooks social media viewers instantly with a vibrant color palette that matches its branding. The playful social media video speaks to the creativity of TikTok’s audience, while the caption, music, and voice-over are in keeping with the brand’s values.
Platform 6. Snapchat
(750 million Monthly Active Users)
Why your small business should leverage Snapchat
- Reach younger audiences at scale: 383 million people use Snapchat daily (and the majority are younger users). This is a must-use platform for small businesses looking to engage Gen Z shoppers.
- Get in front of audiences who are ready to shop: Research shows that when compared to watching the same ad on other platforms, people are 34% more likely to purchase products they see advertised on Snapchat.
- Offer a new way for customers to call or text your business: Want to give customers a new to get in touch with your business? By inputting your contact details into Snapshot and running a call/text ad campaign, you can make it easier for audiences to reach out to your business.
How to maximize your Snapchat presence as a small business
- Experiment with AR filters on Snapchat: Did you know over 5 billion Snaps are created daily? By designing your own augmented reality social media filter, you can allow Snapchat users to virtually try on your products or create shareable moments with your products.
- Trial sponsored content and paid ads on Snapchat: Whether you’re looking to boost app downloads, drive new leads or increase your online sales. Snapchat ad campaigns allow you to create engaging content that is tailored to your ideal target auidence.
- Explore Spotlight by Snapchat: Spotlight is Snapchat’s entertainment platform for UGC. By creating a public profile, you can share your own UGC to Spotlight for even greater organic visibility (with over 350 million users engaging with Spotlight each month).
Boasting 750 million monthly active users, Snapchat is a powerful tool for businesses looking to engage with a younger demographic. According to data obtained in 2021, 25 of Snapchat’s Discover Partners reached over 50 million unique Snapchat users from around the world.
With a vertical video format that’s since transpired to platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, Snapchat can be used to connect with audiences in a more fun, playful manner. This is where you can express your authentic self on social media and share more personal anecdotes relating to your business or products that resonate with followers. The social media app also has features that allow you to advertise and target your campaigns to ensure they reach your target audience.
Platform 7. Pinterest
(465 million Monthly Active Users)
Why your small business should leverage Pinterest as a social media platform
- Tap into a thriving visual search engine: Pinterest operates are a visual search engine with the ability to search for visual content using keywords and phrases. This means you can easily boost the visibility of your brand and content just by following the principles of SEO.
- Boost your website visits and online sales: The majority of Pins on Pinterest include a clickable web link, allowing you to drive traffic onto your owned channels (Iike your blog or e-commerce store) at scale.
- Access users with high purchase intent: 55% of Pinners are more likely to purchase a product after seeing it on Pinterest than other social media platforms, plus a whopping 82% of Pinterest users have bought products based on the brand’s Pinterest content.
How to maximize your Pinterest presence as a small business
- Leverage Boards to organize your Pins: By optimizing your boards with SEO keywords in your board title and description, you can boost the likelihood that your content will be shown to users who are searching for this specific topic (making it an easy way to boost the reach of your content).
- Experiment with Pin formats: There is a stack of different Pin types to leverage. Use video pins to repurpose your short-form video content and experiment with Rich Pins (which draw information from your website, such as recipe information, article details or product descriptions and pricing).
- Add a URL to every Pin you share: By adding a website link to every Pin you publish, you’ll be able to drive traffic to your website and get users one step closer to making a sale, submitting an enquiring or signing up to your app.
With 465 million monthly active users, Pinterest as a social media is a visual search engine where users come to seek both inspiration and discover new products. With the “pin” feature, the platform allows them to save photos that link to websites, blog posts, products, and other online content to their board which is often based around a topic or theme, such as fashion, beauty, home, or DIY.
If your business relates to one of these industries, it’s certainly worth investing time in Pinterest. You’ll be able to drive traffic to your website, increase brand awareness, and increase sales and conversions with reports showing that Pinterest users are seven times more likely to purchase a product that they’ve pinned. The best part is that, unlike other platforms with algorithms that favor new content, your content won’t disappear from your feed after 48 hours, and older posts can continue gaining traction.
📌 Looking for more Pinterest advice? Download our free ultimate guide to Pinterest 101.
In this example from Etsy, you can see the variety of boards that appeal to a range of demographics and interests. They use strategic board names focused around popular topics including “DIY Projects,” “Etsy Weddings,” and “Kitchen Must-Haves”, and even include a board description with keywords to enhance SEO.
💡 Psst.. discover the best times for posting on Pinterest in 2024 in our ultimate guide.
Platform 8. LinkedIn
(424 million Monthly Active Users)
Why your small business should leverage LinkedIn
- Reach high-quality new hires: LinkedIn Jobs is one of the best recruitment tools available to small business owners, allowing you to advertise roles and vet candidates without needing to spend thousands of dollars on a recruiter.
- Showcase your company culture: Even if you’re not currently hiring, posting content about your team events, workplace environment, and company perks is a powerful way to attract top-notch talent into your business on LinkedIn.
- Build valuable new B2B relationships: From potential business partners to investors and even new clients, LinkedIn is a must-use platform for both service providers and e-commerce business owners.
How to maximize your LinkedIn presence as a small business
- Encourage employees to produce LinkedIn content about your business: Employee advocacy is one of the best ways to connect and resonate with potential new hires. Encourage your employees to share content about your business and reshare these posts to your own company page for maximum exposure.
- Add new connections and start conversations with relevant leaders: Invite your existing connections to follow your company page and always look to grow your network by sending connection requests (with custom invitation messages) to relevant users.
- Humanize your company content on LinkedIn: Whether you’re sharing tips from one of your senior leaders or introducing a new hire, showcase the people in your business as a way to humanize your LinkedIn content and boost relatability.
💡Plann Tip: Discover our expert advice on how to create a LinkedIn Business Page that stands out.
LinkedIn used to be primarily seen as a virtual resume or jobs board, but with 424 million monthly active users, it’s now become the go-to platform for professional networking and career development. With over 1 billion members and 67 million companies and counting, you can leverage the platform’s expansive reach to connect with other industry experts and attract customers.
Be sure to personalize connection requests, connect with people you already know, join LinkedIn Groups where you can share your expertise where relevant, and engage with your connections in a meaningful way that strengthens your relationships.
💡 Plann Tip: Use the 3-2-1 model as a small business on LinkedIn where each week you aim to publish three pieces of industry-related content, two pieces of “proud” content that makes your employees and community feel good, and one piece of product or service-related content.
👉 Keep Reading: Discover what to post on LinkedIn as a small business (including practical ideas and real-world examples).
Top tips on using social media platforms for your small business
Now that you know the top and most popular social media platforms to start using for your marketing strategy, you may be wondering where to start. It’s something social media manager and strategist Keira Anderson of Keira Rose Creative is all too familiar with.
“When I started my business, I was excited but also overwhelmed by the sheer number of platforms available to help it grow,” she says.
To help maximize your social media strategies, Keira shares her top tips for finding platforms that resonate with your brand and cater directly to your target audience.
- Focus on two to three social media platforms: “Rather than trying to be everywhere all at once, find where your target audience most commonly hangs out, and go there.”
- Task and calendar management: “I quickly learned that trying to keep everything in my head or a notebook was a recipe for disaster,” says Keira. “It led me to Google Calendar and Notion. I’ve tried other organization and calendar platforms but I personally always come back to these two.”
- Build a credible website: “Don’t forget a website for trust and credibility! I put mine off and now it’s this never-ending project that feels like it will never be finished because my time to work on it is limited. My recommendations are to use Showit if you are a service-based business and Shopify if you are a product-based business.”
Boost your social media strategy with Plann
Whether you need help showing up consistently across these social media sites or want to spend more time growing your business on social media, Plann’s range of features is guaranteed to help save you time with an automated social media marketing strategy.
From cross-posting to advanced analytics, handpicked hashtags, and AI-generated caption starters, Plann can help you maintain a consistent posting schedule across multiple platforms and social media sites so you can gain followers, maximize brand visibility, and focus on business growth.
Go on, and redeem your 7-day free trial of Plann Plus. If you don’t like it, keep using Plann for free!
