4. Is TikTok Worth the Hype? A Practical Guide to Companies Social Media Marketing and Choosing the Best Social Media Platform for Business
- Apr 11, 2023
- 12 min read
Updated: Mar 6
If you keep asking yourself whether TikTok is worth the time—or which platform really moves the needle—you’re not alone. This guide breaks down platform-by-platform facts, the content types that win, and a step-by-step approach to choosing the best social media platform for business marketing. Along the way I’ll explain how companies social media marketing strategies should be built around one primary platform, then scaled by repurposing content across others.
Why this matters
Social media isn’t an end in itself—it's a front door. The goal of companies social media marketing is to connect with new audiences, build trust, and funnel people into marketing channels you own (hello, email list). As a business owner, your goal is to pick the best social media platform for business that matches your content style, your strengths, and where your people already spend time.
If we haven't met yet, I’m Brittany, an online marketing strategist for female entrepreneurs. I teach women how to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality through smart, actionable marketing strategies that get them seen, loved, and paid. Whether you’re eager to DIY your way to success or hire professionals to help you along the way–my goal is to make sure you walk away with the clarity you need to see the results you desire and build a life you love.
Table of Contents
What is Social Media for in Business?
At its core, companies social media marketing is about interaction. Platforms let you meet new people, start conversations, show your product or service in action, and build familiarity. For product-based businesses social media often drives direct sales and product discovery; for service-based businesses it’s usually a lead-generation and trust-building channel. The smartest companies social media marketing strategies use social to introduce people, and email or direct sales channels to close the deal. Social media is only one part of a bigger marketing strategy.
Three decisions before you choose platforms
Before you sign up for an account, answer these three questions. Doing this will save you time and avoid platform-hopping.
What content will you create? If you plan to teach or demonstrate, video or long-form visuals are ideal. If your strength is written how-to's, think blog posts and Pinterest.
What format do you enjoy? You’ll be consistent when you like the medium: short-form video, static photography, carousels, long-form video, or written posts.
Where is your audience? Even the best companies social media marketing plan fails if your people aren’t on the platform you picked.
I talk about this more in the full podcast episode, which you can listen to here:
Platform breakdown: what each network does best
Below is a concise snapshot of the major platforms, what they’re built for, who’s using them, and how they fit into companies social media marketing plans.
Why it matters: Facebook still has enormous reach—about 2.93 billion monthly active users. That’s roughly 36.7% of the world’s population. For many local businesses and product sellers, Facebook is a hub for reviews, messaging, shopping, events, and community groups.
Best for: product sellers who want integrated shopping, service businesses who use groups and events, and anyone who values reviews and direct messaging.
Key features: Facebook Shops, Messenger integration, Events, Groups, scheduling via Meta Creator Studio.
Stats to know: 53% of shoppers are more likely to buy from businesses they can message—so being reachable on Facebook can directly affect revenue.
Why it matters: Instagram is visual, community-driven, and versatile. It’s one of the top platforms for engagement and discovery with over 2 billion monthly active users. If you want to reach 18–34 year olds—especially for fashion, beauty, home, or lifestyle—Instagram is a front-runner for companies social media marketing.
Best for: visual product brands, lifestyle services, local businesses, and creators building an engaged community.
Key features: posts, carousels, Reels (short-form video), Stories, Live, and shopping tags.
Stats to know: 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business; many shoppers use Instagram to discover new purchases.
TikTok
Why it matters: TikTok is the cultural trend engine for short-form video. People spend a lot of time there—averaging nearly 46 minutes a day—so trends often start on TikTok and spread to other platforms. It’s youthful and highly creative.
Best for: brands that can create entertaining, authentic short-form video and those working with influencers.
Key features: short videos (under 3 minutes), trending sounds and challenges, rapidly evolving viral trends, in-app shopping (since 2021).
Stats to know: TikTok has a strong female skew (about 57% female) and is especially popular with users aged 10–29.
YouTube
Why it matters: YouTube is the home of long-form video. It’s an excellent place to build authority and trust through tutorials, vlogs, demos, and recorded workshops. You can also embed YouTube videos in emails and landing pages to increase conversions.
Best for: creators and brands who have longer-form content—education, detailed demos, product walkthroughs, and vlogs.
Key features: long-form video hosting, search engine discoverability, monetization, and strong purchase intent among viewers.
Stats to know: many viewers end up buying products they see on YouTube—this platform has a high conversion correlation for purchase decisions.
Why it matters: Pinterest functions more like a search engine than a social feed. People use it to plan and collect ideas—which means your pins can keep driving traffic months after posting. That makes Pinterest a powerful long-term play for companies social media marketing.
Best for: product-based businesses, bloggers, educators, and anyone with visual or educational lead magnets (recipes, tutorials, home ideas, checklists).
Key features: linkable pins that drive traffic directly to your site, long lifespan for content, strong female audience (about 77% women), 5 billion searches monthly.
Stats to know: 97% of searches on Pinterest are unbranded—people are looking for solutions, not a specific company—making it a great discovery channel.
Why it matters: LinkedIn is the business network. If you’re selling B2B services or want to reach professionals with buying power, LinkedIn should be a top consideration for companies social media marketing.
Best for: B2B companies, service providers targeting business decision-makers, and professionals building thought leadership.
Key features: profile pages, long-form posts, networking, and high conversion potential for business services.
Stats to know: LinkedIn has roughly 900 million users and is heavily used for organic B2B marketing—conversion rates can be higher than consumer platforms.
Twitter / X
Why it matters: Twitter (now X) is a real-time platform for short updates, customer service, and opinion-led content. It works well for niche communities—especially B2B, tech, and news—and for brands that can produce concise, frequent posts.
Best for: thought leaders, news-driven brands, and B2B communicators who value quick conversations and customer service.
Key features: short posts, real-time engagement, strong presence among certain male-dominant audiences.
Stats to know: Twitter has a large professional and hobbyist presence in markets like the U.S., Japan, India, and Brazil. It’s especially useful for topical conversations and customer support.
How to choose the best social media platform for business
Choosing is easier if you use a simple framework. The best social media platform for business is the one that sits at the intersection of: what you love to create, what your audience consumes, and which platform helps you reach your business objective.
Step-by-step decision framework
Decide your primary content form: video, images, or written content?
Ask where your people hang out: check platform demographics and ask customers directly.
Be honest about your skills and resources: good video takes time—or hire it out.
Pick one primary platform: do not spread yourself thin; master one before adding others.
Repurpose: once you have content, repurpose it across other channels to maximize ROI from companies social media marketing efforts.
Who should be on which platforms? (fast recommendations)
Below are quick stacks depending on business type. These stacks reflect what works today for companies social media marketing while keeping execution realistic.
Product-based businesses
Primary: Instagram — great for discovery and shopping.
Support: Facebook (Shop & reviews) and Pinterest (search & long-term traffic).
Why: Visuals sell products. Instagram and Pinterest drive discovery; Facebook handles local discovery, reviews, and messaging.
Service providers (coaches, consultants, freelancers)
Primary: Instagram for awareness and trust-building; LinkedIn for higher-ticket B2B clients.
Support: Facebook groups for community and TikTok if you enjoy short video education.
Why: Services require trust. Video and live content help showcase your expertise and personality.
Influencers and creators
Primary: Instagram (community & commerce). TikTok (discoverability & virality).
Support: YouTube for long-form content and deeper connection with your audience.
Why: Creators live and breathe by attention and engagement—short-form for trends, long-form for depth.
B2B companies
Primary: LinkedIn for lead generation and professional credibility.
Support: Twitter for conversations, YouTube for educational demos, and Instagram/Facebook for employer branding.
Why: Decision-makers are on LinkedIn—targeted content and organic outreach work best for companies social media marketing directed at businesses.
Content types and repurposing: work smarter, not harder
Consistency beats perfection. Choose a format you enjoy and can sustain. Then repurpose deliberately:
Record a 10–20 minute teaching video (YouTube or long-form).
Clip 3–5 short segments for TikTok and Reels.
Use quotes and tips from the video as Instagram/Facebook posts or carousels.
Create 3–4 Pinterest pins that link back to the video or blog post.
Promote via email with an embedded thumbnail linking to YouTube—this is where companies social media marketing becomes sales-ready.
Repurposing saves time and amplifies reach. If you create one long piece, you’ll have content for weeks across the best social media platform for business choices you make.
Measuring success: what metrics actually matter
Different platforms shine at different things. Track metrics that align with your goal.
Awareness: reach, impressions, followers gained.
Engagement: likes, comments, saves, shares (these build relationship).
Leads & conversions: link clicks, email signups, bookings, purchases (tie these back to your email list and site analytics).
Revenue: track direct sales from platform shopping features and track assisted conversions using analytics.
Companies social media marketing without measurable goals is guesswork. Set one primary KPI per platform and measure weekly or monthly. If you need more help determining KPI's I share the top 3 I monitor in this podcast episode.
Advertising: when to pay to play
Paid ads accelerate results but are most effective when your organic basics are in place: clear offer, landing page, and email capture. Use paid social strategically:
Retarget warm audiences (people who visited your site or watched a video).
Use video ads where possible—video often converts better on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
Test small—run a short A/B test to learn what creative performs.
When companies social media marketing includes paid ads, align them with your funnel: awareness → nurture → conversion. Most platforms offer paid advertising as an option. Learn more about running paid ads here.
Companies Social Media Marketing, The One big rule
pick one primary platform and Stick with it
This is the part I repeat to every client: pick one platform and grow it intentionally. I say this because spreading thin across every shiny network leads to inconsistent content and poor results. Choose the best social media platform for business for your goals and put energy into that platform until you’re seeing traction, then add a secondary channel.
Why one platform?
Consistency produces algorithmic and audience trust.
Resources are limited—time is a business owner’s most precious commodity.
One platform gives you focus to test creatives, offers, and messaging before scaling.
Common mistakes I see companies social media marketing teams make
Trying to be everywhere at once and doing nothing well.
Posting without a clear call-to-action or funnel to email.
Ignoring the repurposing opportunity—same content can be reworked across platforms.
Confusing vanity metrics (followers) with business outcomes (bookings, sales, email opt-ins).
Checklist: before you hit publish
Do you know the exact audience you want to reach on this platform?
Is there a clear next step for someone who discovers you (email, shop, booking)?
Can you repurpose this content into two other formats?
Do you have a way to track results (UTM links, analytics, pixels)?
Are you ready to be consistent for at least 3 months?
Real talk: my approach and what I actually use
I use multiple platforms, but I have one primary focus and build systems to repurpose content. My priority is Instagram for community and engagement; I support it with Facebook (for events and reviews), Pinterest (for long-term traffic for my podcast).
Platforms that I don't use regularly but might add in the future include: LinkedIn for select B2B outreach, YouTube for long-form content, and TikTok when short-form content is available. This is an example of how companies social media marketing strategies should be tailored around personal strengths and audience location.
Putting it together: a sample content funnel
Imagine you’re a product-based business selling handcrafted candles. Here’s a simple funnel that uses companies social media marketing wisely:
Create a 10-minute video on how your candles are made (YouTube).
Clip that video into 3 short Instagram Reels/TikToks showing process highlights.
Design 5 Pinterest pins that link to the YouTube video and product page on your website.
Run an Instagram ad targeting people who engaged with your Reels and retarg1et them with an offer or discount code.
Use an email welcome sequence to convert browsers into buyers, and track purchases to see which social channel brought the customers.
This is how companies social media marketing can be used to build awareness, nurture interest, and convert sales without spinning your wheels endlessly.
FAQ on Companies Social Media Marketing
How do I know which platform my audience uses?
Start by asking existing customers where they hang out. Use basic demographic profiling—age, location, and interests—then cross-check with platform demographics. If you sell to professionals or businesses, treat LinkedIn as mandatory. For visually led product businesses, prioritize Instagram and Pinterest. The best test is small: post on two platforms for a month and track performance.
Is TikTok worth it for small businesses?
Yes—if you can create entertaining short videos that match TikTok trends or teach quickly. TikTok drives discovery and viral reach, making it excellent for brands that can show personality or demonstrate products. If your business is a brick-and-mortar that depends on local search, pair TikTok with Instagram and Facebook instead of relying on it alone.
Do I need to be on Facebook if my customers are younger?
Even if your target skews younger, Facebook still offers valuable features like Groups, Events, and Reviews that build trust and repeat business. It’s also useful for ad targeting and as a hub for transactional features like Facebook Shops. For companies social media marketing, Facebook can act as a reliable backbone—even if you don’t publish there daily.
How important is email with social media?
Critical. Social platforms change algorithms; email is an owned channel. Companies social media marketing should always funnel people to a list. Use social to attract and email to convert—the two together are far more powerful than either alone.
How long until I see growth?
Growth timelines vary. Expect slow, steady gains if you’re authentic and consistent. Many accounts grow less than 1% per month early on—but real momentum comes from consistent publishing, community interaction, and refining your message. Plan for 3–6 months of consistent effort to see sustainable results from companies social media marketing.
What if I’m not creative or I hate video?
Choose formats you enjoy. If you dislike video, focus on written posts, carousels, and Pinterest. You can hire editing help or repurpose simple content—like recorded audio or step-by-step photos—into multiple formats. The best social media platform for business is the one you can maintain consistently.
Final thoughts and quick next steps
Here’s the takeaway: the best social media platform for business is the one that aligns with your content strengths and where your audience spends time. Companies social media marketing works best when you pick one primary platform, create consistent content, integrate email into your funnel, and repurpose intelligently.
Start small, be consistent, track the right metrics, and prioritize platforms that match your goals. If you want help deciding which platform to pick, schedule a short clarity call with a coach or marketer who can review your audience, your offers, and your strengths.
If you’re reading this thinking, “Okay… but which platform should I actually focus on?” — you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Choosing the right platforms (and building a strategy that actually leads to sales) isn’t about guessing. It’s about aligning your content strengths, your audience behavior, and your business goals into one clear, focused plan.
That’s exactly what I help my clients do.
Inside a strategy session or ongoing coaching, we can:
Identify the best primary platform for your business
Clarify your content style and messaging
Map out a simple, sustainable marketing funnel
Create a plan that turns attention into leads and sales
No more spinning your wheels. No more posting everywhere with no results. Just a clear strategy built around you and your business.
If you’re ready for clarity and momentum, let’s build your marketing plan together.
Come say hi!
Give us a follow if you're ready to take life from good to great, you'll be the first to know when we share more about motherhood and business. If it really resonated, the kids and I would do a happy dance if you left us a review 💗. ~ Brittany
Episode Times & Topics
0:20 What is social media for?
1:15 What content am I posting?
1:42 What content do you enjoy making?
2:34 Best method of sharing
3:15 Target audience
3:42 Looking at the platforms
4:15 Facebook
5:07 Scheduling content
5:20 Shopping on Facebook
6:00 Groups and events
6:49 Twitter
9:17 Linked in
12:43 Tik Tok
17:04 Youtube
19:29 Pinterest
25:33 Instagram
31:19 Focus on ONE platform
32:38 Summary
34:17 How I use them/socials
36:39 Wrap up
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