What social media platform is best for your business?
I still remember sitting in a tiny estate agent's office in Edgware back in 2017, watching the owner frantically trying to post the same property listing to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest all at once. She had a notebook full of different passwords, each platform open in a separate browser tab, and she was convinced that if she missed even one, she'd lose potential buyers.
It took her nearly an hour to post one property across five platforms. When I asked how many enquiries she'd had from each one, she paused. "Actually, I'm not sure," she said. "Maybe none from most of them?"
That conversation comes back to me often when business owners ask which social platforms they should be on.
The Problem Most Businesses Face
Most UK SMEs waste time and energy on social platforms that deliver nothing for their business. They do it because they feel they should, because competitors are there, or because some marketing agency told them they needed an integrated presence across all channels.
But presence alone achieves very little. What matters is whether the platform actually connects you with people who might buy from you.
I've worked with hundreds of businesses over the years, from financial advisers and accountants to solicitors and consultants. The ones who get real value from social media are almost never the ones posting to six different platforms. They're the ones who picked one or two that genuinely suit their business, put consistent effort in, and ignored the rest.
Ask the Right Question First
The first question is not "which platform is best?" but "where are my customers, and what are they looking for when they're there?"
A financial adviser trying to attract pre-retirees will find very different audiences on LinkedIn compared to TikTok. An estate agent selling family homes in Surrey might do well with Facebook and Instagram, while a B2B software consultant probably won't get much from either.
Here's what I've seen work for different types of businesses:
LinkedIn works for professional services. If you're an accountant, solicitor, or business consultant, this is where your potential clients are reading, networking, and looking for expertise. It's not about posting motivational quotes or sharing articles you haven't read. It's about being visible, showing you understand your field, and staying on people's radar when they need help.
We've seen solicitors win significant new clients simply by posting practical advice about employment law twice a week for six months. Nothing fancy. Just useful, readable content that demonstrated competence.
Facebook still matters for local businesses. If you're an estate agent, mortgage broker, or anything serving a specific town or region, Facebook can deliver steady enquiries. Local groups, community pages, and well-targeted ads can bring in genuine leads.
But it requires regular posting, real engagement, and ideally some budget for advertising. Posting once a month won't do anything. Neither will generic stock photos with bland captions.
Instagram suits businesses where visuals tell the story. Interior designers, architects, premium estate agents, even some luxury financial services can do well here. But if your business isn't naturally visual, forcing it rarely works.
I've seen accountants try to make Instagram work by posting pictures of calculators and coffee cups. It looked awkward because it was awkward.
Twitter, or X as it's now called, has become less useful for most SMEs. It used to be good for professional conversation and staying visible in your industry. These days it feels more chaotic, and unless you're in media, politics, or technology, the return on effort is usually poor.
TikTok and newer platforms can work, but only if your audience is there and you're prepared to create the right kind of content. A mortgage broker explaining first-time buyer schemes in short, clear videos could do well. A solicitor posting dry updates about conveyancing probably won't.
These platforms reward personality, clarity, and consistency, but they also demand a lot of time.
The Mistake Almost Everyone Makes
The mistake most business owners make is trying to be everywhere because they're worried about missing out. They spread themselves thin, post inconsistently, and then wonder why nothing happens.
I'd rather see a business post useful content on LinkedIn twice a week for a year than post randomly across four platforms and give up after three months.
What Actually Works
Here's what works:
- Pick one platform where your customers spend time
- Commit to posting consistently for at least six months
- Make the content genuinely useful, not just promotional
- Engage with comments and messages
- Track where your enquiries come from
If it's working, keep going. If it's not, try something different or accept that organic social media might not be the best channel for your business.
You Might Not Need Social Media at All
Some businesses genuinely don't need social media at all. If your website ranks well for the services you offer, and you're getting steady enquiries from SEO and Google Ads, social media might be a distraction.
We've had clients who tried social for a year, got almost nothing from it, and decided to put that time into better content for their website instead. Their enquiries went up because they focused on what worked.
How We Approach This at WEBPRO
When we build websites and digital strategies for clients, we always ask what's already bringing them business. If referrals and search are doing the job, we don't push social media just for the sake of it.
But if a platform genuinely suits their business and they're willing to put the effort in, we help them set it up properly and show them what good content looks like. That might mean bespoke web development that integrates with their chosen platform, or SEO services that work alongside their social presence to create a consistent online presence.
The key is making sure everything works together. A strong website design for UK businesses should be the foundation. Social media, if you use it, should support that foundation, not replace it.
The Simple Answer
The right platform is the one where your customers are, where you can post consistently, and where the format suits what you're selling.
For most UK SMEs with five to fifty staff, that usually means:
- LinkedIn for professional services
- Facebook for local businesses
- Or a well-maintained website with strong SEO instead of social media at all
Don't let anyone tell you that you need to be everywhere. You don't. You need to be where it matters, doing it well, and giving it enough time to work.
If this sounds familiar, drop me a line at anton@webpro-it.co.uk or give us a call on 03333 447 300. I'm always happy to have a relaxed chat and see if we can help.;
