6+ Best Social Media Platforms for Small Businesses in 2026

As of July 2024, there were 5.17 billion social media users worldwide. That’s 63.7% of the world’s population and 94.5% of the world’s internet users. With the number of monthly users only projected to grow, your business can’t afford to be silent on social media platforms. But which ones should you use? Do you need to create a profile for every single platform out there? To help you better understand how to incorporate socials into your marketing strategy, here are 11 of the best social media platforms for small businesses to consider.

6 Best Social Media Platforms to Utilize in 2026 and Beyond

Regardless of your age and where you live, chances are you’ve been active on at least one social media site this year. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have billions of daily users and are among the top social media sites in the world, but they’re not the only ones.

Social media advertising can be done across several channels, from professional networks to video-sharing apps. So, which one should your business be active on? Some of the most successful social media platforms for small businesses in the upcoming years include the following.

1. Facebook

Facebook remains a powerhouse, with over 3 billion monthly active users globally. It’s the largest social networking platform and offers built-in advertising tools to help small businesses reach their target audiences. It might not be as popular with younger users, but it’s part of Meta, Inc.’s umbrella company, which owns many other social media sites. Regardless, Facebook is a great social media platform for getting more clients if your demographic uses it.

To make the most out of Facebook’s powerful marketing tools, focus on using their tools to target users based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. Some industries that tend to perform the best on Facebook include eCommerce, retail, financial services, technology, consumer goods, and media. However, the gaming, entertainment, and automotive industries are also finding success with content marketing and paid social advertising on Facebook. The best option is to focus on Facebook ads, as businesses tend to see more success here than organic newsfeed engagement.

2. YouTube

YouTube continues to be one of the top platforms for businesses to reach a broad audience through engaging video content. This popular social media network has over 2.5 billion monthly active users and is great for small businesses looking to build trust with their audience.

Small businesses can create a YouTube channel to share short-form content and longer, in-depth videos. YouTube’s search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities also make it easy for users to discover content. It’s a particularly effective tool for companies looking to visually demonstrate their products and services, which can drive significant engagement and lead generation. Just make sure that you stay active with this social media channel, as your subscribers may expect you to produce new content regularly.

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3. Instagram

Instagram was once marketed as a “silent” social media platform, but today is filled with videos and reels. Its focus remains on visual social media, although a partner app, Threads, is interconnected and used for sharing thoughts and ideas. Instagram is another one of the largest social media sites, with 2 billion monthly active users. Like Facebook, there are several tools that businesses can use to schedule posts, monitor engagement, and promote specific stories or reels. Typically, the lifestyle, fashion, and hospitality industries perform best on this social networking site, but anyone can use it.

Small businesses can also use Instagram business to create targeted ads to reach specific demographics, and their shoppable posts enable easy purchasing. Engagement rates tend to be high on Instagram, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to connect with audiences, especially those under 35. Live videos are also available for Q&A-type interactions, allowing for personalization and real-time customer engagement.

4. Snapchat

Snapchat’s 800 million users are primarily younger audiences, with its user base largely comprising Gen Z. It offers small businesses the chance to connect with this demographic through creative, engaging content. Still, it may not be ideal for all businesses. If your demographic is strictly Gen Z, Snapchat is a great way to showcase your brand’s fun and playful side while staying trendy. There are advertising options and engagement tools, so it’s a social media strategy worth looking into.

5. X (formerly Twitter)

X, previously known as Twitter, is known for its real-time communication and broad reach, with 600 million monthly active users. It’s a good option if you want to engage directly with your audience or share live updates, but some people feel that X is going downhill.

Still, X’s ad platform allows businesses to target users based on interests and behaviors, while its hashtag feature can amplify content reach. Since it doesn’t require many visual demands, it’s fairly straightforward to create a prescience on this popular social media site.

6. What About TikTok?

TikTok is an extremely popular social media platform, especially for younger demographics. With over a staggering 1.5 billion monthly active users worldwide (170 million in the US) and a pretty user-friendly interface, should small businesses put effort into creating TikToks for their marketing strategy? For now, yes. TikTok is an easy place to become an influencer, go viral, or build a social network. Small businesses can easily create short videos (between 15 seconds and 10 minutes) that appeal to their target audience and can be shared between friends. Since TikTok is a social platform that thrives on engagement, the more your videos are shared, liked, or commented on, the more people will see them.

However, there’s been talk of TikTok getting banned in the US for the last four years. As of now, the owners of TikTok—ByteDance, a Chinese company—have until January 19, 2025, to either sell or shut down their operations in the US. So, if you don’t have a profile yet, it might be worth waiting to see what happens and focusing your efforts on other social media sites.

5 Other Social Media Platforms to Consider

In addition to building your profiles and cultivating engagement, your social media marketing may also want to include one or more popular messaging apps. These technically fall under the realm of social media, but you don’t need to do much in terms of building a profile. Instead, having these options available for contact forms can help expand communication channels and appeal to different demographics. Popular messaging apps include the following.

1. WhatsApp — WhatsApp has over 2 billion users and is a great way to offer direct customer communication and automated messaging for FAQs.

2. WeChat — WeChat is primarily popular in China, with over 1.2 billion users. It’s ideal for businesses that want to interact with the Chinese market but not necessarily for those looking to communicate with local audiences.

3. Telegram — Telegram is a quick-growing communication app that has several options for broadcasting messages. With over 700 million monthly users, it’s a good option to use their Groups or Channels features to create community discussions.

4. Messenger — Facebook Messenger is now a standalone app, but it’s still integrated with the largest social media platform. With over 1.3 billion users, Facebook Messenger is essential for any SMB with a Facebook profile.

5. Discord — Discord was initially focused on the gaming industry, but businesses are beginning to use it to build engaged communities and brand loyalty. It’s an up-and-coming option allowing a unique way to market your business.

How to Choose the Best Social Media Platforms for Your Business

Although there are several options, including every platform in your social media marketing strategy is not necessarily a good idea. While many are a great way to promote your business and build brand awareness, you also need to consider your business goals. If your demographic isn’t active on a specific social media app, it’s probably not the best platform to spend your time on. Instead of creating a social media account for every platform on this list, consider choosing a few to start your social media network off strong. Being strategic about using the platforms as a digital marketing tool is a great way to create an authentic alignment that supports organic growth and long-term engagement.

If you’re struggling to use social media effectively or simply don’t have the time to build a user base, partner with Operation Technology today. We offer comprehensive social media management to help you build your social media presence, brand awareness, and customer base online.

We offer highly customized social media marketing services, including Facebook advertising services, to help companies of all sizes with their ongoing social media marketing needs. With your best interests in mind, Operation Technology’s social media team can create an affordable social marketing plan that begins with us learning about your business and ends with your satisfaction with its growth. To learn more about our social media marketing services, give us a call today.