Which social media platforms should a service business be on?
Usually one or two platforms, chosen by where your customers already spend time, rather than a thin presence everywhere. In Pew Research Center's 2026 survey, YouTube and Facebook were the most widely used platforms among U.S. adults and about half used Instagram, while use of Instagram and TikTok was far lower among older adults. Match the platform to the people who hire you, post on a rhythm you can keep, and judge it by inquiries, not followers.
Who uses which platform
Pew Research Center's fact sheet "Americans' Use of Social Media in 2026" says YouTube and Facebook are the most widely used social media platforms in the United States, and that about half of U.S. adults say they use Instagram. It is based on a survey of 5,511 U.S. adults conducted from January 30 to June 18, 2026. Use varies a lot by age. These are the shares in each age group who said they ever use each platform.
| Platform | Ages 18-29 | 30-49 | 50-64 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 95% | 91% | 85% | 65% |
| 69% | 78% | 71% | 59% | |
| 79% | 64% | 41% | 21% | |
| TikTok | 65% | 45% | 31% | 11% |
| 41% | 37% | 32% | 13% | |
| Nextdoor | 10% | 21% | 19% | 18% |
Match the platform to your customers
These are rules of thumb, not Pew's advice; the figures come from the table above.
- If most of the people who hire you are over 50, far more of them use Facebook and YouTube than Instagram or TikTok.
- If many of your customers are under 30, Instagram and TikTok are worth a look alongside YouTube.
- If you serve other businesses, LinkedIn can reach the people who make the decision.
- If you serve homes in a set area, Nextdoor may be worth a look; the related answer on Nextdoor covers whether it pays off.
One or two, done well
A profile that has not posted in months can make a business look closed, so it is often better to keep one main platform active than five half-empty ones. Pick the platform your customers use most, add a second only when the first runs itself, and run both from accounts the business owns, as the related answer on tracking social media messages explains.
How often to post
There is no single right number. A rhythm you can keep for a year usually beats a burst of daily posts that stops after a month. Tie posts to the work itself: a finished job, a before-and-after, a short answer to a question customers ask, so posting does not become a separate chore.
Judge it by inquiries
Followers and likes say little about jobs. Record every inquiry from a post or a message with social as its channel and the platform in the notes, follow each to won, lost or still open, and record anything from a boosted post or ad as paid. After a few months, keep the platform that brings work and drop the one that does not.
Sources
Related answers
- Do you need a website if you already get customers from social media?
- How do you keep track of leads that come in through Facebook, Instagram and other messages?
- Is Nextdoor worth it for a local service business?
Lead generation and lead tracking
A lead that waits a day goes cold, and a lead with no source teaches you nothing. Ascent Vision fixes both.