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Published
13 October 2025
Reading time
8 Minutes
Author
Aleah
Page Contents
In today’s digital era, your customers and clients are scrolling, searching and engaging online across a multitude of different social media channels. But here’s the truth: being everywhere at once isn’t a strategy; this is just a waste of your time and resources.
As a business, if you want to succeed on social media, you can’t just post randomly; you need to be the one who understands which channels matter most for your audience and how to use them to your advantage.
In this latest blog post, we are breaking down all the major social media channels in the UK. To tell you who uses them and how to decide which channel your business needs. At the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of which channels are right for your business and a plan to turn likes and follows into real-life customers.
Social media channels are online channels that allow people to connect, share and consume a range of different content online. Each channel has its own audience and unwritten rules you as a business need to follow, especially if you want to grow!
For business owners, the challenge isn’t just posting; it’s showing up in the right place, with the right message, at the right time for your target audience.
If your business is selling to other businesses, then LinkedIn is non-negotiable. With over 42 million users in the UK, LinkedIn is the place to be for B2B sales. It’s where decision-makers spend time interacting and engaging with other businesses to form connections to help their business grow, and if you’re not on there, you’re missing out.
Globally, LinkedIn now has over 1 billion users, with over 70% of its users aged between 25 and 44.
B2B companies, consultants, recruiters, and service providers. Anyone looking to sell their service to you or hire your service for themselves is the target audience for LinkedIn. LinkedIn is also commonly used for people to find jobs or for businesses to hire new employees.
Case studies, industry insights, and professional milestones. Share content that is both informative and relevant to your audience. For example, if you are a digital marketing agency, post about the best social media channels to use.
Professional, authoritative, and value-driven, appeal to the type of user on the channel. Use keywords and relevant information that your users will understand.
97% of B2B marketers now use LinkedIn as their primary distribution channel, and 78% say it delivers the highest ROI compared to other channels.
Think of YouTube as the world’s second-largest search engine. People don’t just watch videos here; they search for answers. YouTube Shorts alone averages 200 billion views per day. Users come to YouTube with the intent to search and find a solution to their problems.
Whether that’s how to build a website or the best CRM for small businesses. It’s also where people go for product research and to watch reviews before making important decisions.
YouTube is used for far more than just how-to guides. YouTube is used by millions; it’s a form of entertainment for many people where a large range of creators and brands can show what they love the most. YouTube helps users find answers and build trust through video.
Video is the only format you can post on YouTube, but no one type of content works. If your content is engaging, informative and finds the right people. Then there is nothing stopping you from having a global presence online.
YouTube is used by everyone. So no matter what content you want to post, there is always a place for it.
YouTube videos often appear directly in Google’s featured snippets, making it a powerful tool for AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) as well as SEO.
If LinkedIn is about authority, TikTok is all about attention, and it thrives on immediacy, trends, and visual storytelling, with 24.8 million active UK users and a 55% year-on-year increase. UK users are now spending an average of 49 hours per month on TikTok, with a growing number of users over 35 years old downloading the app.
TikTok is mainly used for short-form storytelling, behind-the-scenes moments, and trend-driven content that reaches new audiences. TikTok is one of the easiest places for you to grow. No matter your business plan.
Relatable videos, quick tips, challenges, product showcases, reaction videos, storytelling hooks, and content that taps into trending sounds and trends.
TikTok isn’t just a channel for dances and memes anymore. It’s now one of the most powerful tools to help you grow your brand and gain audience engagement. It can work for everyone, and there’s no reason why your business shouldn’t be using it.
The Gen Z audience has shifted to channels like Instagram and TikTok, and remains a strong place for community content, especially for those over the age of 35+.
Facebook is used for people to share content like statuses, images, videos, and external links like blog posts. Users can contribute ideas and join conversations with others who share the same or different interests. It also offers groups, events, and a marketplace.
Facebook is one of the best places to post your favourite content, just like other major channels. Just like Instagram, posting videos and live images will work really well, and always make sure you are engaging with anyone who interacts with your posts.
Instagram is well-known for its pretty pictures. But now it’s becoming a channel that is dominated by short-form reels, stories and carousel posts with useful information. It’s become a place for users to share their favourite content with followers across the world.
Short-form videos, also known as Reels, are user-generated content, which is content you have created, not AI-generated, and interactive Stories that include polls & Q&As. Video is dominating this channel now, with Instagram adding new features to make it easier for people to share their favourite content.
The majority of people using Instagram these days are people aged 18-34, which equates to around 65% of their total audience. But most of the users on Instagram are just looking for short, snappy and entertaining content they can watch, just like TikTok.
Instagram drives trust and brand loyalty. It’s one of the most effective channels for building a recognisable brand. With increasing engagement, you can turn followers into customers.
X, which is formally known as Twitter, is still used by millions of people and is best for real-time updates and news quickly and easily. These days, it’s used by football clubs to update on scores and substitutions or by creators to share their thoughts on ongoing events.
Pinterest is still used by over 570 million people, and Pinterest users are always actively saving, planning, and shopping, showing high purchase intent when using the channel. So if you’re a BTC business, then Pinterest can still be a great channel for you.
Know your audience: Where do they spend their time online, and what channels are they using and engaging with?
Define your goals: Are you building awareness, generating leads, or driving sales using social media?
Match content to channel: Video thrives across all channels, but focus on thought leadership on LinkedIn and trends on TikTok.
Start small, scale smart: Focus on 1–2 channels first, then expand once you see results. Quality over quantity is key.
LinkedIn for B2B is the best channel by far, as the audience on there is mainly business-focused, and it is the best area to reach decision-makers. However, Facebook can also be a great channel for B2B if used correctly.
TikTok for sure! Currently, if you’re not on TikTok, you are missing out on a lot. TikTok is one of the biggest channels and easiest for growth, with videos easily reaching between 2 and 5 thousand people within a week.
2-3 Channels are a good number to start with. If we had to pick 3 for you to start with, it would be Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. For B2C TikTok, Instagram & Facebook. For B2B, we would replace TikTok with LinkedIn. But all channels can work for everyone!
Success on social media isn’t about being everywhere all at once. It’s about choosing the right channels and timings for you and your audience. It’s important to understand the alternatives for each channel, what they like and what they don’t like.
By understanding the strengths of each social media channel and aligning them with your business goals, you’ll stop wasting time and start posting content that works.
At Cefar, we have a dedicated team for social media. Social media is always changing, so it’s important you stay on top of those trends and know how to make improvements to your strategy based on the results from your posts. If you’re ready to upgrade your social media. Get in touch with us today!
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