By Jaimie Siegle | Advertising Systems Inc.
Navigating the social media landscape in 2026 can be overwhelming for small businesses— especially for those who are still figuring out A) what to post, B) which platforms to post on, C) when and how often to post, and D) which analytics are most important to track.
Read on for a brief summary of the state of social media today, and which platforms pack the most punch for your business.
There was a simpler time when Facebook was limited to college students, Instagram was only used for sharing photos, and Twitter (now ‘X’) was, well, Twitter.
A few decades later, Facebook’s parent company Meta has grown the social platform to a billion users, with help due to its acquisition of Instagram as well as its launch of Threads (which is basically Facebook’s own version of X.com). And thanks to the pandemic, platforms like Twitch, YouTube and TikTok (the most downloaded app of 2020) became major players in the social media game.
As for Instagram, it comprises the features of most of its competitors, most notably its shift from photos to “Reels,” or TikTok-style videos or slideshows that marketers have deemed “short-form content.”
Does Your Brand Need TikTok ?
Unless your full-time profession is an influencer whose income comes directly from social media advertising and partnerships, it’s probably not the best idea to dive head-first into TikTok. However, the right content and copy (this includes captions and hashtags) can yield some success in terms of exposure and lead generation.
This strategy works best for B2Cs such as restaurants, retailers and whose business growth is reliant upon word-of-mouth recommendations. It’s also a potential advantage for health professionals or individual/1099 business owners (think therapists, chiropractors, musicians, etc.).
Instead of focusing solely on TikTok, focus on what types of short-form content are both easy to create/share and how said content can be repurposed for other areas of the internet.
Which Types of Content are Best for Your Business?
A few questions to ask yourself: Can your current blog posts or client testimonials be turned into slideshows? What about data that can be organized as an infographic?
Maybe you’re a makeup artist or general contractor with before- and after- images of your work—could those be used as future marketing content? As digital marketers, we love stuff like this, as it’s considered “evergreen” and will remain relevant long after it was first published.
The best way to take advantage of the “short-form content” wave, in short, is to first narrow down your social media goals and work backwards from there.
Update Your Website, Then Adjust Your Social Strategy
It’s essential for today’s business owners to be online, and that begins with your website. Once that has been updated with the right blend of data, hyperlinks and articles, the social media strategy—in tandem with your email, SEO and GEO AI marketing tactics—can be employed.
