Instagram vs. Facebook vs. TikTok: Where Should a Palm Beach Business Post?

Picture three surfboards leaning against the wall of the shop. One's a longboard, one's a short board, one's a fun little fish. Every one of them is a good board. The question isn't "which board is best?" It's "which board fits the wave I'm about to paddle into?"

That's exactly how I think about Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Owners ask me all the time, "Where should I be posting?" and the honest answer is that it depends on who you're trying to reach, what you sell and how much time you really have. So let's walk through it, plain English, no jargon, with a Palm Beach County lens.

First, who's actually on each platform?

The Pew Research Center's Social Media Fact Sheet is my go-to for this, because it's a big national survey and not a platform bragging about itself. In its 2026 survey (run from late January to mid-June 2026), here's the share of U.S. adults who say they use each one:

• Facebook: 70%

• Instagram: 51%

• TikTok: 37%

(YouTube tops the whole list at 84%, which is a whole other blog post.)

Age is where it gets interesting. In Pew's 2025 numbers, Facebook use peaked with adults 30 to 49, about eight in ten adults under 30 used Instagram compared with roughly one in five adults 65 and up, and adults under 30 were far more likely than older Americans to be on TikTok. In other words: Facebook is the wide net, Instagram skews younger and more visual, and TikTok skews youngest of all.

Now layer on Palm Beach County. We've got year-round locals, young families out west, retirees, and a big wave of seasonal residents and visitors every winter. That mix is exactly why there's no one-size answer here.

Facebook: the town square

Facebook is still the biggest of the three by a wide margin, and it's where a lot of your neighbors already hang out. It shines for:

• Reaching adults 30 and up, including the homeowners, parents and snowbirds who are often the ones making the buying decisions.

• Community conversation. Local groups, event posts and "does anyone know a good…" threads are where word of mouth lives online.

• Practical info. Hours, holiday closures, events, specials and reviews. People check Facebook to see if you're open and legit.

Best fit: home service pros, medical and dental offices, restaurants with a loyal local crowd, nonprofits, real estate and anyone whose best customers are 35 and older.

Watch out for: treating it like a bulletin board. A page that only posts flyers gets ignored. Real photos, real faces and a little personality still win.

Instagram: the shop window

Instagram is where people go to look. If your business is beautiful, tasty or fun to watch, this is your stage. It shines for:

• Visual businesses. Restaurants, cafes, boutiques, salons, med spas, interior designers, fitness studios, boat charters. If it photographs well, it belongs here.

• Discovery. Visitors and new residents search hashtags and location tags to figure out where to eat, shop and book.

• DMs. A surprising number of bookings and questions start in Instagram messages, so answering fast really matters.

Best fit: anything lifestyle, hospitality or appearance-based, especially if you want to reach adults under 50.

Watch out for: the pressure to be perfect. Your feed doesn't have to look like a magazine. Consistent, honest and on-brand beats polished and rare. If you're stuck on what to share, grab my list of 30 Instagram post ideas for local businesses.

TikTok: the block party

TikTok is loud, quick and a lot of fun when it clicks. It's built on short video, and its feed shows people content from accounts they don't follow yet, which means a brand-new business can get seen. It shines for:

• Reaching younger customers, especially adults under 30.

• Personality-driven brands. If you or your team are naturally fun on camera, TikTok rewards that.

• Behind-the-scenes content. How it's made, a day in the life, the funny thing a customer said. Real beats produced.

Best fit: food and drink spots with a young crowd, fitness studios, boutiques, beauty, event venues and any owner who actually enjoys making videos.

Watch out for: spreading yourself thin. TikTok wants regular video. If filming feels like a chore, it'll show, and you'll burn out fast.

So which one should you pick?

Here's my simple gut-check. Answer these four questions honestly:

• 1. Who's your best customer? Mostly 35 and older, start with Facebook. Mostly under 35, start with Instagram, then test TikTok.

• 2. Is what you sell visual? If yes, Instagram moves to the top of the list.

• 3. Do you like being on camera? If yes, TikTok is worth a real try. If no, Instagram photos and Facebook posts will serve you better.

• 4. How much time do you have? Be real. One platform done well beats three done halfway.

For a lot of Palm Beach County businesses, the sweet spot looks like this: Instagram as your main stage, Facebook as your community hub, and TikTok only if you've got the time and the personality for it. The good news is that Instagram and Facebook are both run by Meta, so you can often share the same post to both and tweak the caption, which saves you a ton of time.

Don't forget the seasons

Our season changes the game. From roughly November through April, more of your audience is visitors and seasonal residents, many of whom are older and already living on Facebook, while also searching Instagram for places to go. In the summer, it's mostly locals. Lean into that: more "new in town? here's what we're about" content in the winter, more neighbor love and local deals in the summer.

Start small, stay steady

Whichever platform you choose, consistency is the secret sauce. Posting three times a week, every week, will do more for you than posting every day for two weeks and then disappearing. If you want a starting rhythm, our free posting schedule builder builds a simple weekly plan from the platforms you pick and the time you actually have.

And if you'd love a second set of eyes on where your business should be showing up, or you'd rather hand the whole thing off and get back to running your shop, tell me a little about your business here. I'll get back to you with honest recommendations, even if the answer is "you only need one platform." That's the Daybreak way: catch the right wave, not every wave.