For founders and marketers in their late 20s–early 30s who can already shoot, edit, and ship content.

1) Start with the right mindset

  • Depth beats breadth: It’s better to be great on 1–2 platforms than forgettable on 5.

  • Format fit is strategy: Your strongest creative format (short vertical video, long how‑to, carousels, live demos) should drive platform choice.

  • Funnel before followers: Pick platforms that match your customer journey, not just where you like to scroll.

  • Owned assets win long‑term: Social is the on‑ramp. Email/SMS/website is the destination. Choose platforms that make that handoff easy.

2) A 7‑step selection workflow

  1. Clarify one business goal for the next 90 days.

    • Examples: “Book 40 local consults,” “Sell 300 units of our new product,” “Fill 2 cohorts,” “Secure 10 B2B demos.”

  2. Define your ICP and context of use.

    • Age, life stage, purchase trigger, job‑to‑be‑done, and where they scroll when that problem is top‑of‑mind.

  3. Audit your creative strengths and constraints.

    • Strong at 15–45s punchy vertical? Lean TikTok/Shorts/Reels.

    • Great at deep dives and screen recordings? Lean YouTube/LinkedIn.

    • Product aesthetics and UGC? Lean Instagram/Pinterest.

  4. Map the conversion path.

    • From thumb‑stop to action: Hook → Value → CTA → Landing (book, buy, sign up, DM).

  5. Check discovery mechanics.

    • Does the platform offer search, recommendations, and shareability for your topic?

  6. Factor in paid amplification.

    • Will you boost winners? Some platforms make targeting and creative iteration faster for small budgets.

  7. Decide on a primary + secondary + experimental stack.

    • Primary drives the goal, secondary supports, experimental tests a bet without derailing execution.

3) Build a platform fit score

Score each platform from 1–5 across these factors. Multiply by suggested weight. Pick the top two.

  • Audience match (×3): How closely does the platform’s active audience match your ICP and buying context?

  • Format fit (×3): Does your best content format feel native there?

  • Searchability (×2): Can people find you by topic/intent over time?

  • Conversion path (×2): DMs, link outs, lead gen—does it support your CTA?

  • Effort to sustain (×1): Can you publish consistently with your current team?

  • Paid leverage (×1): Can $10–$50/day meaningfully accelerate results?

Example scoring: Local fitness coach

Instagram Reels: 5,5,3,4,4,4 → Weighted 5×3 + 5×3 + 3×2 + 4×2 + 4×1 + 4×1 = 15+15+6+8+4+4 = 52

TikTok: 5,5,3,3,4,4 → 49 | YouTube Shorts: 4,4,4,4,3,3 → 43

Pick Instagram as primary, TikTok as secondary, Shorts as experimental.

4) Quick picks by business type

Use these as starting points—validate with your scoring.

  • Local service (salon, coach, home services):
    Instagram (Reels + Stories), TikTok, Facebook/Instagram DMs for booking. Consider Nextdoor for neighborhood reach. Use YouTube Shorts for testimonials and “before/after” compilations.

  • Ecommerce/DTC (apparel, beauty, gadgets):
    TikTok + Instagram as primary; YouTube Shorts for tutorials; Pinterest for evergreen intent; consider creator whitelisting and UGC ads.

  • B2B services or SaaS:
    LinkedIn for POV and case studies; YouTube for product walkthroughs and webinars; X (formerly Twitter) for expert conversations if your niche is active there.

  • Education/coaching/cohorts:
    YouTube for deep value; Instagram/TikTok for lead magnets; LinkedIn for authority if selling to professionals; private community (Discord/Circle) for retention.

  • Hospitality/food/experiences:
    Instagram for aesthetic discovery, TikTok for trend‑driven reach, Google Business Profile for reviews and reservation links; Shorts for behind‑the‑scenes.

5) Platform‑by‑platform mini guide

Instagram

  • Best for: Visual brands, local service discovery, DMs to book, lifestyle/aesthetic products.

  • Native formats: Reels for reach, Stories for nurture and offers, Carousels for education, Broadcast channels for insiders.

  • Strengths: Warm discovery plus strong DM‑to‑sale path; easy cross‑posting to Facebook.

  • Watchouts: Competitive niches require sharp hooks, caption clarity, and frequent publishing.

  • Starter plays:

    • 3 Reels/week: transformations, micro‑tutorials, product benefits.

    • Daily Stories: FAQs, polls, limited‑time offers, UGC resharing.

    • CTA to “DM ‘MENU’ for pricing,” “BOOK” button, or link sticker to calendar.

TikTok

  • Best for: Fast reach with short vertical video; trend and personality‑driven brands.

  • Native formats: 6–45s snappy explainers, transformations, stitches/duets, quick POVs.

  • Strengths: Powerful recommendation engine; great for UGC that becomes ad creative.

  • Watchouts: Volatile reach; needs volume and iteration. Link‑outs can be de‑emphasized, so design CTAs accordingly.

  • Starter plays:

    • Hook in 1–2s, show outcome first, overlay steps, end with “comment ‘GUIDE’ for link.”

    • Test 5–7 concepts in week 1; scale what sticks; consider boosting winners.

YouTube (+ Shorts)

  • Best for: Evergreen discovery, education, and high‑intent searches; products that benefit from demonstrations.

  • Native formats: 6–60s Shorts; 6–12 min how‑tos/reviews; live Q&A for launches.

  • Strengths: Search + recommendation flywheel; compounding library; strong affiliate and lead gen potential.

  • Watchouts: Thumbnails/titles and retention graphs matter; production cadence must be realistic.

  • Starter plays:

    • 2 Shorts/week repurposed from TikTok/Reels (edit captions and music natively).

    • 1 long‑form/week covering buyer objections, comparisons, or “complete guide.”

LinkedIn

  • Best for: B2B services, consultants, SaaS; hiring and partnerships.

  • Native formats: Text posts with strong hooks, carousels (PDF), native video, thought‑leadership articles.

  • Strengths: High trust environment; DM path to demos; useful for social proof and case studies.

  • Watchouts: Needs a clear expert POV; personal profiles usually outperform brand pages early on.

  • Starter plays:

    • 3 posts/week: one opinion, one case study with metrics, one practical framework.

    • Monthly webinar or live demo, repurposed to YouTube and email.

Facebook

  • Best for: Local reach, community groups, older family decision‑makers, events.

  • Native formats: Reels, Events, Groups, boosted posts.

  • Strengths: Groups can drive Q&A and referrals; ads manager integrates with Instagram.

  • Watchouts: Organic page reach can be limited; plan to boost winners.

Pinterest

  • Best for: Visual planning niches—home, fashion, beauty, recipes, weddings, crafts.

  • Native formats: Idea pins, vertical images, short videos.

  • Strengths: Intent‑driven, long shelf life; great for email capture and blog traffic.

  • Watchouts: Requires keyword‑rich descriptions and consistent pinning; slower to ramp but durable.

X (formerly Twitter)

  • Best for: Niche expert communities, tech, finance, creators, journalists.

  • Native formats: Short text threads, quick videos, spaces (live audio).

  • Strengths: Real‑time conversations; great for networking and distribution of ideas.

  • Watchouts: Requires daily presence; can be noisy; measure impact via clicks/Demos booked, not likes.

Reddit

  • Best for: Honest feedback, niche communities, and long‑tail discovery.

  • Native formats: Text/image posts, comments, AMAs, targeted ads.

  • Strengths: High intent in specific subreddits; excellent for market research and pre‑launch validation.

  • Watchouts: Community rules are strict; avoid pitchy posts—lead with value and transparency.

Nextdoor (local)

  • Best for: Hyperlocal services (contractors, pet care, home cleaning, tutoring).

  • Strengths: Geographic targeting built‑in; trust via neighbor recommendations.

  • Watchouts: Mind community guidelines; focus on helpful posts and neighbor testimonials.

Threads / Emerging text‑first networks

  • Best for: Building brand voice and lightweight thought leadership; early‑mover community building.

  • Watchouts: Feature sets evolve—treat as experimental until it consistently drives measurable actions.

6) Cadence, repurposing, and workflow (creator‑level)

  • Cadence that compounds: Aim for 3–5 short‑form videos/week on your primary, 2–3 on your secondary, 1 long‑form/week if YouTube is in the stack.

  • Repurpose intelligently: Shoot once, edit for each platform’s aspect ratio, caption style, and on‑screen text. Remove watermarks; change opening 2 seconds to feel native.

  • Content pillars: Pick 3–5 themes (e.g., “transformation,” “how‑to,” “myth busting,” “customer story,” “behind‑the‑scenes”). Rotate pillars rather than chase trends.

  • DM and comment ops: Block 20–30 minutes daily for replies. Use quick reply templates and keyboard shortcuts for FAQs and lead capture.

  • Creative sprints: Batch record 6–10 pieces in a 2–3 hour block. Edit in waves (hooks first, then captions, then CTAs).

7) Metrics that matter (tie to your funnel)

  • Awareness: Unique reach, 3‑second views, watch time/view, saves and shares.

  • Engagement: Comments per 1,000 impressions; profile visits per post.

  • Consideration: Link clicks, DMs started, “Add to cart,” “Book now” clicks.

  • Conversion: Purchases, bookings, demo forms, email signups—tracked with UTM links and simple landing pages.

  • Unit economics: CPA/CPL from both organic (time cost) and paid (ad spend). Attribute content to outcomes using tagged links and offer codes.

8) A 90‑day test plan

  1. Week 0: Choose your primary, secondary, experimental via scoring. Define the one goal and a single CTA.

  2. Weeks 1–2 (Explore): Publish 10–14 short videos across 3–5 concepts. Track hooks, retention, and comments. Kill weak concepts fast.

  3. Weeks 3–6 (Exploit): Double down on the 2 best concepts. Start light boosts ($10–$30/day) on posts with strong comments/saves or high watch time.

  4. Weeks 7–10 (Systemize): Build templates for hooks, lower third text, captions, CTAs. Create 2 evergreen landing pages aligned to your top concepts.

  5. Weeks 11–12 (Evaluate): Compare platforms by cost per qualified action. Keep the top 2; pause the laggard; pick a new experimental channel if bandwidth allows.

9) Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

  • Chasing vanity metrics: Views without profile taps, DMs, or clicks won’t feed your business. Design content around one clear action.

  • Copy‑pasting without context: Always tweak the first 2 seconds, caption, and CTA for each platform.

  • Inconsistent identity: Keep the same face, logo, colors, link, and bio promise across platforms.

  • Over‑posting mediocre content: Post less but better. Audit your last 12 posts; delete or update underperformers that dilute the feed.

  • Skipping offers: Rotate soft and hard CTAs: lead magnet, limited‑time bonus, “DM keyword,” or “comment for link.”

  • Ignoring accessibility: Add captions, readable on‑screen text, and alt text. It boosts watch time and reach.

10) One‑page decision cheat sheet

Answer these, then choose your stack:

  1. My 90‑day goal is: ____________________________

  2. My ICP scrolls here when deciding: __________________

  3. Our strongest native format is: Short vertical / Long how‑to / Carousels / Live

  4. My CTA: Book / Buy / Demo / Lead magnet / Visit store

  5. Primary platform (score): ____________ (____)

  6. Secondary platform (score): __________ (____)

  7. Experimental platform (why): ______________________

  8. Cadence: ____ short‑form/week, ____ long‑form/week, Stories ____ days/week

  9. Top 3 content pillars: _______________________________

  10. Measurement: KPI 1 ______ KPI 2 ______ KPI 3 ______

Bottom line: pick the platforms where your buyers make decisions, your best format feels native, and the path from content to action is short and trackable. Commit for 90 days, measure by business outcomes, and your social stack will start paying rent.