Which social media platform fits my business?
In Germany, 40% of people aged 14 and over use Instagram weekly, 31% Facebook and 20% TikTok (ARD/ZDF Media Study 2025). Start with two platforms at most where your audience is, and stick with them for three months.
As of October 13, 2026
The numbers come from the ARD/ZDF Media Study 2025 (by the German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF), from Destatis (the German Federal Statistical Office, March 2026) and from a survey by Bitkom (the German digital industry association, October 2025). We give no user numbers for LinkedIn in Germany, because we have no primary source for them. Changes: October 13, 2026 – first version. Next review: January 2027.
How many people use which platform in Germany?
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Use social networks weekly (aged 14 and over) | 63% (about 44 million people), daily 35% | ARD/ZDF Media Study 2025 |
| Instagram, weekly reach | 40% | ARD/ZDF Media Study 2025 |
| Facebook, weekly reach | 31% | ARD/ZDF Media Study 2025 |
| TikTok, weekly reach | 20% | ARD/ZDF Media Study 2025 |
| Actively use social media privately (aged 16 to 74) | 59% in 2025 | Destatis, March 2026 |
Among 14- to 29-year-olds, about one in two uses TikTok. Instagram is losing ground there for the first time. The growth comes mainly from 30- to 49-year-olds and older people (ARD/ZDF Media Study 2025).
What do trades businesses use?
56% of trades businesses (Handwerk) have a presence on social media or advertise there, up from 40% in 2022 (Bitkom, October 23, 2025). Among the businesses with a presence, the following channels are used:
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| Local communities (for example nebenan.de) | 65% |
| 57% | |
| 38% | |
| 35% | |
| TikTok | 7% |
| YouTube | 6% |
Among the five platforms, Facebook is the most-used in the trades, while TikTok and YouTube are barely used. Bitkom surveyed the businesses by phone (calendar weeks 23 to 29 of 2025).
The five platforms at a glance
The frequencies are guideline values from studies, details in How often should a business post?. For Facebook, Hootsuite gives 1–2 posts per day; for a small business just starting out, 2–5 per week is more realistic.
Which platform fits which goal?
| Your goal | Fitting platforms | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Private customers nearby (hair salon, hospitality, retail, trades for private customers) | Instagram and Facebook, plus a complete Google Business Profile | Instagram (40%) and Facebook (31%) have the largest weekly reach among the platforms for which we have numbers. You maintain the Google profile outside companycore. |
| Business customers (for example building cleaning or trades for companies) | According to its help, LinkedIn evaluates, among other things, whether a post offers knowledge or advice (LinkedIn Help, retrieved October 13, 2026). That suits expert posts. Our assessment. | |
| Apprentices | Instagram, TikTok and YouTube; plus a careers page that can be found on Google | When actively looking for an apprenticeship, 64% (2025) and 69% (2026) use search engines or Google (Azubi-Recruiting-Trends, via Haufe, secondary source). The three platforms make your business visible. |
| Skilled workers | Facebook and LinkedIn | Our assessment without a study of our own: many businesses already use both platforms (Facebook 57%, LinkedIn 35% of trades businesses with a presence, Bitkom 2025). Combine them with a job ad that can be found on Google. |
Is TikTok worth it for my business?
Arguments in favor
- Young audience. About one in two 14- to 29-year-olds uses TikTok (ARD/ZDF Media Study 2025).
- Little competition in the trades. Only 7% of trades businesses with a social media presence are on TikTok (Bitkom, October 23, 2025).
- Apprentice recruiting. The generation born from 2010 on notices apprenticeship advertising on TikTok more often than Gen Z (38% vs. 27%) and on Instagram less often (32% vs. 56%) (Azubi-Recruiting-Trends 2026, according to Haufe).
Arguments against
- Video effort. TikTok thrives on short vertical videos. Photo posts with several images exist too (TikTok for Developers).
- Music rules. Business accounts only see the “Commercial Sounds” in the TikTok app (according to TikTok Ads Help). Using other people’s songs in business videos risks a warning letter (Abmahnung), more in Music in Reels and TikToks.
- Originality. According to TikTok, reused material with nothing new is not eligible for the “For You” feed.
Our assessment: TikTok is worth it if you are looking for apprentices or already shoot videos of your work. Otherwise, start with Instagram or Facebook and test TikTok later for four weeks with two videos per week.
Where should you start?
Start with one or two platforms and keep them up for three months before adding a third. Better two platforms regularly than five occasionally. Examples:
- Hair salon: Instagram, plus a well-kept Google profile.
- Trades for private customers: Facebook and Instagram. Facebook is used by most trades businesses with a presence (57%), and Instagram shows work best as an image.
- Hospitality and retail: Instagram and Facebook.
- Building cleaning for business customers: LinkedIn, plus an Instagram account for glimpses of daily work.
With companycore
You connect Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube Shorts under Backstage › Connections and schedule all of them from one calendar. TikTok is being unlocked step by step. How to connect a channel is in Connect your first social media channel.
Frequently asked questions
Is Instagram worth it for businesses?
For businesses that can show work or results, usually yes: Instagram reaches 40% of people aged 14 and over in Germany weekly (ARD/ZDF Media Study 2025). Expect visibility and trust, not immediate sales.
Does Facebook still make sense for businesses?
In the trades, yes: 57% of businesses with a social media presence use it (Bitkom, October 23, 2025), and Facebook reaches 31% of people aged 14 and over in Germany weekly.
Do I have to be on all five platforms?
No. Start with two at most, where your audience is, and expand after three months.
Is LinkedIn for trades or cleaning businesses?
If you want to reach business customers or skilled workers, yes. In the trades, 35% of businesses with a social media presence use LinkedIn (Bitkom, October 23, 2025).
How do I find apprentices through social media?
They are mostly searched for on Google: 64% (2025) and 69% (2026) use search engines when looking specifically for an apprenticeship (according to Haufe, secondary source). Social media makes you visible, a careers page or job ad on Google makes you findable.
Sources
- Media Perspektiven: ARD/ZDF Media Study 2025, Social media between growth and saturation (in German), 2025 (primary source)
- Destatis: Press release N014 of March 2026 (in German), March 2026 (primary source)
- Bitkom: Half of the trades sector uses social media (in German), October 23, 2025 (primary source, phone survey, n=504)
- LinkedIn Help: LinkedIn relevance, retrieved October 13, 2026 (primary source)
- TikTok: Community Guidelines, Integrity and Authenticity, retrieved October 13, 2026 (primary source)
- TikTok Ads Help: How to use the Commercial Music Library, retrieved October 13, 2026 (primary source)
- TikTok for Developers: Photo Post Reference, retrieved October 13, 2026 (primary source)
- Meta Newsroom: Making it easier to create videos on Facebook, June 17, 2025 (primary source)
- YouTube Help: Upload YouTube Shorts, retrieved October 13, 2026 (primary source)
- Haufe: Image and future of apprenticeships (Azubi-Recruiting-Trends 2025) (in German; secondary source)
- Haufe: Apprentice recruiting, how Generation Alpha looks for apprenticeships (Azubi-Recruiting-Trends 2026) (in German; secondary source)
- Buffer: posting-frequency studies and Hootsuite: details and further sources in How often should a business post?
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