Facebook, Instagram or TikTok: Which Platform Should an Aurora Business Use?

Last updated: October 2026 · By Kelly Noble Mirabella, Fractional Social Media Director and Founder of Stellar Media Marketing (Aurora, CO)

Quick answer: Pick by who buys, not by what's trendy. If your customers are 30 to 64, start with Facebook, which 71% of U.S. adults use per Pew Research Center's 2025 data. If they're under 30, add Instagram or TikTok. Every Aurora business also needs a current Google Business Profile, since 18 of my last 20 audits found a stale one.

Here's the if/then framework I use with Aurora and southeast metro clients, plus the client numbers that convinced me there's no universal answer.

Who actually uses Facebook, Instagram and TikTok in 2025?

Facebook still reaches the most adults of the three, Instagram skews under 30, and TikTok is the youngest and fastest growing. Pew Research Center surveyed 5,022 U.S. adults from February 5 to June 18, 2025 for its Americans' Social Media Use 2025 report. Here's what it found:

• Facebook: used by 71% of U.S. adults and 80% of 30- to 49-year-olds. About half of adults visit daily.
• Instagram: used by 50% of adults overall, 80% of adults 18 to 29, and just 19% of adults 65 and older.
• TikTok: used by 37% of adults, up from 21% in 2021. Pew's March 2026 TikTok analysis puts it at 63% of adults under 30, 44% of those 30 to 49, 30% of those 50 to 64, and 12% of those 65 and older.

Why does Aurora's age mix change the answer?

Aurora is younger than the country, which makes Instagram and short video more relevant here than national averages suggest. The City of Aurora's 2023 fact sheet lists a median age of 35.0, while the U.S. Census Bureau reports a national median of 39.1 in 2024.

Census QuickFacts adds more context worth planning around:

• 410,053 residents as of July 1, 2025, in 145,310 households.
• 23.9% under 18 and 12.4% age 65 or older, so a lot of your buyers are parents.
• 62.4% owner-occupied housing, which is a big pool of homeowners for home services.
• 33.1% speak a language other than English at home, and 22.4% were born outside the U.S.

A younger city doesn't mean your customer is young, though. The homeowner in Saddle Rock pricing a new patio is not the 24-year-old looking for dinner on Havana Street. Plan for your buyer, not the city average.

Which platform should each type of Aurora business start with?

Start with the one platform where your buyer already spends time, then add one supporting channel, not four. This is the decision framework I use:

1. Home services (roofing, HVAC, remodeling, landscaping): If your buyer is a homeowner 35 to 64, then start with Facebook, keep your Google Business Profile current, and use Nextdoor for neighborhood trust. Add Instagram as a portfolio if your work is visual.
2. Restaurants and cafes: If your crowd is mostly under 35, then lead with Instagram and TikTok short video. If it's families and regulars, then run Facebook and Instagram together. Either way, your Google Business Profile hours, menu, and photos have to be right. Discovery matters here: 5280 Magazine counted more than 100 restaurants and about 20 international markets along Havana Street's 4.3 miles.
3. Retail and boutiques: If you sell something people want to see, then Instagram first, with Facebook second for events and older shoppers. If your product demos well in 30 seconds and your shoppers are under 30, then test TikTok.
4. Med spas and salons: If your clients are 25 to 45, then Instagram first for before-and-afters and Reels. If they skew under 30, then add TikTok. If they're 45 and up, then Facebook earns a spot. Reviews on Google matter for every one of them.
5. Professional services (accounting, law, insurance, financial planning): If people find you by searching, then your Google Business Profile comes first and Facebook second. Skip TikTok unless you genuinely like being on camera.

Where do Nextdoor and Google Business Profile fit?

They're supporting channels: not a replacement for a main platform, but where ready-to-buy neighbors check you out before they call.

Google Business Profile is non-negotiable. BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey found 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, Google remains the top review source at 71% (down from 83% in 2025), and 74% look for reviews from the last three months. Yet in my last 20 free audits for Colorado businesses, 18 had a stale profile. That's the easiest win in local marketing.

Nextdoor says it reaches 1 in 3 U.S. households and averaged 22.9 million weekly active users in the quarter ending June 30, 2026. For home services and neighborhood businesses around Southlands, Tallyn's Reach, and Saddle Rock, it's where recommendations happen. I break down when it's worth your time in Is Nextdoor Worth It for Local Businesses in Southeast Denver?

Why did Facebook win for one client and TikTok for another?

Because audiences differ even inside the same industry, and my own client numbers prove it. Both of these clients sell big backyard projects:

• Outdoor kitchen builder, Facebook: views doubled to 212,000 in 2025, up 100.9% from 2024, with engagement up 51%.
• Custom pool builder, TikTok: views doubled to 36,000, engagement up 507.6%, and followers up 616.7% in the 90 days from June 19 to September 16, 2026.

Forcing both onto one "backyard platform" would have cost one of them its growth.

"Every owner asks me which platform is best, and my honest answer is the one your buyers already open every day. I've watched Facebook double views for an outdoor kitchen builder and TikTok take off for a pool builder. Same backyard, different audience. Pick one, do it well for 90 days, then let the numbers tell you what's next." Kelly Noble Mirabella, Fractional Social Media Director and Founder, Stellar Media Marketing

How many platforms should a small Aurora business run?

Two platforms plus Google Business Profile is the right number for most businesses with no full-time marketer. More than that and quality drops. In those same 20 audits, nearly 60% of businesses had generic or ineffective content, and spreading thin is usually why.

1. Pick your main platform using the framework above.
2. Post consistently for 90 days with formats built for that platform.
3. Update Google Business Profile weekly.
4. Review views, engagement, and inquiries, then decide whether to add a second platform.

Not sure which platform fits your Aurora business?

I'm a Fractional Social Media Director based in the Southlands area of Aurora with 18 years in social media marketing, and I do the work myself: strategy, content, posting, and reporting. My Aurora social media marketing packages start at $1,200 a month with weekly Google Business Profile posts included. Essentials doesn't include TikTok or YouTube, so if short video is your main platform, we'll talk about the right fit. See all options on my services page.

Book a discovery call or ask for a free social media audit, and I'll tell you on a video call which platform I'd bet on for your business.

Related reading: How to Use Google Business Profile Posts to Get More Calls and How to Run a Social Media Audit for Your Small Business.

Frequently asked questions

Is Facebook still worth it for local businesses in 2026?

Yes, especially if your customers are 30 or older. Pew Research Center found 71% of U.S. adults use Facebook, including 80% of 30- to 49-year-olds, and about half visit daily. For homeowners and parents, it's still the widest reach you can get.

Should my Aurora business be on TikTok?

If your customers are under 30 or your product looks great in short video, test it. Pew reports 63% of adults under 30 use TikTok, but only 12% of those 65 and older. Commit to 90 days before judging it.

Is Instagram or Facebook better for a restaurant?

Instagram usually wins for a younger crowd, since 80% of adults 18 to 29 use it. Facebook is better for families, regulars, and events.

Do I need Nextdoor if I already post on Facebook?

If you're a home service or neighborhood business, it's worth a look, because Nextdoor says it reaches 1 in 3 U.S. households.

How often should I update my Google Business Profile?

Weekly. I post to Google Business Profile every week for clients because BrightLocal found 74% of consumers look for reviews from the last three months, and freshness signals an active business.

Should I post in Spanish or other languages?

If a meaningful share of your customers speak another language, yes. Census data shows 33.1% of Aurora residents speak a language other than English at home, so bilingual captions can reach people your competitors ignore.

How long before I know a platform is working?

Give it 90 days of consistent posting. That's the window where my pool builder client's TikTok engagement grew 507.6%.

Changelog: October 2026, first published.