Where to Show Up: A Designer’s Guide to Advertising on Social Media

Where to Show Up: A Designer’s Guide to Advertising on Social Media

9/16/25

Where to Show Up: A Designer’s Guide to Advertising on Social Media (Including the Many Faces of Facebook and the Rise of New Platforms)

The internet is a busy place.
Your dream customers are scrolling somewhere right now — double-tapping, commenting, pinning, and occasionally buying things they didn’t even know they wanted five minutes ago.

But if you’re only showing up in one corner of that world, you’re missing opportunities. Different platforms attract different audiences, reward different types of content, and give you different ways to connect.

Here’s your deep dive into where to advertise your creative business — from the classics to the up-and-coming.

The Big Players

1. Facebook (The Swiss Army Knife of Social Media)

Facebook is still the MVP for reaching customers 30+ and building strong communities. But it’s not just “post and go” — it’s a bundle of mini-platforms with different purposes:

Business Page Posts
Your storefront window. Keep it polished, public, and shareable.

Facebook Groups
This is where loyalty lives. Nurture your VIPs with sneak peeks, freebies, and real interaction.

Stories
Quick, casual, and perfect for limited-time offers or “behind-the-scenes” shots. They vanish in 24 hours, which makes them perfect for flash sales or urgency posts.

Facebook Live
Great for launches, Q&As, live tutorials, or casual chats with your audience. People love seeing the human behind the brand.

Facebook Ads
Highly targeted and versatile — you can retarget past visitors, promote posts, or run offers to brand-new audiences.

2. Instagram (The Art Gallery)

If Facebook is the living room, Instagram is the gallery wall. Everything here is about visual branding.

  • Feed Posts: Curated, high-quality images and videos that fit your brand’s aesthetic.

  • Stories: Casual, interactive (polls, Q&As, countdowns).

  • Reels: Short-form video magic that can reach well beyond your followers.

  • Instagram Shop: Lets people buy without leaving the app.

3. TikTok (The Storyteller’s Stage)

Short, authentic videos that can go viral overnight.

  • Great for tutorials, time-lapse creations, “day in the life” videos, and story-driven posts.

  • The algorithm rewards personality and engagement over polished perfection.

4. Pinterest (The Long Game)

Pinterest is a visual search engine, not just a social platform.

  • Evergreen content — seasonal designs, how-tos, and mockups — can drive traffic for months or years.

  • Perfect for pre-launch hype on seasonal products (especially if you post 2–3 months early).

5. YouTube (The Classroom & Stage)

Ideal for tutorials, behind-the-scenes videos, or detailed product walkthroughs.

  • Builds trust and authority.

  • You can repurpose YouTube videos into shorter clips for TikTok, IG Reels, and Facebook.

6. X (Formerly Twitter)

Once known for quick news and witty one-liners, X has shifted toward being a conversation-driven platform with more emphasis on trending topics and thought leadership.

  • Best for sharing opinions, joining relevant conversations, or giving your brand a relatable voice.

  • Threads work well for storytelling or step-by-step educational content.

The Up-and-Coming Players

7. Lemon8

Think of Lemon8 as the love child of Instagram and Pinterest — a lifestyle platform owned by TikTok’s parent company.

  • Heavy focus on curated, beautiful photo and video posts with detailed captions.

  • Great for showcasing styled product shots, mood boards, and “how to use” guides.

  • Early adopters have the chance to grow faster before the platform gets too crowded.

8. Threads

Instagram’s answer to X — a text-based space for short updates, brand thoughts, and casual conversation.

  • Great for micro-blogging, audience polls, and sharing quick inspiration.

  • Benefits from your existing Instagram audience for a smoother start.

9. BeReal

A more personal, “unedited” social experience where you post once a day when prompted.

  • While it’s not great for direct selling, it’s fantastic for building brand personality.

  • Customers love seeing the real you.

10. LinkedIn

Yes, it’s mostly seen as a corporate space — but if you sell B2B (designs for other businesses, branding kits, etc.), LinkedIn is worth exploring.

  • Share your expertise, network with potential collaborators, and post case studies.

How to Choose the Right Platforms

  • Go Where Your Customers Already Are: If your audience is 40+, Facebook is your core. If they’re trend-driven, TikTok might be your starting point.

  • Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin: Pick two or three platforms and master them before adding more.

  • Tailor Your Content to Each Platform: Repurpose, yes — but tweak your captions, formats, and calls-to-action to fit the audience style.

Pro Tip: Cross-Pollinate Your Audience

  • Share your TikTok videos to IG Reels and Facebook.

  • Pin your Instagram photos to Pinterest boards.

  • Link your Facebook group in your Instagram bio.

The goal is to make it easy for followers on one platform to find you everywhere else.

💡 Final Thought:
You don’t have to be everywhere. You have to be in the right places, in the right ways, consistently.
And when a new platform like Lemon8 or Threads pops up? Test it early. Worst case, you learn it’s not for you. Best case, you build an audience there before your competitors even notice it exists.

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