TikTok or Instagram: Where Small Businesses Find Clients

We started posting the same short videos on TikTok and Instagram, and the difference showed up fast: on TikTok, each video was seen by a few hundred people who had never heard of our agency; on Instagram, over the same period, the reels barely left the bubble. It looks like an easy answer — "go to TikTok." It isn't. Across our first six videos, totaling close to 1,700 views, we got one like and two followers. A view is not a client. Below is what each platform does with a small business's video, the "link in bio" trap that almost nobody mentions, and what to measure to know if the video is bringing in real people.

What happened with our videos

In October 2026, we posted six short videos on TikTok about the agency's services: website tips, AI customer service, and video tips. Five of them landed between 130 and 210 views. One passed 870: the one about clients who started being recommended by ChatGPT when someone asks for a referral.

On Instagram, the reels from early October reached anywhere from zero to three accounts each, a sign that the problem was the account's distribution, not the content. With the same video worth hundreds of people on one platform and almost nobody on the other, the temptation is to drop one of them. Before doing that, it's worth understanding why the two behave this way, and what each number actually means.

Why TikTok shows your video to people who don't follow you

TikTok builds its main screen, the "For You" page, with videos chosen for each person, whether or not they follow who posted it. The company itself has explained, since 2020, that follower count and the account's history of successful videos are not direct factors in that selection — an account with more followers tends to get more views simply because more people are following it, but what decides distribution is how people react to the video: whether they watch to the end, whether they rewatch, whether they comment, share, or follow.

In practice, every new video is first shown to a small group. If that group stops and watches, the video moves to a larger group; if they scroll past, distribution stops. That's why a brand-new account with zero followers can get the first few hundred views: it's the test. And that's why most videos stay in that first few hundred: they didn't pass the test.

The video that broke through the barrier, in our case, had two things the others didn't: a clear promise right in the first second, and a topic that sparks curiosity in business owners. That says more about what to post than any rule about timing or hashtags.

What about Instagram?

Instagram also shows reels to people who don't follow the account, in the reels tab and in search, but it weighs the relationship with existing followers more heavily. For someone just starting out, that means less initial reach than on TikTok. Since 2024, the platform has offered trial reels, which go first only to people who don't follow the account and don't appear on the profile — a way to experiment with format and openness without bothering followers. The feature requires a professional account and a minimum follower count that varies by account; check your app to see if the option appears when you post.

On the other hand, Instagram has something that makes a big difference for small businesses: any account can put a link in its profile, and a business profile gets contact buttons. Anyone who liked the video has a one-tap path to your message.

The link-in-bio trap on TikTok

Almost every business video ends with "link in bio." On TikTok, that link may simply not exist. Per the platform's own Help Center:

• regular accounts can only add a website link to their profile starting at 1,000 followers;
• business accounts need to be verified Business Accounts to have the link — verification is done by TikTok and can take up to five business days;
• address, email, and phone number on the profile also require a verified business account.

That was exactly our case: videos ending with "link in bio" on a profile that had no link. Anyone who watched to the end and wanted to talk to us had nowhere to go. It's the equivalent of paying for a flyer with no phone number on it.

The fix has three paths, which add up:

1. Verify the business account. This is the official path to having a link, phone number, and email on your profile without waiting for a thousand followers.
2. Change the video's ending. Instead of "link in bio," ask for a comment ("comment SITE and I'll explain") or a direct message. A comment is engagement, and engagement is what gets the video shown to more people.
3. Spell out the company name and website in the profile. Anyone who searches on Google will find it. It's not as good as a link, but it's better than nothing.

A view is not a client: what to measure

A thousand views with one like say something simple: people saw the beginning and left. To know if the video is working in the business's favor, look at these numbers, in this order:

• Watch time and how many reached the end. If almost nobody gets past the first few seconds, the problem is the opening, not the topic.
• Profile visits. Someone who visits the profile after watching a video is evaluating you. It's the best interest signal the platform delivers.
• Messages and comments with a question. "How much does it cost?", "do you serve my city?" — that's a potential client.
• Link clicks, when there is a link.

On TikTok, this data is in TikTok Studio's analytics; on Instagram, in each reel's insights. Likes and views count too, but last.

So, which of the two?

For most small businesses, the honest answer is: both, with the same video. Filming and editing is the expensive work; posting to one more platform costs minutes. What changes is each one's role:

• TikTok is better for being discovered by people who've never heard of you — as long as the video holds attention in the first few seconds.
• Instagram is better for converting people who already know you: a profile with a link, contact buttons, highlights with prices and testimonials.

Some situations tip the balance. Local businesses, like restaurants, salons, or clinics, gain a lot from Instagram, where local customers already are and the profile works as a storefront. Services that need explaining, like software, consulting, or renovation, tend to do better with videos that teach something, and on TikTok that kind of video finds an audience even without followers. Visually appealing products do well on both.

We talked about why short video sells and how to put one together in why video sells more: a short video guide.

Checklist before your next video

1. Does the first second say what the viewer gains by watching?
2. Does the video have captions? Many people watch without sound.
3. Does the ending ask for an action that's possible on that platform — a comment on TikTok without a link, a link on Instagram?
4. Does the profile have the company name, what it does, and how to reach it?
5. Will you check profile visits and messages three days from now, not just the views?

How we work

At our agency, every video is produced in vertical format, with word-by-word captions, graphics and animated numbers timed to the speech, and two closing versions: one for Instagram, with a link, and one for TikTok, asking for a comment. After publishing, we look at the numbers that matter and adjust the next opening. If you'd like videos like these for your business, check out our promotional video production.