“Should we be on TikTok?” is one of the questions we hear most, usually from owners who already struggle to keep Instagram going. It is a fair question. The two platforms look alike from a distance, but they reward different habits.
Here is how we think about the choice for Canadian businesses, and what to do if the answer turns out to be both.
Contents6 sections
Same format, different habits
| TikTok | ||
|---|---|---|
| How people find you | Followers, Explore, Reels, search | Mostly the For You feed and search |
| What your profile does | Works like a portfolio | Matters less than each video |
| Content that works | Polished Reels, carousels, stories | Casual, personal, fast video |
| Relationship tools | Stories, DMs, close community | Comments and video replies |
| Advertising | Meta Ads, shared with Facebook | TikTok Ads Manager |
The biggest practical difference is the profile. On Instagram, people who hear about you often visit your profile to judge you, so the grid, highlights and bio work like a portfolio. On TikTok, most people meet you one video at a time in their feed and may never see your profile at all.
Who you will reach
Instagram reaches a broad adult audience in Canada and remains strong for local businesses, especially visual ones: renovations, beauty, fitness, food, real estate. Its connection to Facebook also makes local advertising straightforward.
TikTok skews younger, though its audience keeps broadening. It rewards personality and consistency more than production value, and many younger Canadians now use it as a search engine for recommendations and how-tos.
A note on TikTok in Canada
In late 2024 the federal government ordered TikTok to wind down its Canadian offices following a national security review. The app itself stayed available to Canadians throughout, and the order was later set aside. For businesses, the practical lesson applies to every platform: never build your marketing on one channel you do not control.
Keep your website, email list and Google Business Profile strong, and treat any social platform as a way to reach people rather than the place where your customer relationships live.
How to choose
- If your results are visual and your customers are mostly local adults, start with Instagram.
- If your brand is personality-led and your buyers skew younger, TikTok deserves a serious test.
- If you sell mostly to other businesses, neither should come first. LinkedIn usually matters more.
- Be honest about capacity. TikTok works best with several videos a week. If you can film once a week, Instagram is the safer bet.
Doing both without doubling the work
Film once, publish twice. Shoot vertical video with a strong first second, add captions, and edit a version for each platform. Hooks, pacing and trending sounds differ a little between them, and platforms tend to favour native uploads without another app’s watermark.
One good shoot a week can feed both platforms, if you plan the clips before you press record.
How to tell if it is working
Views are the easiest number to see and the least useful. Watch profile visits, link clicks, direct messages and enquiries where people mention seeing you on a particular platform. After two or three months of consistent posting, those numbers will tell you where to put your time. Our video production and social media teams can help you set up a rhythm you can sustain.
