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Original Platform Data · April 2026

State of Local Business
Social Media 2026

We analyzed anonymized, aggregated data from local businesses using Glow Social. Here's what's actually working — and what's surprising.

April 2026 · Publication date16 local businesses · study population918+ posts analyzed9 platforms tracked
3.5×
average social platforms connected per local business
78%
of local businesses post 3 days per week
53.7
average posts generated per business since joining
7.7%
average engagement rate on Pinterest — the top platform

Platform Engagement Rate

Average engagement rate (likes + comments + shares ÷ impressions) across all posts with measurable data. Higher is better. Minimum 15 posts per platform to qualify.

Pinterest
7.70%
Threads
2.61%
LinkedIn
2.24%
Instagram
2.14%
Facebook
2.01%
Twitter / X
1.76%
Google Business
1.38%
💡 Pinterest dominates. At 7.7%, Pinterest's engagement rate is 3× higher than any other platform we track — and most local businesses aren't using it. Facebook, the most-connected platform, ranks 5th.

Average Impressions Per Post

How many people see each post on average, by platform. Impressions measure reach — how many eyeballs your content actually gets.

Twitter / X
9,345
Pinterest
6,878
Google Business
4,573
Instagram
3,047
Facebook
2,955
LinkedIn
2,704
Threads
2,170
💡 Google Business Profile is underrated. GBP posts average 4,573 impressions — higher than Instagram or Facebook — because they reach people actively searching for your type of business on Google Maps. Most social tools don't post to GBP at all.

Which Platforms Local Businesses Connect

Number of businesses with each platform connected in Glow Social. Reflects where businesses believe they need to be present.

Facebook
14
Instagram
11
LinkedIn
7
Twitter / X
6
Google Business
5
Threads
5
Pinterest
4
YouTube
3
TikTok
1
💡 The intent-engagement gap. Facebook is the most-connected platform (14 businesses) but ranks 5th in engagement rate. Pinterest is 4th in connections but 1st in engagement. Local businesses are still defaulting to Facebook out of habit, not data.

How Often Local Businesses Post

Distribution of posting frequency settings across all active Glow Social accounts.

3 days / week
78%
2 days / week
11%
Daily (7 days)
11%
💡 3 days/week is the sweet spot. 78% of local businesses on Glow Social post 3 days per week — consistent enough to maintain presence without overwhelming followers. Only 11% post daily.

3 Social Media Myths Busted by the Data

The "gurus" tell local businesses they need to post every single day and perform on camera or the algorithm will crush them. Our data reveals a completely different reality.

Myth 1

"You have to post 7 days a week to stay relevant."

The Reality: 78% of local businesses on Glow Social post only 3 days a week. Posting 7 times a week on platforms like Instagram often leads to follower fatigue and mutes your reach, while consistent 3-times-weekly posting strikes the perfect balance for local service providers.

Myth 2

"Facebook and Instagram are the only platforms that matter."

The Reality: Facebook is the most widely connected platform, but it ranks 5th out of 7 in Engagement Rate (2.01%). Meanwhile, the heavily ignored combination of Pinterest and Google Business Profile generates massive engagement (7.7% and 1.38% but with high-intent search actions). The lowest-competition platforms are where you find the highest intent.

Myth 3

"High impressions mean your marketing is working."

The Reality: X (Twitter) drives huge impression volume (averaging 9,345 impressions per post) but delivers almost no actual engagement (1.76%). Your content is simply being scrolled past by bots and doom-scrollers. Don't chase vanity views; chase platforms like GBP where 4,000+ impressions actually result in phone calls.

Methodology & DisclosureThis report is based on anonymized, aggregated data from 16 local businesses using the Glow Social platform as of April 2026. All data is aggregate — no individual business, user, or account is identified. Engagement rate is calculated as total engagements (likes + comments + shares + saves) divided by total impressions, averaged across posts with at least 1 impression recorded. Platforms with fewer than 15 posts in the dataset are noted but may have less reliable averages. This dataset will be updated quarterly as the platform grows.

Data collected under Glow Social's Privacy Policy, which explicitly covers anonymized aggregate research use.

Put This Data to Work for Your Business

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