{"id":25508,"date":"2025-11-13T14:27:01","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T21:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.signs.com\/blog\/?p=25508"},"modified":"2026-06-15T16:23:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T22:23:22","slug":"smb-social-media-trends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qasigns-blog.signs.com\/blog\/smb-social-media-trends\/","title":{"rendered":"The Social Media Sweet Spot: How Americans Discover and Trust Small Businesses Online"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n \n \n\t\n\n\n\n
\n

From scroll speed to trust signals, new survey data reveals what drives action on social media.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>

\n

Social media has become the new storefront window for small businesses \u2014 something businesses are increasingly investing in to either market their brand or sell their products or services. While businesses may invest more time and effort into social media, not all may be\u00a0honing in on the proper methods<\/a>. For example,\u00a0with the average attention span lasting only 47 seconds<\/a>, publishing long-form podcasts about your product may not always be the best method.<\/p>

To\u00a0help small business owners market smarter<\/a>, not harder, Signs.com surveyed 1,000 Americans to uncover how consumers today discover new businesses, what inspires trust, and which types of content drive them to purchase. The findings reveal that all businesses can find social media \u201csweet spots\u201d for engagement that vary by platform, content type, and generation.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\nKey Takeaways\n<\/h2>
\n

\u2022\u200261% of Americans discovered a small business through Facebook in the past six months<\/strong>, followed by\u00a0YouTube<\/strong>\u00a0(48%),\u00a0Instagram<\/strong>\u00a0(46%), and\u00a0TikTok<\/strong>\u00a0(45%).<\/p>

\u2022\u2002Nearly half (49%) spend 10 seconds or less on a small business post<\/strong>\u00a0before deciding to scroll past.<\/p>

\u2022\u200248% say AI-generated content<\/strong>\u00a0makes them\u00a0less likely to trust a small business\u2019s social media presence.<\/strong><\/p>

\u2022\u2002Nearly 3 in 5 (59%)<\/strong>\u00a0have\u00a0purchased from a small business because of their social media content.<\/strong><\/p>

\u2022\u200252% were most influenced by customer testimonials or reviews<\/strong>\u00a0when deciding to buy from a small business.<\/p>

\u2022\u2002Gen Z<\/strong>\u00a0is the\u00a0most likely to find small businesses on TikTok (75%)<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram (70%)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\nWhere Americans Discover Small Businesses on Social Media\n<\/h2>
\n

Discovery is the first step in any customer journey \u2014 and for small businesses, the right platform can make all the difference. When picking the social media site to invest in, the most popular social media sites may also indicate which sites would be worthwhile to post on. The\u00a0top five of Statista\u2019s most popular social media sites<\/a>\u00a0were also among the top social media sites that most of our survey respondents used to discover new small businesses. In particular, when asked where they\u2019re most likely to find new small brands or products, 61% of U.S. consumers said Facebook. But the picture shifts dramatically by age group.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\n\n