Platform-at-a-Glance Comparison Chart

The big four, the rest, and how to choose. Distilled from Chapters 9–13. Verify the specifics before you lean on them — this landscape shifts fast.

You do not have to be everywhere — in fact, trying to is a fast road to burnout. The smart move is to pick the two or three platforms where your actual crowd lives and go deep. This chart is a fast comparison to help you choose. The figures are a snapshot from this writing; platform features, pay, and demographics change constantly, so treat the numbers as a starting point and verify the current picture before you rely on it.

The Big Four at a Glance

Platform Best for Audience skew Fit for your crowd TikTok Reach, discovery, and going viral with short video Younger-skewing than Facebook, with a substantial adult audience; verify current analytics Great for reach; harder to turn into loyal locals Instagram Visual storytelling, Reels, and the DM inbox where brand deals happen Skews 25–34 and young adults Strong for brand deals and polished content YouTube Long-form + Shorts; search-driven, evergreen; established revenue sharing Broad age reach; the mix varies by topic and format Widest reach across ages — but the most production work Facebook Local reach through Pages, groups, events, Reels, and Messenger Oldest-skewing — Gen X and Boomers Highest fit — the rural Texas dancehall crowd lives here

Money & the One Thing to Know

Platform On-platform pay (rough) The one thing to know TikTok Variable Creator Rewards based on qualified views and multiple performance factors Unmatched for visibility; weakest at building owned, lasting relationships Instagram Variable and feature-dependent; sponsorship income is often more important This is where brand deals actually get negotiated — in the DMs YouTube Established revenue sharing for eligible channels; actual earnings vary widely Evergreen and searchable — one good video can pay you for years Facebook Feature-dependent; local tools often matter more than direct payouts Groups and events are the killer feature for a local bar

The Rest — When Each Is Worth It

Platform What it’s for Worth it if... Snapchat Ephemeral messaging, AR, a younger crowd your audience skews young and local X / Threads Real-time text conversation; platform scale and engagement change quickly you enjoy quick text, news, and banter Pinterest Visual search and planning; skews strongly female you post recipes, decor, or evergreen how-tos Nextdoor Hyperlocal neighborhood network you want the immediate local community around the bar Live (any app) Real-time connection with your audience you can commit to showing up live on a regular schedule

How to Choose

Start where YOUR crowd is. For the older, rural Texas dancehall crowd, that’s Facebook first — not whatever’s trendiest.

Master one or two before adding more. A strong presence on two platforms beats a weak one on six.

Film once, repurpose everywhere. Shoot vertical, then cut a version for each platform — one shoot, many posts.

For brand deals, engagement beats raw follower count — a smaller, engaged audience is worth more than a big, quiet one.

This Is a Snapshot — Verify Before You Rely On It Platform features, creator-pay rates, and audience demographics shift constantly, and any specific figure here will drift over time. Re-check the current numbers before making a real decision on where to invest. The underlying principle, though, never changes: go where your people are, and go deep on a couple of platforms rather than thin across all of them.