How to Grow Your Social Following as a Founder—and Which Platforms to Use

So you want to build in public—documenting the process of founding, launching, and growing your business online—but you’re not sure which platform to use. You could use Substack or Beehiiv to send newsletters, Medium to write blog posts, TikTok or YouTube to post videos, LinkedIn, X, or Bluesky to share text-based posts, or Instagram to post photos. There’s no right answer. Founders of all kinds have grown their businesses by posting on each of these platforms—and many use more than one. Plus, there’s plenty of overlap: You can post TikTok-like videos on Instagram and share X-like text posts on Substack. Still, if you’re at the very beginning of your building in public journey, it’s a good idea to focus your efforts on just one. Here’s a guide to help you pick between some of the most popular platforms right now: Substack, Beehiiv, TikTok, LinkedIn, and X. Choose Substack if… You’re a founder in the politics, media, fashion, or beauty space who enjoys storytelling. Substack, which launched as a newsletter platform in 2017 but now bills itself as a subscription network, reports hosting more than 50 million active subscriptions and 5 million paid subscriptions. The platform recently added video and livestream features in order to court creators who use other paid subscription platforms, but the majority of its content is still long-form and text-based. If you’re considering building in public on Substack, you need to have a love for writing—or at the very least, storytelling. Newsletters on politics, fashion, and beauty seem to do especially well on Substack, which makes it a solid choice of platform if your company is in any of these industries. Many new-age media organizations including The Ankler and The Free Press publish on Substack, which means it’s also a great pick for media entrepreneurs and founders in adjacent industries like public relations. “Substack is where founders can reach audiences who genuinely value a direct, personal connection,” Christina Loff, the platform’s head of lifestyle partnerships tells Inc. over email. “The publications that perform best all share a common thread: a strong, human voice.” Examples of founders whose publications do this well, she adds, include Rebecca Minkoff, who has more than 6,000 subscribers; Dianna Cohen of Crown Affair, who has more than 13,000; and Rachelle Hruska MacPherson of GuestofaGuest.com and Lingua Franca, who has more than 260,000. Choose TikTok if… Your business is targeting Gen Z. It’s no secret that TikTok dominates in attracting young users—and keeping them engaged. The video sharing app rose to fame in 2020 and now has an estimated 170 million American users, many of whom are 28 years old and under. In fact, according to TikTok, 91 percent of Gen Z internet users “have discovered something” on the platform in the past month. So if you’re a young founder, or if you’re starting a business that’s targeting Gen Z customers, TikTok is probably your best bet. All you really need to get started on TikTok is a smartphone and basic video-editing skills. Nadya Okamoto, the co-founder of sustainable period care brand August, for one, has grown her audience to 4.4 million in just four years by filming her daily routine, answering product questions, and posting get-ready-with-me videos. Boutique candy brand Lil Sweet Treat’s founder Elly Ross has gained more than 36,300 followers by documenting her experience of opening four storefronts and launching a line of candy. Before you fully commit to building in public on TikTok, remember that there’s still a minute possibility that the platform will get banned in the U.S. on December 16. Choose LinkedIn if… You’re a founder in the business-to-business space. As a work-centric social media platform, LinkedIn is a great place for you to build in public if your company makes products for or provides services to other businesses. Still, there’s a lot of competition on the platform. More than 69 million companies and 243 million American professionals use LinkedIn, according to the company—and almost all of them are posting about their own careers. BY ANNABEL BURBA @ANNIEBURBA