Social media vs TV advertising: can a small firm afford TV?

Key takeaways

On social media vs TV advertising, social video is the practical choice for nearly every small business. Television can now be bought for smaller areas than before, but campaigns still start in the thousands and need professional production. TV makes sense once a firm has outgrown local channels.

• Social video can be tested from £300–£500 a month.
• TV campaigns typically start at several thousand pounds.
• Social video is made on a phone and changed in a day.
• TV adverts need production and pre-broadcast clearance.

What is TV advertising today?

TV advertising is paid airtime during programmes on commercial channels and their streaming services. Besides national and regional spots, broadcasters now sell addressable TV, which shows an advert only to households in chosen areas or groups. Viewing is measured by BARB, the industry body for television audiences.

• Social media marketing vs traditional advertising: what works better for SMEs?
• What is traditional advertising? A plain guide for small firms

How do the audiences compare?

Television still reaches most people but fewer each year. Ofcom's Media Nations 2026 report found that 70% of people watched broadcasters' programmes each week in 2025, down from 73% in 2024 and 78% in 2022. People spent an average of 4 hours 27 minutes a day watching video at home, with broadcasters' content making up 53% of it. The rest is streaming and video platforms.

• Is traditional advertising dead? What the UK figures say

How do the costs compare?

Social video costs far less. A phone, good light and £300–£500 a month in advertising spend is enough for a real test. Regional and addressable TV campaigns typically start at several thousand pounds for airtime, with professional production from around £2,000 upwards. Those are indicative figures, and broadcasters quote for each campaign.

• How much does advertising cost a UK small business?
• Social media video production costs in the UK

What approval does a TV advert need?

TV adverts must comply with the BCAP Code. In practice, UK broadcasters require adverts to be cleared before they air, and Clearcast handles this for the main commercial channels. Scripts and finished films are checked, and you must hold evidence for claims. A social video needs no pre-approval, though the CAP Code still applies to it.

• Offline advertising rules in the UK: what small firms must know
• ASA rules for social media advertising in the UK

Which is easier to measure?

Social media is easier to measure, with views, watch time, clicks and messages reported for each video. TV reports estimated audience. To see its effect, watch searches for your name and direct website visits in the minutes and days after spots air, and give the advert a simple address to visit.

• How to track offline advertising: six methods that work
• How to compare advertising ROI across online and offline

When does TV make sense for a smaller firm?

TV makes sense when a firm sells across a region or the whole country, has a website that converts visitors and has already used up cheaper channels. E-commerce brands with proven adverts on social media are the commonest example.

• A regional or national market.
• A proven message from cheaper channels.
• Budget for production and several weeks of airtime.
• A website ready for a surge in visits.

• E-commerce advertising channels: social, search and offline
• When traditional advertising works better than social media

When is social video the better choice?

Social video is the better choice for local firms, for budgets under a few thousand pounds, and for any business still working out which message lands. You can publish five versions for the cost of an hour's filming and let the results choose.

• Short-form video for small businesses without a studio
• YouTube for small businesses: shorts, search and long form

What is the sensible route to TV?

Treat social video as the rehearsal. Find the message, offer and opening few seconds that perform best over three to six months. Only then spend on production and airtime, using what you learnt. The advert will be better, and the film can be cut down for social media as well.

• 1. Test several short videos on social media.
• 2. Keep the one with the lowest cost per enquiry.
• 3. Brief a producer using that evidence.
• 4. Run TV and social video in the same weeks.

• How to test an advertising channel in six weeks

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see with growing firms: TV is discussed as a sign of having arrived, before the business knows which message wins buyers. Running that message as paid video on social media first costs a fraction as much and either confirms the idea or saves the production budget.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Next step

Film a 20-second version of the advert you would put on TV and run it as a small social advert in your area for a month.