Am I right to post the same message on different social media platforms?
“I have heard that sharing the same post on different social media platforms actually dilutes your reach-is this true.” A frequently asked question at EMS.
The answer is not black and white.
It’s important to share messages, news and posts on all social media platforms as you will have different audiences as well as functions, image formatting and character limits on each one. Also algorithms work differently across social media, for example Facebook and Twitter focus on showing the most authentic and relevant posts, whilst Instagram’s timeline is chronological. So even people who follow you on every platform may not see the same post across all of them.
Cater for your audience
The key is to ensure that each post you share caters for every platform. As stated above, social media platforms attract slightly different audiences. LinkedIn has a more men signed up, (and is more business-focussed), whereas more women use Instagram. So it’s likely people who follow you on one, will not on the other.
Make sure that the post you are sharing is tailored to the audience.
Content is key
Another factor is the way content is displayed on different social media platforms. Instagram does not allow hyperlinks in posts, many people add links to their bio and send people to it in the relevant post. This is not necessary in the other social media platforms, so editing content across the board is vital.
Make sure you include popular hashtags on the relevant platforms, e.g. #motivationmonday (Twitter) and #ThrowbackThursday (Instagram) to increase engagement on each site. Our Instagram audit service will help with hashtags.
Not all social media platforms have the same functions – ‘stories’ on Instagram and Facebook can be used to share a human interest or fun post, or just to mix up ways of sharing. Though other platforms do not have stories, you can still post directing followers to these stories to see more news.
It may seem like a time waster to change each post numerous times, but in the long-term it will pay off as you see great engagement and your company profile raise.
And another thing….
A month by month content plan is recommended, and using programmes such as Hootsuite to plan and schedule in posts.
Remember by creating authentic, purposeful and creative posts, your followers are likely to engage with them anyway.
Sharing the same message across different social media platforms is important to reach a wide audience and all your followers. It does not dilute your reach, but individually creating tailor-made posts every time lets different audiences know you are thinking of them.
For more advice on digital marketing and social media management, contact Blue Cactus Digital. We’ll help you create an entire social media strategy and posts that speak to your different ideal clients!
