Not All Social Media Platforms Are Created Equal

Social media has taken over the marketing world. In fact, according to recent reporting, companies are as likely to be utilizing a website as they are to be utilizing social media channels for their sales. Social media is the great uniter as nearly everyone partakes in at least one platform. 

This makes social media an amazing free tool for businesses of all sizes to create organic reach with a larger audience, and more importantly reach new customers. But as we all know, each social media platform has its own vibe [not to mention it’s own algorithm] and not all content does equally well across all platforms. 

Depending on your brand, your product, your target audience, and how you like to showcase your offers, some platforms might serve you better than others. This is exactly why it’s important to understand as much as you can about your ideal client before you hit publish on that first post. As you post more you’ll learn what type of content resonates most with your target audience and be able to hone in on what to post on social media for the maximum benefit. 

It’s also important to choose the social media outlet that aligns with your overall business goals. If you’re wanting to leverage affiliate marketing or influencer partnerships, for example, platforms with large proportions of short form video content and high familiarity with user generated content [like Instagram and TikTok] would serve your goals well.

If on the other hand, your primary goal is to increase traffic to your website, you’d want to focus more on platforms that optimize for outside linking [like Facebook or Twitter]. Once you have these elements nailed down, the next steps and platforms to focus on become a lot more obvious. 

No matter the platform though, when you’re deciding what to post on social media, the thing that perhaps matters the most is consistency. Platforms recognize and appreciate consistency in their users and reward accounts that make an effort to show up on social media on a regular schedule. The schedule isn’t the only type of consistency that matters though, maintaining a consistent brand voice within your social media channels is equally important as well. Your audience should know what to expect from you, this builds trust and authority in your brand over time. 

So now that we’ve got the ground rules down, let's dive into the nitty gritty of actually what to post on social media!

What to Post on Each Social Media Platform

As mentioned above, each social media platform has its own vibe and algorithm. These algorithms are optimized to improve the user experience and keep people engaged for longer. As we all know, leveraging a social media algorithm is like trying to hit a moving target, things are always in flux. It’s vital to have a flexible mindset when it comes to deciding what to post on social media. 

So, when it comes to social media, let’s all strive to be like one of those inflatable tube men at car dealerships: flexible, able to change direction at a moment's notice, and engaging!

But before we can dive in and start creating content, we first need to take a look at what each platform prioritizes, who their audience is, and just to balance it out, some downsides to each platform as well. Here we go!

Instagram

Audience

• Primary age rage: 18-34 years old

Content that Does Well

• High quality video and images (it was afterall a photo sharing app in the beginning)

• Behind the scenes content for your brand

• User-generated content

• Hashtag challenges and campaigns

• Product teasers or launches

• Stories to engage and build trust

Pros  

• You can set yourself apart with visuals. Younger demographic. Ideal platform for working with influencers. Easy to sell on Instagram. 

Cons

• The algorithm is constantly changing. Not optimized for linking to outside websites. High competition. 

Facebook

Audience

• Primary age rage: 25-54 years old

Content that Does Well

• Longer videos that engage your audience (tutorials, walk-throughs)

• Live videos

• Infographics

• Giveaways or Contests

• Polls and Quizzes

• Motivational/Inspirational content

Pros  

• Facebook has a large and varied user base. Encourages community building and engagement. 

Cons

• Organic reach can be difficult. Paid ads are increasing in cost. Somewhat difficult to reach and engage with older demographics. 

Pinterest

Audience

• Primary age rage: 25-44 years old

Content that Does Well

• Educational and how-to content

• Infographics

• Shopping guides and product related pins

• DIY projects or home improvement related content

• Visually appealing, standout images

Pros  

• Shelf-life of content is much longer than other platforms. Increased conversion because people are searching for answers on this platform. Purchase minded users who come to this platform wanting to buy. Great for visually appealing marketing strategies.

Cons

• Engagement on this platform is limited. Can take increased time to build a following and brand loyalty. 

LinkedIn

Audience

• Primary age rage: 24-54 years old

Content that Does Well

• Informative articles or blogs

• Industry updates or news

• Thought provoking content

• Brand behind the scenes/company culture

• Networking posts

• Business to business marketing content (B2B)

Pros  

• Best platform for business to business marketing models. Great for thought leaders. Optimized for professional networking.  

Cons

• Organic reach is difficult. Visually appealing content not prioritized. Not ideal for marketing directly to consumers. 

YouTube | YouTube Shorts

Audience

• Primary age rage: 18-49 years old

Content that Does Well on YouTube

• How-to video, educational, or walkthrough videos

• Vlogs or day in the life videos

• Product reviews or comparisons

• Current events

Content that Does Well on YouTube Shorts

• Short attention grabbing videos

• Trendy or music based videos

• Quick tips or tutorials

• Sneak peek videos

• World or celebrity news

Pros  

• Large and varied user base. Optimized for video content. Lots of monetization options. Linking to an outside website is easy.

Cons

• High competition. SEO research is likely necessary for ranking well. Community building can be slow on this platform. 

Twitter

Audience

• Primary age rage: 18-49 years old

Content that Does Well:

• Breaking news and current events

• Controversial posts/opinions

• Tagging other users or interactive posts

• Posts using graphics or videos

Pros  

• Building community and authority can be quick. Great for getting out quick brand updates. Virality potential. Can be effective for driving website traffic. 

Cons

• Short posts don’t provide room for educational types of content. Limited analytics available. Businesses that don’t prioritize direct engagement with their customers on Twitter are less likely to see community building there. 

From this list you can see that knowing what to post on social media is a little bit of an art and a science. There’s science in knowing who your target audience is and how you can solve their problem and there’s art in the execution of that vision. 

Working Smarter Not Harder

The concept of working smarter not harder sounds great, a little played out maybe but still appealing! But it’s a bit of an abstract notion, right? What does it actually mean to work smarter not harder, especially when it comes to posting on social media?

Well, to get you started we thought we’d give you a leg up and share our Social Fox’s Guide to Repurposing Your Content! Being omnipresent on social media these days is really important and helps to build trust with your audience but the thought of creating original content for every platform is in a word: daunting.

But we’re working smarter, not harder, right? Yes! So jump in and grab our guide! 

But working smarter not harder goes farther than just repurposing your content on social media. You’ve also got to learn from your audience and dial in the type of content that’s converting for you. 

Each social media platform has their own version of analytics, even if they are basic at best, they still give you valuable information. After you’ve implemented a new social media strategy, post style, or introduced a new offer, you need to be looking at how your audience is responding. 

We’ve got more tips for this in our Repurposing Guide, don’t worry. 

Are the views up for that post? Did it get lots of likes but no comments? Maybe lots of shares but no likes? What’s the common thread? What was your call to action for that post? Download a lead magnet or follow your account? All of this information goes along with the science of what to post on social media. 

In short: social media should be data-driven. If you’re using the spaghetti technique for your posts [throwing things at the platform to see what sticks] you’ll burn yourself out before you find your stride. Treat your social media like any other aspect of your marketing: test, test, test!

Did one of your posts do particularly well? Recreate that post with a different spin! Was it a short-form video post first? Try it as a feed post or infographic. Was it an educational talking head or how to video? Try it with a trending sound and text on screen. 

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel with each new month’s posts. Instead, revisit topics that you know your audience has responded well to in the past, just in a different light. In short, work smarter not harder. 

Social media marketing isn’t going anywhere and is definitely going to grow for years to come. Now is the time to buckle down and get to work on building an engaged social community full of avid fans and customers for your business!