Why You Should Tailor Your Content for Different Social Media Platforms
November 21, 2024 By Karen Layman, aka Karen
Social media is always changing, and that applies to each separate platform. Each platform attracts followers and the type of content that may work well on one platform may not do as well on another. To have a successful content strategy, you need to tailor your content for different social media platforms.
4 Key Reasons to Tailor Your Content For Different Social Media Platforms
While it may seem like a lot of work, connecting with your different audiences is important. Here’s why you should tailor your content for different social media platforms:
1. Each Platform Has its Own Culture
As social media platforms have emerged over time, each platform has created its own culture. There are so many types of content to post on social media and each platform has attracted people who prefer certain types of content over other types.
For example, Instagram typically attracts the type of followers looking for a particular aesthetic. They tend to value authenticity and visually pleasing content. LinkedIn users are there for business connections and other business-related topics. Those on X (formerly known as Twitter) prefer short, to-the-point, bites of information. These factors are useful as you define your target audience.
Tailoring your content for each platform ensures followers stick around. If the content isn’t working for them, they may move on to another business to find what they’re looking for. However, you don’t need to start at square one for each platform.
For example, tailored content can be one of the keys to a successful product launch. This new product is going to be the anchoring concept for all your content surrounding the launch so you can then tailor it for each platform.
If you plan on using Instagram to share the new product, share a photo carousel of the new product. YouTube would be great for an in-depth tutorial or informational video. A Q&A about the new product is a great way to connect with users on X or Reddit.
2. Each Platform Has Different Features
Another reason to tailor social media content is because platforms have features unique to that network. Instagram has Reels and Stories while Threads and X have their conversational threads. TikTok offers short-form videos, while YouTube is a place for much longer video content as well as short.
These particular formats have been designed for a reason. They keep users on the platform because they like those specific features and content types. Because each platform reaches a different type of audience, you need to know how to tailor your content to connect with the audience on each platform. When you tailor content, you’re increasing social media engagement and interaction from your audience.
3. Different Content Works Better for Different Algorithms
Each platform has a different algorithm at play. Social media platforms use these algorithms when choosing content to show to users. The tricky part is that each platform’s algorithm has different criteria.
Because of these algorithms, you’ll find that content that works well for Instagam’s algorithm may not work on X. Not every type of content works for every business so you may find a platform or two that aren’t a good fit for your business. You don’t need to be on every single platform available so figuring out which types of content work best for your business is helpful in determining which social media platform is right for your business.
4. Your Platforms Shouldn’t Look Repetitive
If your customers or clients follow you on multiple playfirst, posting the exact same content can begin to look repetitive or boring. If they see these repetitive posts too often, they may mentally check out when your content comes through their feed. This defeats the purpose of your business using social media to connect with your customers.
Tailored content will catch their attention, even if they see something similar on another one of your platforms. If they see an informational video about a new product on YouTube, they may feel compelled to search out more information on your blog or X. Take that longer video for YouTube and break it down into short-form videos for TikTok to grab viewers’ attention. This strategy is a great way to repurpose video content that’s tailored to each platform.
6 Tips For Tailoring Your Content to Different Social Media Platforms
Here are a few tips to help get you started on tailoring your content for the different social media platforms you utilize:
1. Identify the Platforms You Utilize the Most
Before planning your content, you should know which platforms you plan to focus on. This will depend on factors like your goals and resources, so you might decide to choose to focus on just one or two platforms.
You should define your target audience on social media and narrow these choices down based on where your target audience is and which social media platforms they engage on the most. Younger customers tend to be more active on TikTok while your older customers may still prefer Facebook. If your audience is in a certain field, like science or business, Bluesky or LinkedIn might be the best platform to connect with them.
2. Customize Content to Each Platform
Once you know which platforms to focus on, you need to consider each platform’s features and culture. Not being familiar with social media platforms and their users is a content marketing mistake to avoid.
Each platform has different possibilities for creating content, like style, length of content, and visuals. There’s also a difference in how users interact with you and others. Try to choose the best format that makes the most of the platform’s features to deliver your message effectively.
3. Repurpose Your Content Where it Makes Sense
It’s important to remember that you don’t need to create different content for each platform each time you post. Doing so can take up a lot of time and energy. Instead, taking different parts of content, like a long-form blog post, and repurposing it for social media allows you to connect with a variety of people. It’s also a great way to encourage users to check out your other platforms. Link blog posts in your Instagram stories or emails for easy access.
For example, take quotes from a blog post and post them on X (formerly Twitter) or Bluesky. Since X has a character limit, your content should be short and snappy, but encourage users to go read more on your blog. On Facebook, take a longer section of your blog post and rewrite it for a more conversational tone to encourage a discussion in the comments. This technique will connect with your audience, increasing engagement.
4. Get the Visuals Right
Visuals are a very important part of content. People like photos and may be more likely to interact with posts that have photos rather than just a block of text. However, you should tailor your visuals for each platform to maximize engagement across platforms.
Use Images In Ways Best-Suited to Each Platform
Say you have photos from an event or product launch. You can post an album along with compelling captions on Facebook, and then take those same photos and post them as a carousel on Instagram.
You can also use those photos to create a reel on Instagram. This not only ensures more people see your content, but it’s also a way to use the same content without posting the same thing on multiple platforms.
Pay Attention to Quality and Size Specifications
You also need to pay attention to your graphics and image optimization. Graphics that are cut off or of poor quality can make your platforms look unprofessional. Making sure your images are compressed and mobile-friendly is just one of the tips for better image SEO.
Be sure to be aware that platforms have different specifications as well as audience preferences. Instagram posts look best in a square or vertical format while Facebook isn’t as specific in photo sizes. LinkedIn users expect more professional photos while Facebook and Instagram are a little more casual.
There are many content marketing tools available to help you get the right specifications for each platform. Canva, and usually many social media platforms too, have tools that allow you to easily resize and reshape your designs to work best on each platform. If you work with a graphic designer, make sure they know exactly which graphics are going on which platforms so they can customize images to suit those platforms.
5. Post at the Right Times
You might think the timing of posts is arbitrary, but it’s actually a really important aspect of social media marketing. You can create a great post with an engaging caption, the right hashtags, and attractive visuals but if it’s published at the wrong time, it may have little to no engagement. If you hope to connect with your audience, you need to reach them when they’re online. This is one of the key tactics for gaining higher exposure on social media.
Facebook and LinkedIn users tend to be most active in the morning so aim to post between 8 am and 11 am. Instagram users are active most of the day so aim for midday. Those on X are the most active in the afternoon so post between 1 pm and 3 pm. Getting the timing right might take some trial and error, but keeping track of engagement and base timing on your highest engagement times can help.
6. Figure Out What Works For You and Be Consistent
You also need to be consistent in posting. Irregular posting is a social media marketing mistake to avoid because it doesn’t show consistency. If someone comes across your account and only sees posts from months ago, they may wonder if you’re still in business.
Even posting once a week helps build that consistency and shows that you are active. Figure out what sort of post frequency works best for you and your resources, and then be consistently active, within reason, across your social media platforms.
This is an overview of why you should tailor your content for different social media platforms. When you tailor content to various features and algorithms of platforms, you can connect much more effectively with your target audiences!
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