Figuring out what to do and not do with your social media strategy can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In many cases, not being on every platform is perfectly fine. And finding focus between two platforms is always going to be better than spreading yourself thin over 10.
And with each app having its own guidelines and rules of engagement, it can be difficult to keep up with it all. But with some prioritization and some extra homework, depending on what industry you’re in, making a couple of key posts on the right platforms each day, week or month can yield some amazing benefits.
Here’s a quick overview of each of the most popular platforms and how best to use them.
Facebook
Facebook has the largest potential reach, but also the most expensive ad rates. To best leverage what it does offer, make sure you use hashtags sparingly because Facebook is pretty strict over spamming categories and topics. Also, you’ll get better reach if you upload your videos to FB directly. Sending people off their platform over to YouTube – owned by a competitor, Google – is not what they prefer. Character count on your posts matters as well. According to CoSchedule, around 110 characters is best. Definitely shorter than you would probably think. And let’s not forget, their IT support definitely isn’t the best.
Instagram
Started as a picture app, then has morphed into a competitor to TikTok, featuring short-form video. To maximize IG, here are a few things to keep in mind. Use location tagging on your post. People love to imagine themselves places, and the algorithm will reward you handsomely for this. Push your hashtags to the end of your post to avoid distractions. Then also strive for authenticity over promotion. Too many mentions of “free” or “deal” can ding your post and lessen its distribution.
Twitter
Twitter, which has been in the headlines lately with a potential purchase, has its own set of governance and handling tips. Insiders know that making sure to respond to any comments you get is key. Correctly placed and sized images accompanying your posts will increase engagement. And be sure to tag – by using the @ symbol – any other Twitter users you may be mentioning in your post. Lastly, a great practice is to use a tool like Hootsuite to schedule your tweets in advance. Huge time saver and ensure you are posting regularly.