There are multiple popular social media platforms, but being present on all platforms is not necessary. Identifying the right platform, creating the right content, and building a community around your brand is more effective and productive than spreading oneself across platforms.
Why Blind Repurposing of Content is Not an Effective Strategy!
This is part 3 of the 3-part series on Social Media by Sivaram Kuppachi. Visit parts 1 and 2 for his insights and tips:
Digital Transformation for Businesses and Lifespan of a Post
Must the Different Platforms be Treated Differently?
Everything and everyone has a purpose. They have their sets of characteristics that aid in fulfilling the purpose. These differences are what enable innovation, choices and progress.
The famous quote “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid” is truly relevant, especially in the digital era we live in.
Everyone is unique in their own special way. Two individuals communicate in different ways, process information differently and also express it in various styles. Now, with this backdrop, let’s look at social media, where we spend a lot of our time, be it personal or professional.
If all social platforms offer the same experience, then why are we on various platforms? Why can’t we be only on one? And so the questions – As a business, should we communicate the same way across channels? Or should we treat the different platforms differently?
Each platform has its own purpose, guidelines and audiences that it caters to. As business owners, marketers or brands, it’s necessary to understand what works where. Objectives for each social platform are different.
Cross-posting content across platforms is not an effective strategy.
For instance, LinkedIn is designed for professional content like jobs, industry news and the like, while Instagram is the perfect platform for photos, stories, etc.
The 2 Ps: Platform and Purpose
There is certainly no shortage of content that can be created. And while your messaging may be the same, it is the way you put it across that ultimately counts. So, the question you must ask yourself is, are you sure your content is reaching the right audience?
Most often than not, the answer to that is simple. You have the right context but the wrong channel!
The Right Platform
Finding the right platform is like finding the right medicine for your body. Let’s take a step back. When the Covid pandemic first hit us, we were all in a frenzy. There was no data and no clear direction about what to and what not to do. Everything was hearsay and we believed it all. What we failed to understand was that we are all unique and a treatment that worked for one did not necessarily work for the other. Similarly, not all social media platforms can be treated the same way.
When it comes to social media, what we must remember is that it is not only one channel that is suited for your business. It’s about finding the right combination of a few channels that will ultimately prove to be fruitful. Identifying whom your product or service appeals to will narrow down your target audience and help you find a suitable channel to market the same.
- If you are a technology service that targets corporate companies, your best bet is LinkedIn and Pinterest will hold no value for you.
- If you have an e-commerce website, marketing through Twitter or Instagram will prove to be more efficient than LinkedIn, because consumers expect faster responses to their grievances and Twitter is the right platform for that.
What is Your Purpose?
Another important aspect to keep in mind while choosing the right channels for your brand is your purpose for using social media marketing. Your answers to the following questions will help you figure out your intent.
- What kind of business do you have – B2B or B2C?
- Are you trying to create awareness for your brand or are you trying to sell your product?
Finding channels that are appropriate for the purpose of your brand is step one. Once you’ve identified where you want to post, your next step is to figure out what to post. When it comes to posting content on social media, your outlook towards each platform needs to be different.
For example, Instagram is a platform that is visual in nature. High-resolution images with catchy one-liners are most effective. Heavy content without the correct imagery is only going to be a needle in a haystack.
It is important to remember that you are not the only one fighting for your audience’s attention. Your content MUST have the power to stop the perpetually scrolling thumbs of your audience.
Social Media Platform Specifications
Repurposing is tricky.
While it’s natural to want to post the messaging across all platforms and there is certainly nothing wrong with it, it is important to see how differently you need to showcase your content. Optimizing your content and imagery in contextual relevance to the platform is key. Ensure that your posts fit the size requirements of each platform.
If regular posts have certain specs, then there are specifics when it comes to posting ads on social media channels too!
The bottom line is while it’s completely fine to want to share the same information across channels, it is important to stick to the set specs and guidelines.
Planning Social Media Campaigns
When planning social media campaigns, it’s easy to get carried away but much like how every patient is different, every platform is different. We spend so much time on the content and the campaign that we forget to think about whether it’s actually reaching the right audience.
If we don’t respect the guidelines of each platform, it’s the brand that suffers. It is the little details that will ultimately help you reach your goal because the golden rule of social media is One size does NOT fit all!
Author: Sivaram Kuppachi, a NICE Friend, is the Founder and CEO at Zamstars, a firm that works in building awareness and reach for brands. He can be reached at info@zamstars.com
The blog first appeared here.
Published by Chitra Aiyer, NICE
To share tips and methods you are using to face the challenges of the pandemic, write to me at chitra@niceorg.in.