How to Take Advantage of Social Media Channel Diversity

There is no such thing as a one size fits all strategy when it comes to social media content. Just because one post does well on Twitter doesn’t mean it will translate to Facebook. In fact, each social platform has its own unique set of best practices, features and dimensions.

So how do you decide what to post where? First, identify your brand’s target audience. Second, vary your content by channel to play to each platform’s unique strengths:

Twitter is your broadcasting platform.

Given its reputation for breaking news and its ability to generate conversation around a specific topic, Twitter is the best platform for real-time content.  Twitter may have a smaller audience than Facebook or Instagram, but it is the only social platform with an option to accelerate paid social posts, driving both speed and scale in the distribution of your content. Twitter is also home to the strongest social search (outside of Google and YouTube of course), which allows brands to create content around search terms and be part of large moments that closely align with their persona. So, who’s doing it well? @NBAofficial hit real-time gold with their instant replay Twitter strategy.

Facebook is your billboard.

Somewhat different than a news broadcast, Facebook is a major center for discovery, raising brand awareness and telling a more always-on, in-depth brand story. With the ability to rank in the newsfeed for a longer period of time, Facebook has become a storytelling powerhouse for brands. The use of sequential messaging (think three billboards in a row as your driving down the highway) also uniquely positions Facebook as a social channel that can push potential customers through the sales funnel with the introduction of video view remarketing. In addition, Facebook also offers a larger audience than Twitter, as well as native content features (such as its native video player) that provide better creative storytelling opportunities for brands to share original and exclusive content. Some say that Facebook videos reach more fans than any other platform. So, who’s doing it well? Heineken Light used video to position themselves for brand growth.

Instagram is your canvas.

There’s no doubt about it: visual content is more important than ever. As a visual-first, lifestyle social channel, Instagram helps brands move beyond their traditional stock-photo like product shots to transform their content in a more artistic way to inspire viewers. The channel really provides a new perspective for brands to share their persona through a lifestyle lens. Some brands are even getting creative with content, bringing their artistic representations to new levels, such as fashion brand Stuart Weitzman. They used a unique new type of “video” content called a cinemagraph, to stand out among others on Instagram. Who else is doing it well? Go Pro is a natural fit for Instagram, given its photo-forward nature.

YouTube is your TV channel.

YouTube is the most traditional online video platform, and similar to television, it offers brand-specific channels and the largest collection of TV commercials. While Facebook continues to push into the online video space, YouTube still offers brands evergreen content appeal. YouTube is the key online video channel when brands are looking to provide less timely and campaign-specific content. Evergreen content, such as how-to product videos or behind the scenes coverage, provide useful and unique stories. Brands like Red Bull have gone above and beyond when it comes to YouTube content, now owning numerous channels and acting more like a publisher than a brand. So who else is doing it well? Unilever built a unique relationship with their audience by creating more blog-like how-to videos on “all things hair.”