The Smart Beginners Guide To Cross-Posting On Social Media

“There are so many social networks! Do I need to post something different on each one?”

As to most strategy questions, there is no right answer…

But there are plenty of methods that don’t work, so in this post I’ll give you 3 guidelines that will help.

When creating content for multiple social networks… think it through

Each platform is a different medium with a unique audience and unique capabilities. Not everything that works on one will have a similar effect elsewhere.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t post the same content across platforms.

When cross-posting, find the balance between what will provide the greatest value to your audience and how much time you spend.

You probably have better things to do than spend your entire day creating content. But the appearance of care and effort is a big plus.

Of course, it’s easy to post to 2 networks at once. But that can have consequences if not done strategically.

Blindly cross posting from Facebook to Twitter is the same as taking the audio from a TV commercial and playing it on the radio.

It’ll seem out of place. And it doesn’t help you or your audience.

For example: Facebook pages have an option to automatically post everything to twitter.

Don’t do it!

You could end up with something like this…

That brings me to my guidelines:

1. Don’t Send People From One Social Network To Another

When someone is on Twitter, they want to consume content on Twitter. The above example is extreme, but that provides no value to your twitter audience.

2. Use A Social Media Management Tool For Cross-Posting

If you’re going to post to multiple social networks at the same time, use a tool like HootSuite. Automatically posting everything from one network to another can lead to broken links and confusing posts.

When cross posting is automatic, you’ll tend to neglect the other social network. I like to use HootSuite because even though I’m saving time my cross-posting, I select each network I publish to. I feel much more in control and there’s little chance I’ll create a post that’s not right for the channel.

3. Use Each Network For Its Unique Capabilities

If you don’t want to use a certain social network, don’t!

It’s better to do an amazing job on 1 social network than to be on 7 but provide no real value.

It’s best to post to each medium as you see fit. Post to twitter to share links and questions often. Have a post on Facebook a couple times a day or week to share pictures, thoughts, video, and links. If you’re cross-posting, let it be conscious. Take pictures of what you’re up to on Instagram.

Here are a couple time-saving, cross-posting ideas to get started:

• Post questions to your audience on Facebook and Twitter
• Post links to interesting articles or your own blog posts on Facebook and Twitter
• Post a picture from your blog to Pinterest
• Post your Instagram Photos to Facebook and Twitter

The great part about social media is it’s interactive. So ask your audience what they want from you! They followed you, or liked your page. Ask them why. What sort of content do they want to see?

You’ll get a sense of what your audience wants on each platform. And remember to experiment! Try different things and keep track of what works.

By giving your audience a say in what you do, they become more involved and are more likely to engage with your content in the future!

What Social Media strategies are you using now and what sort of results are you getting? Let me know in the comments below!