This post is a follow-up to this episode of #sheraves. Before we begin, I have a confession. As of 10-17-17, we are failing at 3 of these. We made a decision to keep things easy by just posting to one platform (Instagram) and reposting that same post to Facebook and Twitter. By doing this, sure we are making the posting process easier, but we are missing out on the opportunity of reaching a larger audience.

So the research in this post is real! We are going to start implementing these tips along with you Ravers. Keep us updated on your progress and what is working (or not working). Let’s see what we can build together!

How do I know what to post on each platform?

This is a great question. Each platform has it’s own psychology, meaning the psychology of the user is different on each platform. For example, the psychology of a Snapchat user will be very different when that same user switches over to Facebook. You have a different mindset and expectation from each platform. And that psychology needs to be respected.

And here’s a little extra. According to Gary Vaynerchuck, this is the one big mistake companies are making on social:

“(Companies) think of social as distribution and not as a place to natively tell a story.”

Gone are the days of a glossy and polished company front. People want to see behind the curtain. They want to know your brand personality and how you work.

So how do you accomplish all of this organically? 

Social media platforms are changing on the daily. It is quite possible that one of these huge platforms will be trumped by a new app within the next year. Things are moving so quickly. The only way to really find out what will work for you and your audience is to test different approaches and see what sticks. So while the below tips are fantastic guidelines on what is currently working on each platform, it is important that you listen to your audience, pay attention to changes and emerging apps, and stay authentic to your brand story.

According to Business Insider, as of this year (2017) the top social platforms in order are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.

What type of content works best on each platform? 

FACEBOOK

Video, Blog Posts, Re-Posts of Trusted Third Parties (curated content)

I am the first to admit I was a nay-sayer with Facebook, thinking it was just for my parents generation, it’s a dying app, etc, etc. To be honest, I thought this up until I started researching for this post. The fact is Facebook still remains the top social media platform and it reaches the largest demographic (18-49+) (Buiness Insider). The problem with my naivety was that I was not taking into account Facebook Video and Facebook Live. I’m not exactly sure where FB video is going, but I know it’s growing rapidly and a lot of money is being funneled into it (they have even begun to create original content!).

Quick tips: 

1. When posting video, add captions because most people scroll with the sound off.

2.   Post video directly to Facebook, do not use a video link.

3.  This is a great place to link your blog posts!

INSTAGRAM

Photos + Stories

Here’s the interesting dichotomy of Instagram: you have your gallery which you want to curate with creative high-res photos and quotes, but then you have Stories which do not need to be curated because they disappear within 24 hours. Instagram is our personal favorite at the moment because we get to show both our talent and creativity as a brand (in the gallery), as well as a behind-the-scenes look at our everyday and personality (in Stories).

Quick tips: 

1. Create a beautiful aesthetic in your feed by always keeping one color from the previous photo. For example if there is a photo of red shoes on a white background, in the next photo you want to include either red or white.
2. Another way to grow your audience is to post “user generated content” which means reposting someone else’s post. If doing this, always credit the original account!
3. Use hashtags! And make sure they are relevant! Here are a few apps to help: Display Purposes, Focalmark.

TWITTER

News, News, News

Twitter is where we go first for breaking news. This is a great platform for you to share product news, blog posts, or re-posts of any news happening within your industry.

Quick tips:

1. Just like Instagram, you want to use relevant (and trending!) hashtags

2.  Tweets with photos tend to grab the users attention more than just text.

SNAPCHAT

Document Your Everyday (and have fun doing it!)

This is where we’ve really failed. We started an account. But haven’t figured out what we want to post yet! Snapchat appeals to the youngest demo (mainly 12-18, but getting older everyday!). This is a platform that is all about having fun with filters and video. It is a great place to simply document your everyday, and bonus if you catch funny moments. And for those of you saying you don’t need to be on Snapchat because you’re on Insta Stories, I’m not sure that argument is completely valid. The Snapchat generation does not seem to be going anywhere and they are growing up WITH the platform – not outgrowing it and moving on. That’s a big note!

Quick tips:

1. The more often you post, the more views you will get because you will keep appearing at the top of the feed.
2. Geotag! Tag your snaps to let people know where you are. Sometimes these tags are featured on Snap, so you may be seen by more viewers.
3. Custom filters! You can make a custom filter for your event or launch and have people use it for extra brand promo.

Was this helpful? We are going to try to implement one new thing a week and see if we can get all of these socials up to par. Let’s do it together! Leave your info below so we can check you out. And please share this if you think it would be helpful for someone else!