Question: When you are posting something on social media, do you post it to multiple platforms at the same time? đđ»đđ»đđ»
If you said yes, I have a better way for you to post that will increase your reach, visibility, and engagement. đČđâșïž
Scheduling Social Media Posts
There are a lot of platforms out there that make social media scheduling so simple. With the click of a button, you can post to several platforms all at once. You create one post, one graphic, and one time and it just schedules the post and you get to check that task off your list.
But have you ever thought about what your audience thinks about that? When they are following you (or possibly even have notifications turned on whenever you post!) and see your posts go up on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and your Facebook Group all at the same time.
It seems a little bit inauthentic, right?
It very well can come across that way.
Your audience wants to know that you are invested in developing a relationship with them, but how can you do that effectively when you are mass posting content?
Something to think about right?
So is there a better way?
100%.
Let me be clear about something too. Oftentimes this is how we start. We post to multiple platforms at the same time because thatâs all the bandwidth we have time for or we donât know any better. Totally okay to be there. This is a topic you can learn from and start to implement in the near future, if the time is right.
But as you get more seasoned with your visibility, itâs time to mix it up. Itâs time to show your audience that you are committed to showing up and being there for them. And as you grow more of a following, your audience will begin to appreciate that. Because they do notice when you post the same thing in all the places at the same time.
Introducing: the Content Stagger
This is one of my most favorite simple tricks that I have up my sleeve to increase my visibility in a simple way.
When you stagger your content, you are using similar content, but posting it at different times on different platforms.
For example: Maybe on Monday you post something to Facebook, then on Thursday you share it to LinkedIn, then Saturday you share it to Instagram. When you post, you switch up the verbiage a little bit (so you are platform and audience specific) and possibly use different hashtags.
Viola. You have 3 posts to different platforms at different times.
Each social media channel has users that exhibit different behavior and content preferences. So when you are taking the time to optimize the post for each of those channels, youâll get a better response on your content.
- Twitter: Short excerpts or eye-catching images
- Facebook: Social sharing. What would you want to share with your friends?
- LinkedIn: Professional audiences
- Instagram: Visuals & stories. Focus on creating visual content
- Pinterest: Visual, how-tos, and practical advice
If you were to share the exact same copy to all of those platforms at the same time, how would your audience respond?
Probably not too awesomely. (yes thatâs a word!)
Benefits of the Content Stagger
Because of possibly low organic reach and the algorithms (which are your friend btw! I should do a post about that!), your audience most likely wonât notice you are using similar content. And if they do remember, then oftentimes they think, âOh yeah! I wanted to read more into that!â
There are so many instances when I think, âOh Iâll see that post again and buy it then.â If I never see it again, then I missed out. But if the person is using a stagger and I do see the post again, Iâm more likely to buy. It all plays into that Marketing Rule of 7 (you have to see something 7 times to move to the next step in the sales cycle.)
You also most likely have different âbest time to postâ on each of those platforms. When you stagger your content, you can post at the best time in each place to potentially reach more people.
Another thing. Think about all the time you put into creating a great piece of content. Shouldnât that content get the chance to get more eyes on it?? The way to do that is by staggering your content so you are posting at optimal times and not overwhelming your audience by sharing the same thing on all the platforms. Give your content the chance to get the engagement it deserves!
The higher likelihood of increased reach and performance significantly outweighs the convenience of posting content at the same time on multiple platforms. I promise.
Downfall of the Content Stagger
Really, there arenât too many downfalls to this strategy, but in full transparency, it could take more time in the beginning, but I promise itâs worth it in the long run!
You will get in the habit of making a few tweaks to the content, then scheduling, but honestly, it shouldnât be more than a few minutes once you get in a groove.
And when you are ready to outsource, then your team can support you in this!
The purpose of social media is to engage with your following, to create a tribe of people that love and buy from you. If they think you are inauthentic because you are posting the same thing at the same time on all the platforms, you are detracting from your goals and possibly losing followers. If I know you post on Facebook and Instagram at the same time, then why do I need to follow you in both places?
Something to think about for sure!
TL;DR
- Content Stagger = posting similar content on different platforms at different times, instead of all the places at the same time.
- The higher likelihood of increased reach and performance significantly outweighs the convenience of posting content at the same time on multiple platforms. I promise.
- Using a content stagger will take you a bit more time in the beginning. But you will get in the habit of making a few tweaks to the content, then scheduling, but honestly, it shouldnât be more than a few minutes once you get in a groove.
Do you love learning strategies like this that will improve your overall performance on social media?
Check out the Content Simplified Monthly Membership. Youâll discover the surprisingly SIMPLE secrets, PROVEN tactics, and REAL truth behind growing your business online. Â
Now, more than ever, people are seeking connection and community through content – social media, blogs, and everywhere else. Iâll teach you just that. We zero in on 2-3 strategies every single month to help grow your following, increase your reach, and improve your conversions.
We have an amazing community lab that meets 1x/month for a get in done implementation session. The next one is coming up next Thursday, September 24th. If you are interested, send me a DM and letâs chat!