Tips for creating content plan across different social media platforms
So, you’ve decided to create a full-on social media strategy? The next step is to create a detailed content plan which will bring out the best from every social media channel you use. Well, you’re in the right place. Because, in this blog post, I’ll list some tips and tricks on creating a content plan for different social media channels.
Before the content plan strategy
To start with, let’s name the currently most popular social media channels:
- TikTok
I’m sure you’ve already heard of all of them and use at least a few of these channels in your personal life. But using channels for personal entertainment and planning a marketing strategy including these platforms is a much different thing. In the blog post: Social Media Calendar – How To Plan Your Content And Which Tools To Use, we talked in general about why you need to have a detailed content plan for the channels you are in charge of.
This blog post will go over some tips for creating content on different social media platforms.
Choose wisely
So, before you start posting according to your content plan, it is crucial to choose which social media channels you want to use. Not all channels are suited for every brand. There is no need to be present everywhere. You’ll do more damage in the long term if you’re losing precious time and posting content on channels that your target audience is just not using.
As written in this Content Marketing Institute article:
”Many brands mistakenly assume they must distribute content anywhere and everywhere to maximize its reach. But plastering your brand’s content across every social network, trendy news site, and video platform is not a channel plan. It holds no regard for whom it reaches, how they might be impacted, or how that impact might reflect on the business.”
Valuable tips for different channels
Once you’ve detected which channels are the best to reach your target audience, the content creation can start. However, if you’re still having trouble with deciding which channel to use, this Hootsuite article could help you in the process.
Keep in mind that you should always keep the same recognizable branding on each social media channel that you use. But, allow your content to adjust to the audience you’re trying to reach on different platforms.
Facebook is one of the oldest active social media channels. Even though some think it has lost its influence in the social media world, numbers paint a different picture. According to this HubSpot article, Facebook has 1.56 billion daily users. That is 20% of the world population. An average Facebook user spends 60 minutes per day using it!
Our tips for Facebook content:
- Always post a combination of text and picture or a video. Posts containing only text are proven to have far less reach and engagement, so that content should not be part of your social media calendar.
- When planning your Facebook posts, split them into two categories by the 80-20 rule. It means that 80% of your posts should inform, educate, and entertain your followers, while 20% should directly promote your brand.
- Invest in making high-quality videos that will present your brand’s values or services in an entertaining yet educational way. Why use video format? It allows a more creative approach, and most importantly, Facebook algorithm favourite’s it, which means better reach and engagement for spur Page.
- Forget about organic reach! Once you’ve planned your Facebook posts, invest some budget into promoting them. Organic reach on Facebook has been declining for years, and it would be a shame if your posts wouldn’t reach your audience because there is no promotion.
Instagram is a highly visual social media channel where image means everything. According to the Hubspot article, there are more than 1 billion active monthly Instagram users. Also, more than 83% of Instagram users say that they have discovered a new product or service on this social media platform. That’s a good enough reason to include it in your strategy.
A few tips for creating Instagram content:
- The most common post format on Instagram is an image post. Be creative when planning your posts, and don’t just post photos of your product. It is the most common mistake brands make on Instagram.
- Instead, try and post behind the scenes content, UGC content, which was made in collaboration with influencers. The goal is to create content that will capture your company culture and attract people interested in finding out more about your brand in a more relaxed setting.
- Use IG Stories to engage with your followers. IG Stories have entertaining features like polls, quizzes etc. which you can use to directly communicate with your followers and get to know them better.
- Use the power of video. Just like Facebook, the Instagram algorithm also pushes video content more than images. So, get creative and create Reels or IGTV videos where you can showcase the best traits of your product in a short and engaging video format.
TikTok
With over 800 million active monthly users worldwide and 2 billion application downloads so far, TikTok is a social media channel that has sparked much interest in the last few years.
But many are still puzzled as to how to use it as a brand. So here are a few tips:
- On TikTok, it is imperative to stay relevant, be on-trend and put out content in a moment. Your videos don’t have to be perfectly shot and produced. It is all about quick response to current trends, which will showcase your brand as young and relevant.
- If you don’t have resources within your company, a fantastic way to have great TikTok content is long-term collaborations with influencers relevant to your target audience. They can create content exclusively for your channel, or they can post it too on their channels and provide even more brand awareness for you.
- Use TikTok as a place for building a community around your brand, and don’t be afraid to show a more “human” side of your brand through these videos.
Read more about the topic of TikTok in our recent blogpost TikTok 101: Why include it in your social media strategy?
You may think LinkedIn marketing is reserved only for B2B businesses, but you’re wrong. As the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn generates leads 227% more effectively than Facebook and Twitter, so don’t be so quick to cross it over on your list.
How to create content for LinkedIn? Here are some tips:
- Be sure to use hashtags in the copy of your posts. The key is to choose hashtags relevant to your business. If done right, they can help you tap into new audiences, industries, and niches.
- Post regularly, at least 3-4 times per week and make sure it is a mix of longer posts with substance and shorter posts accompanied by a video or image relevant to your following on LinkedIn.
- Share informative link posts to your company’s blog or external articles that are relevant to your industry.
- Make sure to share PR articles about your business, images, videos from events you organized, etc. In these kinds of posts, always tag the people on photos or portals from whom you’re sharing the story. It is essential because it increases your reach and builds your image as an authority in the industry.
Twitter is a specific social media channel that differentiates from other platforms in many ways. It is a powerful platform to build an online presence for your business, but keep in mind it is not as widely used as Instagram or Facebook.
Before you invest time into building community on this network, make sure it will bring you some results that are interesting to you. For example, it may be a fantastic tool for the US market but not as great for some EU countries where it is not as common to use.
How to create content on Twitter? Here are some tips:
- Copy of Twitter posts is limited to 280-characters, which means you have to be direct and on the point.
- If that is not enough words, you can always use pictures, infographics, GIPHs and links to explain your point further. Multimedia tweets help differentiate your business from others, and tweets with images get 150% more retweets.
- On Twitter, it is crucial to engage with your followers regularly by replying to their comments, tagging them in posts, communicating through Twitter threads etc. You can even start your Twitter chat with established time and original hashtags, which everyone can use and get involved.
To wrap it up
Now that you’ve gone through all our tips on creating content for different social media platforms, it’s time to choose the right tool to help you be efficient and productive. Some fantastic tools for planning, scheduling and publishing content are Hootsuite and Zoomsphere.
These kinds of platforms will allow you to supervise content over different social media channels and will help you save a lot of time by automatic scheduling and posting.
