post by Stephanie Nelson
Awhile back, I wrote a post about repurposing content. The whole idea was how to take one idea and make multiple posts on a variety of outlets. (The post was done before Instagram even existed, so there’s a whole other level of sharing that’s not covered!) But what’s the best way of going about it?
I’m all about keeping things simple. I’m also all about using data to help make the best decisions possible. When answering what’s the best way to vary the same idea on different outlets, these two schools of thought often conflict.
To make sharing across platforms easy, I’d advise using a tool like Hootsuite. It allows you to post to multiple outlets in just a few clicks. And it allows you to schedule your posts, no matter the outlet, so you can accomplish everything in one spot. However, its API doesn’t allow for tagging on LinkedIn, from a business page nor from a personal profile. To tag on Facebook or Instagram, or to @ mention on Twitter, you must do separate messages for each outlet. If you don’t use the tagging/mentioning function, you’re missing out on engagement opportunities.
The other downside to Hootsuite is the lack of access to data without upgrading your account to Pro level. (This may be the same with other tools similar to Hootsuite. I’ve not used them enough to know firsthand, though.) You NEED the data in Facebook Insights, Instagram and Twitter Analytics, Google Analytics, etc to tell you when your posts should go up. You want your posts to be there when your audience is online and engaging. This also kind of ties in to the ease of things: Your Facebook posts may need to hit at 9am on Tuesdays whereas your LinkedIn posts do better at 3pm Thursdays. Your e-mail blast may need to go out Monday at 7pm, but your high-volume blog traffic may come at 6am Saturday. You’ll need to separate things to have them hit when it’s best for your audience.
All that being said, I’ve found that my approach is kind of a mix between ease and perfection. Some days, deadlines loom, the phone’s ringing off the hook, there are 18 meetings scheduled, but a post still needs to go up. These days, all outlets get the same posts, and I just have to understand that was the best that could be done that day. Some days, the pace is a little slower, and there’s time to write individual posts for each outlet, tagging each handle that needs to be included. (Note: This is what happens for SBN Marketing, where the cobbler’s kid has no shoes. Clients get the perfection plan every time. ha ha ha)
So what’s your plan for posting the same idea on a variety of outlets? Do you opt more for ease? Or do you tend to spend time on perfection?
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