Staying above the endless stream of social media noise is hard work. To keep your audiences engaged, you need to share interesting content constantly.
 
What’s a busy social media manager to do? Check out our recommendations below!
 

Cross-posting: saving time but sacrificing effectiveness

When you have an item to share on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and other accounts, it’s tempting to cross-post the exact same content on all of them and be done with it.
 
However, you run the risk of repelling audiences with repetition… or content that doesn’t fit. Automating your social updates with cross-posting is not the answer.
 
Each social channel has its own rules, practices, audiences and quirks – so trying to make one piece of content fit every format isn’t effective.
 
Consider Instagram’s love for clever hashtags and banishment of hyperlinks as part of posts. Those hashtags won’t play as well on Facebook, where the hyperlink gets great traction.
 
Cross-posting may provide an appealing level of efficiency, but it also comes with a disenchanting level of effectiveness and lost engagement.
 

Cross-promoting: adapting content to increase engagement

Cross-promotion involves tailoring content to each social media network. The process is more time-consuming but the ROI is worth it. If you have your core messages defined, cross-promoting can be pretty easy.

Where cross-posting may seem lazy or robotic to folks who follow you on multiple platforms, cross-promotion suggests that your brand is human and relatable.
 
Adapting your content for each platform allows you to speak the language of that platform, hold your followers’ attention and get the most possible engagement.
 

Best practices in cross-promotion

First, make sure your posts maintain the human element. Provide points of interaction in your posts – ask questions, request opinions, engage followers and be sure to respond to them personally.
 
Consider these best practices to max out your engagement:

• Use a strong headline and message. Take the time to find just the right words and make sure that headline is a great hook! Consider doing some A/B testing to determine what kinds of messaging work best for your audience.
• Share to the most relevant networks. Not all content is suited for all networks.
• Optimize your content. Follow the network’s unspoken rules and expectations for sharing to get the best performance out of your content.
• Stagger your posts. Post at the optimal times for each network. (See our cheat sheet!)

 
Include a clear call-to-action. Your messages should ultimately be tied to a larger purpose beyond being seen or liked.

Jim Ellis has over 20 years of experience in marketing strategy and implementation throughout a variety of industry sectors. Since 1999 he has been with Signal, a digital agency based in Wilmington and Raleigh, North Carolina. Signal has proven strengths serving as the “local agency” for global companies, generating solid results in web design, brand identity, mobile app development, digital strategy and more. Jim provides counsel to many of the agency’s largest clients with an eye toward integrated communications and a vast knowledge of both traditional and modern practices. As a songwriter and musician with a business degree, he believes his artistic/corporate “dual personality” gives him added perspective to be an effective liaison between clients and Signal’s talented creative team. Originally from Ohio, Jim graduated from the University of Richmond with a B.S. in Business Administration.