If your social media strategy is a generic set of rules and practices that you use whether you're on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Pinterest, there's a very good reason that you aren't getting the results you want: One size very rarely fits all, despite what clothing marketers claim about their gloves and hats.
Be Like a World Traveler
Many people think about 'social media' as a single entity, but in reality the various sites are more akin to different countries, on different continents, speaking different languages and operating within different social structures. In one country it may be polite to remove your shoes before entering a building, in another you definitely don't want to drink water from the tap.
If you don't know these things before you start wandering through the streets and trying to mix in, the results could be less than desirable (especially the bad water part!). There are also different time zones with every new country you visit.
Likewise, each social media site has it's own rules of conduct, its own lingo, and its own best times to find people. Prime time for Facebook and Twitter engagement is completely different, not to mention LinkedIn and Pinterest. It also has its own likes (no pun intended) and dislikes.
That's Not Really My Thing
When it comes to what kind of content people share on the different networks, you might be surprised to learn just how different people on each are. The site NewsWhip looked at the top 100 stories shared on each network from October through December last year and cross-checked to see how many shared stories crossed over between networks.
The results were fairly unbelievable. Of the top 100-shared stories on Facebook, one of them was also in Twitter and Pinterest's list, and there were none shared between Facebook and LinkedIn's list. Of Twitter's top 100, one was on Facebook's list, two on LinkedIn's, and zero on Pinterest's. Are you seeing the pattern here? Good, then I don't need to keep typing a bunch of numbers.
The bottom-line is this: your content needs to be at the very least tweaked for each site, if not creating completely separate content for each. Wow, that just put a big dent in your very simplistic, save-as-much-time-as-possible social media strategy.
Either Pick the Right One or Write More
So you have two options. You can either confine your efforts to whichever network contains your target demographic, or you can try to expand your reach by crafting content that will appeal to the users on each. Your decision. Just don't waste your time thinking that your newest blog post is going to appeal to everyone, everywhere.
We don't live in a one-size-fits-all world. Plan your social media strategy with that in mind.
Socialty is a full-service social media marketing and social recruiting agency in Chicago. We create content, websites, blog posts, email marketing and strategic marketing plans for small and medium size businesses. Our social recruiting team helps you attract talented candidates via social media outlets. Socialty connects you to your audience and potential employees. We'll keep you social while you carry on with your business. Keep Social and Carry On!