When Not to Cross-Post

​I was reading an article today in the HubSpot blog about why you should use cross-posting for your business or organization's social media, and had to post this as a response. Cross-posting is easy, but that doesn't mean that it will have positive results.

Why? I'm going to offer you three reasons why not to cross-post, and one reason to.

Why Not to Cross-Post

1. Unique Platforms -  Every platform is unique in terms of what type of content it is geared towards. The same type of content will not be as effective on each content - for example, twitter is meant for short thoughts and announcements, and is not fit for a photo album. Instagram is photo-focused and Facebook hosts a variety of post types. If you post the same graphic for each of them, for one it will not be sized correctly for each platform but also it may not be as successful as if you have a stratified plan of content for each.

2. High Platform Value -  Put yourself in your customers' shoes, if you see the same graphic and copy on Instagram as you do on Facebook, will you be as excited and motivated to engage with it a second time over? Will you comment again or just like and continue your apathetic scrolling? Give your customer something unique geared towards each platform such as different event photos (and less photos) on Instagram vs. Facebook, and different copy on Twitter. This will take more time, but it will pay dividends in the future as your followers get more excited for each post instead of being stuck with re-runs!

3. Unique Audience - If you check out your insights, you will see derivations from platform to platform of demographics, time active, and more. 

Why To Cross-Post

There are times where Cross-posting can be effective, such as getting the word out for giveaways or events. These are large enough that it is more important to reach the largest audience and get the word out. I would still recommend to instead design a graphic for the proper sizing of each platform, but this just goes to show that there is no one-size-fits-all advice. There is a time and place for most strategies, what's more important is that you realize what your target market and buyer personas are attracted to and that you can fill that niche.

Resources:
Designing the proper sizing for each platform can be hard! That's why I've attached a cheat sheet to help you or your designer to make things look polished and perfect. But that's all for today, followers. Have a wonderful day!

SOcial Media Sizing Cheat SHeet