Social media marketing can be a complex business, especially if you are new to it. A lot of brands take the view that any level of social media coverage is good and don’t pay too much attention to the individual networks. It’s certainly true that something is better than nothing, but getting social right takes a bit of organisation, experimentation and arduous work. This article aims to explain the benefits of treating every network differently as opposed to sharing the same updates everywhere.

1. Different updates work on different networks

It’s tempting to think the best answer is to post the same content across all networks. Obviously, there are different time pressures at different brands and not every business can afford to have a department dedicated to social media. It’s also true that by posting updates across all networks, you may see a decent engagement level in total.

However, what you will notice is your social media activity will be a lot more successful on some networks than others. This is simply because different networks are suited towards different types of content. Therefore, the best approach is to learn about the various social media networks and then tailor updates for each one depending on what works.

2. Social networks don’t all attract the same type of audience

One of the major problems of posting the same updates across multiple different social networks is the audience isn’t the same on all of them. It’s vital to understand each network and then tailor social content for each one. There are various considerations to keep in mind here such as the gender, age and interests of those on the social network. Also, there are less obvious things to think about such as the location of most of your audience that might influence the best time to post your updates on that network.

3. Social media users like to know what to expect

Another major reason to treat every social network differently is that you have to cater to what your fans expect. When social media operates with regular updates throughout the week, then followers can come back seeking a particular type of content. They like to feel that something has been produced exclusively for them and isn’t rehashed from another social media platform.

The more you gear your social media marketing to each network, the more successful it is likely to be. As with anything in life, a bespoke personalised approach has more potential than simply one approach for everything. Remember also that it’s not necessary to be on every social network but instead choosing to focus on the ones that produce the best results.