Facebook and its family of apps have long driven a publisher’s social media marketing platform strategy, and there are many reasons for this. The company has been around for a long time, and they cover a lot of internet territory. The numbers surrounding Facebook usage are insane, and they have long been a significant source of traffic for publishers. Facebook is the largest and most critical piece of their puzzle, but Instagram is likely a more relevant piece in the age of TikTok, giving them a chance to compete on the video front.
Each major social platform serves a purpose in a publisher’s strategy, and the first step in developing your social media marketing strategy is figuring out how each of them can serve you. The truth is that the large platforms will shape your content and distribution choices, and your social platform priorities will impact things like length, headline, image selection, and voice. Since Facebook is the most link-friendly platform, playing nicely over there will make a big difference for publishers.
First, what is a social media marketing platform strategy?
It is precisely what it sounds like. This is the digital marketing strategy that publishers use surrounding social media platforms. It isn’t as simple as throwing stuff up on social media and hoping for the best! Understanding how to post well and why people follow you is essential.
Instagram and Facebook are critical pieces of the social media landscape, and understanding how they evolve is essential.
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Facebook is still the largest social media traffic driver if you are trying to get people to your owned and operated sites. Chasing an ever-changing algorithm for success is frustrating, but it can be done.
Start by analyzing what you’re already doing. Here are some questions you should consider:
- What is working on Facebook? What isn’t?
- How much of your strategy relies on driving traffic to your websites?
- Is my post frequency working?
- Are my content types diverse enough? What is my ratio of video/image/link/text posts?
- Am I complying with the platform’s guidelines?
Here’s a look at what performs on the platform as a whole.
The truth is that if you’re publishing only for Facebook, you’re probably missing other opportunities. This should be your baseline. If you feel like spending too much time on Facebook and can’t get traction on other platforms, we can help! True Anthem can take the day-to-day scheduling and content discovery off your plate. Set up a demo, and we’ll tell you everything.
The social media marketing platform strategies put into play on Instagram will not be traffic-driving. Since day one, the lack of native link options on Instagram has been a pain point for publishers, but this does not mean Instagram should be ignored! The truth is that Instagram is not a traffic driver— it’s a marketing tool.
This means that you will probably not drive traffic with Instagram, although with the link stickers, that is more of an option.
However, this is where you can build community. This is where you connect with your audience in a real way and introduce them to the faces of your brand. Instagram Stories, Lives, Reels, messages, and comments allow you to engage with your audience regularly. Relationships are essential for success, and ignoring this is a mistake.
Don’t get discouraged because you aren’t driving clicks with Instagram. If you want to understand the algorithm and up your game, check this out. The most essential elements will always be engagement, hashtags, and consistency.
How does this affect your strategy? As always, listen to your user. If they’re engaging with your Reels, give them Reels! Understand that the platform’s purpose is to build an audience, influence, and connect. You’ll probably be disappointed if you’re solely looking to drive traffic.
Marketing strategies for other social media platforms
Instagram and Facebook are two of the bigger platforms, but again, we’re not looking to put all our eggs in one basket. While it’s important not to stretch ourselves too far, posting across multiple social media platforms helps you connect with various demographics and keep things fresh. Here are some more marketing strategies for other popular platforms.
There’s a lot of potential in mastering LinkedIn for publishers, especially when it comes to establishing your brand as a leader in your niche. Unlike Instagram, LinkedIn is an excellent platform for increasing website traffic and engaging with your audience. Studies have found that LinkedIn generates approximately 80% of B2B sales, with 3X more conversions than Facebook! For beginners, we cover some more tips for getting started with LinkedIn.
X
X has undergone many changes since rebranding, but it can still be a beneficial tool for publishers. For one thing, there is a high ratio of users strictly looking for news on X; at least 69%! Your audience is already there. If anything, X is a great platform for helping you narrow in on your target readers since there is a lot of competition on the app. We have more X strategies for local news publishers to make their time on the platform worthwhile.
We find that Pinterest is often ignored in the publishing and broadcasting industry when, in fact, it can be a fantastic marketing tool when used correctly. First, Pinterest has extremely loyal followers who come across your content because they are searching for it. Second, the benefits of one Pinterest post compared to other social platforms are long-term. For less investment, Pinterest gives users a higher reward, including 2.3x cost per conversion and a post-shelf-life of weeks, months, and even years after publishing!
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