As a marketer or content creator in today‘s digital landscape, it‘s no secret that social media is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. With over 4.6 billion active social media users worldwide as of 2023 (source), the potential reach and impact of your social content is massive.
However, with so many different platforms to choose from – each with their own unique audience, content formats and best practices – it can be overwhelming to try to maintain a strong presence across all of them. That‘s where cross-posting comes in.
What is Cross-Posting?
At its core, cross-posting simply means sharing similar content across multiple social media platforms. For example, you might create a video for TikTok and then repurpose that same video for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and your Facebook feed.
The key is to not just copy and paste the exact same thing on every platform, but rather to optimize the content for the specific nuances and best practices of each channel. This might mean:
- Tweaking the dimensions or length of your video
- Adjusting the caption copy and hashtags
- Tagging different relevant accounts
- Including different calls-to-action
When done strategically, cross-posting allows you to expand your reach and reinforce your brand messaging, while also saving time and getting more mileage out of your content creation efforts.
Why Your Brand Should Be Cross-Posting in 2024
Still not convinced that cross-posting is worth your while? Let‘s dive into some of the key benefits and reasons to prioritize this tactic in your 2024 social media strategy:
1. Expand your reach to new audiences
Every social media platform has its own unique user base, demographics and behaviors. By sharing your content across multiple relevant channels, you can get in front of entirely new audiences who may not have discovered your brand otherwise.
In fact, a study by the Content Marketing Institute found that cross-posting can increase your reach by an impressive 30-40%. So if you have 10,000 followers on Instagram, cross-posting to TikTok and Twitter could help you reach an additional 3,000-4,000 people.
2. Boost engagement through platform-specific optimization
While it may be tempting to just copy and paste the same exact post across every platform, resist that urge. Taking the extra few minutes to customize your post for each channel can make a big difference in how well it performs.
A report by SproutSocial found that posts optimized for a specific platform get 20% more engagement on average compared to generic cross-posted content. So while you may be sharing the same core message or creative asset, tweaking the formatting, caption, hashtags and other elements to fit the best practices of each platform is worth the effort.
3. Save time and streamline your content creation
Creating unique content for every single platform, every single day is simply not realistic for most marketing teams and creators. Cross-posting allows you to work smarter, not harder by getting more value out of each piece of content you produce.
Using cross-posting tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social can also drastically cut down on the time and manual effort required to publish to multiple platforms. In fact, a survey by Hootsuite found that marketers who use their platform save an average of 6 hours per week on social media management.
4. Reinforce your brand messaging and story
Consistency is key when it comes to building a strong brand on social media. By cross-posting your core content pillars and campaign messaging across multiple touchpoints, you can reinforce your brand story and values with your audience.
Think about it – if someone follows you on Twitter and sees a compelling post about your brand mission, and then they see a similar post elaborating on that mission on LinkedIn, and then an Instagram story highlighting it in action, that message is much more likely to stick with them rather than if they just saw it once in passing.
Cross-Posting Best Practices to Follow
Sold on the benefits of cross-posting but not sure how to get started? Here are some key best practices to keep in mind as you plan and execute your cross-platform content strategy:
1. Optimize for each platform‘s nuances
As mentioned earlier, one of the most important elements of effective cross-posting is customizing your posts to fit the specific best practices and audience preferences of each platform. Here are a few examples:
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TikTok/Instagram Reels: Short-form vertical video is king on these platforms. Aim for 7-15 seconds in length, use trending audio/music, hop on relevant challenges, use 3-5 niche hashtags and have an attention-grabbing hook within the first 1-2 seconds.
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Twitter: Brevity and wit win out on this text-heavy platform. Limit your copy to 250 characters or less, focus on one clear message, use 1-2 hashtags and include eye-catching visuals like GIFs or memes when possible.
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LinkedIn: This platform is all about thought leadership and industry expertise. Long-form content performs well here, with posts up to 1200 words driving the most engagement. Avoid overly promotional language and instead focus on providing value and unique insights.
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Pinterest: Inspiring and actionable imagery is the name of the game on Pinterest. The ideal pin aspect ratio is 2:3 or 1000×1500 pixels. Use high-quality visuals, include detailed descriptions with relevant keywords, and organize your content into boards for easy discoverability.
2. Maintain a consistent posting schedule
While you don‘t need to cross-post every single piece of content to every platform, it is important to maintain a consistent posting cadence on each platform. This helps with the algorithm as well as building audience expectations and trust.
Tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social and Agorapulse allow you to create a cross-platform content calendar and bulk schedule posts in advance to keep your posting schedule on track without having to manually publish in real-time.
3. Don‘t forget about engagement
Cross-posting is not just a "set it and forget it" strategy. As with any social media content, you need to also prioritize community management and engaging with your audience in the comments and DMs on each platform.
In fact, an analysis by Hootsuite found that posts which received a reply from the brand within 60 minutes had 44% higher engagement than those without a reply. While cross-posting can help with creating consistent content, don‘t neglect the conversation and relationship-building aspect of social media.
4. Track and analyze cross-posting performance
As with any marketing strategy, tracking and measuring the results of your cross-posting efforts is critical for optimizing and improving over time. Most social media scheduling tools also offer robust analytics and reporting features to easily see how your content is performing across platforms.
Some key metrics to track for cross-posted content include:
- Reach
- Impressions
- Engagement rate (likes, comments, shares, etc.)
- Video views and watch time
- Click-through rate
Look for trends and patterns in which types of cross-posted content, posting times, caption formats, etc. tend to perform best on each platform. You can then use those insights to continually refine your strategy and double down on what‘s working.
Examples of Brands Effectively Cross-Posting
Need some inspiration for your own cross-posting efforts? Let‘s take a look at a few brands who are nailing their multi-platform content strategy:
Nike
Nike is a powerhouse brand on social media, with a combined 264 million followers across Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. They achieve this impressive reach by cross-posting a consistent mix of inspiring athlete stories, motivational quotes, product shots and campaign videos across all three platforms.
While the core content is the same, Nike optimizes the visuals and copy for each channel. For example, a long-form video on IGTV might be cut down to a 15-second teaser for Twitter, while a product shot on Instagram would have a more in-depth caption compared to Facebook.
By maintaining a strong brand voice and aesthetic across touchpoints while still tailoring to each platform, Nike is able to scale their content and expand their reach without losing authenticity.
Glossier
Cult-favorite beauty brand Glossier has built a massive community of engaged fans on social media through a cross-platform strategy centered around user-generated content (UGC). The brand regularly repurposes UGC from their customers, such as product reviews, makeup tutorials and selfies, across their Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.
On Instagram, Glossier reposts UGC in their main feed and stories, often with minimal edits to maintain an authentic feel. They then take that same UGC and turn it into "get ready with me" style videos on TikTok, or retweet it with a witty caption on Twitter.
By cross-posting this UGC across multiple touchpoints, Glossier is able to create a sense of community and social proof while also highlighting their products in action. It‘s a win-win strategy that has helped them amass over 5 million followers across platforms.
Cross-Posting Tools to Streamline Your Workflow
Ready to start implementing cross-posting into your own social media strategy? As mentioned earlier, using a scheduling and publishing tool can make the process much easier and more efficient. Here are a few of the top options to consider, along with their key features and pricing:
1. Hootsuite
Known as one of the OG social media management platforms, Hootsuite offers a robust set of features for scheduling, publishing and tracking your cross-posted content. Some of the standout features include:
- Bulk scheduling by importing a CSV file
- Content curation tools to easily find and share relevant third-party content
- Customizable analytics reports
- Team collaboration and approval workflows
Pricing: Plans start at $49/month for a single user, with more advanced plans for larger teams and agencies.
2. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is another popular option for cross-posting and overall social media management. Some of the key features that set it apart include:
- Visual content calendar for easy planning and scheduling
- Asset library for storing and organizing visual content
- Social listening tools to track brand mentions and relevant conversations
- Exportable reports to PDF or PowerPoint for easy client/stakeholder reporting
Pricing: The Standard plan starts at $149/user/month, with additional features available on higher tier plans.
3. Agorapulse
Agorapulse is a newer player in the social media management space, but it‘s quickly become a favorite among agencies and social media managers. Some standout features include:
- Shared inboxes for managing and collaborating on incoming social conversations
- User permissions and delegation
- Advanced analytics and reporting with PowerPoint export
- Facebook contest and ad comment moderation
Pricing: Plans start at $79/month for up to 2 users and 10 social profiles, with customized pricing available for larger teams.
While these are some of the most popular and reputable options, there are many other social media scheduling and analytics tools on the market, such as Later, Sprout Social, Sendible and more. The key is to find one that fits your team size, platform mix and budget.
Potential Pitfalls to Avoid in Your Cross-Posting Strategy
While cross-posting can be an incredibly effective way to scale your social media content and reach, there are also a few potential drawbacks to be aware of and avoid:
1. Overwhelming your audience with duplicate content
If someone follows your brand on multiple platforms, the last thing they want to see is the exact same post popping up on their feed multiple times in a row. Space out your cross-posted content and be selective about which posts you choose to share across channels.
A good rule of thumb is the 80/20 rule – aim for 20% of your content to be cross-posted across multiple platforms, while the other 80% is unique to each channel.
2. Not optimizing for each platform
As we‘ve hammered home throughout this post, one of the keys to effective cross-posting is taking the time to customize your post for each platform. Avoid the temptation to just copy and paste the same thing across all channels, as this can come across as inauthentic or lazy to your audience.
Take a few extra minutes to tweak the visuals, copy, hashtags and other elements to fit the best practices and preferences of each platform‘s audience.
3. Ignoring community management
Cross-posting is not an excuse to just set it and forget it when it comes to your social media content. It‘s still crucial to actively monitor and engage with the comments, questions and messages you receive on each platform.
Ignoring or being slow to respond to your audience can quickly erode the trust and relationship you‘ve built with them. Make sure you have a plan in place for promptly moderating and replying to engagement on all of your cross-posted content.
Final Thoughts
As the social media landscape continues to evolve and new platforms emerge, cross-posting will only become more important for brands and creators looking to maximize their reach and impact. By following the best practices and tools outlined in this guide, you can create a cross-platform content strategy that saves time, boosts engagement and strengthens your brand messaging.
Remember, the key is to find the right balance between efficiency and customization. Cross-posting should not be a copy-and-paste approach, but rather a way to strategically repurpose and optimize your content for each unique platform and audience.
By tracking your performance, listening to your audience and continually iterating on your strategy, you can unlock the full potential of cross-posting and take your social media presence to the next level in 2024 and beyond.
