The Social Media instinct
You’ve just thought of a great post, and as you reached for your phone, your thumb pauses, hovering between the blue icons. Which account should you post this to? Twitter, Facebook or both? The two sites have a very different feel to them and appeal to a different demographic.
The fact that you ‘approve’ friends on Facebook, and ‘follow’ on twitter suggests the intimacy of the relationship. FB (family & buddies) is largely about continuing real relationships in the virtual world, whereas Twitter is more about making connections from an entirely online community. So you’re more likely to get a stream of birthday messages on FB and a link to an interesting article on Twitter.
Many of us use one site more than the other, and have a natural ‘feel’ or what’s appropriate where. However the social media scene is vast, there’s Instagram, Pinterest, blogs and many more, each with their own ethos and perspective to consider. Obviously there aren’t hard and fast rules, but the subtle differences between the sites is a big consideration when planning a social media campaign, which is why it’s crucial to have people on your team who have experience across the vast range of social networking and who understand why one post doesn’t necessarily work across sites.
How’s your social media instinct? Where would you post in these scenarios?
1) Pictures from a family holiday
2) Funny post about a topical story, just to make people smile.
3) Link to a news article with a comment aimed at starting a debate.
4) Request for help finding a handyman in your local area.
5) Sharing a petition about a cause you support.
6) A review you’ve written about a book you read.
7) An amazing up-cycle job you’ve done on an old chair.
8) Trying to raise donations for your sponsored walk.