Social media platforms like Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube are now popular places where people go to stay updated on news, stories, gossip, and trends. These platforms are a major source of information for many users.
For example, a survey showed that nearly half of Americans (48%) get their news from social media. In the UK, another survey found that 33% of British adults (out of 5,890 people surveyed) also use social media to follow news. With so many people relying on these platforms for updates, it’s clear that digital publishers need to use social media effectively to grow their audience.
If you’re a media outlet, news channel, or digital publisher looking to build your online presence, here are some simple tips to help you reach more people and boost your visibility on social media.
Why Posting the Same Content Everywhere Isn’t Enough?
Managing social media accounts takes a lot of time, so many publishers simply share the same post or article across Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Facebook. However each platform has its unique audience, and people prefer different types of content on each one. To grab attention and connect with your audience, it’s important to tailor your approach.
Following some simple social media tips can make a big difference in how well your content performs.
1. Make Your Content Stand Out
Social media is packed with daily content, so sharing the same information as others won’t grab attention. As attention spans continue to shrink, you need to focus on:
- Compelling storytelling to make your content memorable.
- Strong hooks to instantly catch the viewer’s eye.
- Credible information paired with engaging visuals to keep them interested.
For example, publishers like The New York Times and The Economic Times use powerful hooks to draw viewers in and encourage them to engage with the entire post.
By consistently publishing high-quality content, you can:
- Build trust with your audience.
- Boost how your content performs.
- Gradually grow your follower count.
2. Competing with Other Content
Social media is filled with influencers and content creators, making it tough for new publishers to stand out against well-known pages. Since social platforms are packed with endless content, simply sharing article links or using clickbait won’t be enough to get viewers to stop scrolling. To grab their attention, try:
- Posting engaging visuals and eye-catching designs.
- Sharing short, concise tweets that quickly get to the point.
- Using captivating short videos with strong hooks to hold their interest.
For example, media channels like The New York Times, The Economic Times, and Brut. India uses powerful hooks to get viewers to stop and watch their content. Each visual or snippet should be carefully crafted to:
- Resonate with your audience and make a strong impact.
- Encourage them to explore more by clicking on the full content.
3. Use Social Media Features Effectively
Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer unique tools such as story reactions, polls, highlights, and broadcast channels to help users interact with content more easily. Unfortunately, many publishers don’t make full use of these features. These tools can keep your audience engaged if you want to grow an active follower base or community.
Here’s how you can use them:
- Instagram Highlights: For example, IndianExpress organized all their G20 Summit content in the Instagram highlight section, making it easy for followers to access the latest updates without scrolling through the feed.
- Interactive Stories: StartSports used Instagram stories to engage sports fans by posting quizzes related to the Asia Cup, making the experience more fun.
Additionally, consider:
- Use reaction stickers or question stickers in your Instagram stories to encourage followers to share their thoughts.
- Add a Call to Action (CTA) at the end of your posts, like “Drop your opinions below” or “Share your thoughts in the comments,” to boost engagement. Instead of just resharing posts, try to spark conversations about trending topics or create easy ways for followers to interact. This will encourage them to engage more with your content.
4. Community is Greater than Followers
The number of followers you have on social media isn’t always the best way to measure success. Many pages on Instagram have thousands of followers but still get very little engagement. Instead of focusing just on increasing follower count, it’s more important to build a community of active users. Engaging with your audience helps grow your presence much more effectively than having a large number of inactive followers.
Here’s what to focus on in the beginning:
- Build professional relationships with other content creators.
- Expand your network and connect with people in your niche.
- Engage with your audience in the comments to show you care about their opinions.
When you value your audience’s efforts and contributions, they’re more likely to become loyal followers.
What Should News Publishers Do to Stand Out on Social Media?
With so much content on social media, it can be hard to grab attention and stand out. To succeed as a digital publisher, it’s important to follow some basic strategies that will help you get noticed and drive traffic. Here are five effective techniques to boost your social media presence:
1. Customize Content for Each Social Media Platform
It’s a common mistake to share the same content across all platforms. Each social media site has its style and audience, so it’s important to adjust your content accordingly. For example, a landscape video created for YouTube might not look engaging on Instagram. Instagram is designed for quick, scrollable content, so short, portrait-style videos work best there.
Tailoring your content for each platform helps attract more viewers and keeps them engaged. Investing time in creating custom content for each platform is essential for consistent growth.
2. Use Native Features When Posting
To get the most out of each social media platform, it’s crucial to understand its best practices and native features. In the past, simply adding a link to an article in a post or comment would direct readers to your site. Now, people prefer quick, snackable content.
For example:
- Instead of just adding a link to a LinkedIn post, summarize your article in a carousel and add a link at the end.
- On Instagram, stories are used to promote content, but remember that stories only support 60-second videos, so encourage users to visit the original post for the full video.
- On Twitter, instead of linking to a website, try posting a video or thread with a question to spark a conversation.
Over time, you’ll learn which formats work best for each platform based on how your audience engages with the content.
3. Understand Your Audience
Different social media platforms attract different types of content and audiences. To succeed, take time to learn what your target audience likes and engage with. A competitor content audit can provide helpful insights. Look at what your competitors are posting, identify which content gets the most engagement, and learn from their format, style, and presentation.
For example, X (formerly Twitter) is all about conversation, so posting questions or sharing opinions can spark engagement. On the other hand, X’s conversation-style content may not work as well on Instagram, where users tend to prefer shareable videos.
4. Give Your Social Media Team a Head Start
Creating high-quality social media content takes time and effort. Poor-quality content won’t grab attention, so investing time in producing good visuals, and catchy copy, and doing research is essential. Repurposing content by simply posting the same thing across platforms won’t help build a loyal audience.
Hiring specialists like copywriters, graphic designers, and social media managers will help produce better content, maintain consistency, and save you time. Having a team in place is especially useful for quickly sharing breaking news on multiple platforms.
5. Create a Distribution Calendar to Stay Consistent
To stay organized and ensure your content is shared consistently, create a distribution calendar. Posting on social media is just the first step—regularly publishing quality content is key to building your online brand.
A distribution calendar helps you schedule content and analyze which posts perform well. By measuring your content’s performance, you can decide if you need to adjust your strategy or just keep at it until you see results.
By following these five tips, you can gradually grow your follower base and build a loyal community over time.
Conclusion: What Should Be Your Next Steps as a Publisher?
Social media is now the primary place for people to find information and connect with others. It gives us easy access to global news and content. If you’re a digital publisher looking to grow, it’s important to start building your presence on social media as soon as possible. Here’s how you can move forward:
- Start early: Begin creating content now, even if you don’t have a full content team. Focus on the most relevant platform first, then expand to others as your brand grows.
- Stay flexible: Social media is always changing, so it’s crucial to keep up with the latest trends and updates.
- Stay informed: Sign up for newsletters or other resources that keep you updated with the latest changes in the industry.
By taking these steps, you’ll be able to establish your presence and grow your digital publishing brand over time.