Different platforms, different updates

I get that social media is time consuming.  It can feel like an endless cycle of churning out fun, funny and interesting content. It is tempting to try and figure out shortcuts. One shortcut I see from some businesses is creating content and then posting it, unchanged, on multiple channels. In particular I see this with updates on Facebook being used for Twitter.  Every time I see it though, I cringe.  There are a few reasons why this is a bad idea.

1. The two services have different limitations.  When you post the same update you are very likely killing the format on one or the other.  For instance, a colleague posted some content with a link on both platforms.  On Facebook it looked fine.  On Twitter, the content part was too long.  It shortened the content and gave a Facebook link.  I clicked through thinking it was going to take me to read the rest of the update but instead it took me through to the link.  From a user perspective it was very confusing.
2. Since the way people consume each service is different, each requires a different touch.  Twitter is so fast moving that it is typically viewed as a literal stream while Facebook has a slower pace and typically updates have a longer life span.  This calls for different wording and different treatments.
3. Twitter has a different language. There are things peculiar to Twitter such as @ symbols, hashtags, and RTs that are specific to Twitter.  When you use those on Facebook it looks out of place.
4. If someone follows you on one platform, they just might follow you on both. If they do, you are now duplicating your message.

There are ways to save time when doing social media.  You can use tools to space your updates out through the day, or be strategic about what tools you use, or use a timing device to make sure you are not going down a rabbit hole.  Just don’t duplicate content and look silly!

~e