3 rules for winning on every social media platform

Content strategy
Written By Ted J.

Social media is more popular than ever.

Hurray!

It’s now easier than ever to connect with your audience and speak directly to your customer.

Or so it seems.

Those who dive in chasing reach and visibility often ignore the risks that come with it.

So you think, “This is it — I’ll use this post to grow awareness for my awesome product or service. I’ll get more sales, more followers, more customers.”

But here’s the catch — not all platforms are the same.

What grabs attention on one platform might be completely ignored on another.

The Lazy Way of Cross-Posting

Ever scrolled past a post that felt awkward? Out of place? Cringey?

That’s what happens when your content doesn’t match the platform’s tone.

Posting a TikTok-style video on LinkedIn? It’s not going to land the way you hoped.

The result? Lower engagement. Missed opportunities. 

And worst of all — a slow leak of credibility you might not even notice at first.

The Daring truth

Let’s be honest– have you caught yourself doing this?

Copying and pasting captions, hashtags, videos and images from platform to platform… because it’s faster and easier.

But here’s the thing — your audience can tell.

They know when your content wasn’t made for them.

They feel it when a post seems out of place, awkward, forced, even robotic.

And when that happens, trust fades. Engagement drops. 

And slowly, quietly… people tune you out.

What was meant to build awareness is now damaging.

People will then unfollow and ignore your posts.

But lucky you — you’re reading this.

And that means you’ve got a chance to fix it.

Follow these steps to grow your audience and engagement:

Step 1 - Tailor your message to fit the platform.


Not all audiences speak the same language.

  • Instagram loves polished visuals, reels, and carousels.

  • LinkedIn leans into thought-leadership posts, polls, and native videos.

  • X (Twitter) thrives on short, punchy text, threads, and images.

  • Facebook does well with casual video, stories, event invites, and image posts.

  • TikTok is video-first — short, authentic, trend-based content rules here.

Step 2 - Format your content to the platform.

Think about the type of content that works best for that area. Is it a video, image, carousel, or text-only post?

It’s not just what you say, it’s how you deliver it.

Make sure your images, videos, and captions are sized, styled, and shaped for the platform they’re going on.

For example: horizontal videos do fine on Facebook, but on TikTok, it’s vertical only.

Step 3 - Schedule your posts strategically.

Timing and frequency matters.

  • LinkedIn: 1–2 times per week during business hours

  • Instagram: 3–5 times per week in the evenings or weekends

  • X (Twitter): Multiple times per day

  • TikTok: 1–3 times per day

  • Facebook: Consistent but not overwhelming

Meet your audience where they are.

If this helps, let me know!

I’m always happy to share marketing advice and help businesses grow.

If you'd like to chat about how I can help your business stand out on social media, get in touch — I’d love to connect.

Ted J.