New Platforms and Features- Should Your Brand Embrace Them?

It feels like new social media platforms and features are popping up ALL. OF. THE TIME. And well, they pretty much are. If you get overwhelmed with each new addition, don’t sweat it! You don’t have to be everywhere, doing everything. Rather than keeping up with ALL THE THINGS, figure out where your ideal audience is, what works for you, and be consistent.

What to Consider When a New Platform Comes Out

Is this a place where your ideal audience is?

When TikTok blew up in 2019, it felt like we all needed to be there. I mean, Gary V. said the app is important so it must be. But what he really says is that it’s a great tool that makes it easier for people to become content creators at a younger age. While the app engages over 689 million active users, the platform skews young, with 62% of users under age 30. While influencer marketing is killing it on TikTok, that doesn’t mean that your brand has to be there. Consider the age group of the typical decision maker within your industry. Is it worth it for you to churn out fast paced, short lived content for a demographic that doesn’t fit your target audience? And yes, Gen Z could eventually become your target market but by the time they become the decision maker and money spender in your industry, they could be on a different platform entirely.

Is the time it takes to create content worth the effort? 

Clubhouse is an audio based social media platform that allows users to set up and join chat rooms. Conversations can only be accessed live; they are not recorded or replayable through the app. There are open as well as invite only “rooms” where moderators determine if users are muted or unmuted. Is your target audience on Clubhouse? You may not even know yet. Clubhouse is currently “invite only” with around 2 million weekly active users. Thought leaders, entertainers, and entrepreneurs are embracing Clubhouse, using it to teach, collaborate, and grow their fanbase. 

There are other platforms that allow you to grow as a thought leader though. Ones that are more accessible and where your content isn’t so short lived. Podcasts can be syndicated across multiple platforms and played (and replayed) at the listener’s convenience. At this point, they’re also more easily monetized. 

So is it worth it for you to prepare and converse through a platform in which your content cannot be accessed again? I believe that Clubhouse has value. Should it be prioritized as a marketing avenue for your business? I think there are better options for small business owners.

My target audience is there and I see potential for growth, so now what?

If a new social media platform has gained popularity among your target audience and you see the value in creating content for that platform, give yourself time to learn and grow. Use the platform for its intended purpose and set realistic expectations, knowing that it can take months to gain traction.

Create a plan

Create a content plan that makes sense for the new platform and sets you up to be consistent. Let your budding followers know what they can expect from you.

Learn from your analytics

What content types and topics are performing the best? Not only can you look at the analytics the platform provides, ask your audience. Ask what they’re liking and what they want to see (and hear) more of. 

What to Do When a New Feature is Released

Can you repurpose your efforts? 

I am not encouraging you to share the exact same content everywhere. Each platform and feature should be used for its intended purpose. Sharing varied content gives your followers a reason to follow you in multiple places and shows that you’re intentional. However, some content does make sense to share across features. For example, Reels.

Reels are short, 15 second videos and a newer feature on Instagram. In some ways, Reels are more customizable than stories, allowing users to easily add time stamped text and stitch together segments into a single Reel. Reels, unlike Instagram Stories, do not disappear after 24 hours and can live in your feed. The ability for Reels to show up as feed posts already makes the effort worth it. When publishing Reels, you’re embracing a new feature and accounting for a feed post, a part of your existing content strategy (if your business is on Instagram). 

There are two ways that you can also share your Reels as Stories. Before publishing your Reels, you can save them to your phone and then upload them as Stories. Or, you can publish your Reel, tap the paper airplane (“share” icon), and share the Reel to your Stories. Sharing your Reels as Stories gives them an extra place to be viewed and then, they can be saved as Highlights. 

Are your Reels Highlight worthy? Be intentional with your content plan and only save Stories that fit with the topics you want your profile visitors to be able to access again and again.

Instagram is currently prioritizing Reels, distributing them more frequently than other content types. Platforms often prioritize their newest features so if you’re able to justify the effort it takes to create content for the new feature, I encourage jumping on it as quickly as possible. 

While Instagram Stories have been around since 2016, practically every social media platform has since adopted the short form, disappearing video feature. Because Facebook owns Instagram, users can sync their content, allowing Instagram Stories to also publish as Facebook Stories. I have embraced this feature, not seeing the need to create different stories across platforms. Users can also share stories on Twitter and even LinkedIn. 

Can you be consistent? 

Because LinkedIn is a business to business platform, your LinkedIn stories should be different from your Facebook and Instagram stories. Is it realistic for you to create different, short form videos for every platform? Determine if you can be consistent with the new feature, whether consistent means utilizing that feature one, three, or five times a week, your audience should know what to expect from you. 

Especially when considering a disappearing feature (like stories or even Clubhouse convos), the views and engagement may not be worth the effort. If you do not think you can be consistent with the new feature, focus on your existing content plan and providing valuable information and resources to your followers.

Rather than letting new features freak you out and thinking about all the things you’re not doing, think through the pros and cons strategically. If it’s a new platform, consider the audience you could reach there and the effort required. If it’s a new feature on a platform where your business already shows up, consider the ROI in terms of your time and the potential resulting growth. 

Are there new platforms or features that you’re considering using? How do they fit into your existing content plan and how consistently will you post? If you have questions about a new platform or feature, you can reach out to me here, or ask me your questions on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.