Day in and day out, we meet with companies who believe in a one size fits all social media. They use the “one button” push and copy posts throughout their social media platforms. Same picture. Same text. Same content.

We’ve even been told that this is the “standard practice” in business and we shouldn’t be focused on that. Really? Should it be standard practice?

Is each of the social media networks different? How about the audiences? Do you think they “live” differently in Facebook than they do in Twitter or Instagram? Then why is it “standard practice” to simply post the same pictures and content on all of your social media channels?

It’s our experience that companies that do just the opposite of so called “standard practice” are more successful in social media. They understand that their company’s voice is different in Facebook than it is in Twitter because their audience is different. We break this down in our post about how businesses should eat their social media.

The same holds true when comparing the other platforms. Each platform has it’s own unique qualities, uses, enjoyments, and audience. Businesses have to understand this in order to better relate, connect, and converse with their audience. It’s why we created the term #AudienceSpeak. It’s understanding and speaking the audience’s language in each of the platforms you’re involved in as a company.

In my experience with the Dallas Cowboys, I discovered that certain photos sparked more passion among Facebook fans than the same photos did with the team’s Twitter followers and vice-versa. For example, when we wished Michael Vick a “happy birthday” on the Cowboys’ Facebook page, engagement popped, but not as high as other posts related to an important game at the time of kickoff. However, when we tweeted the birthday post, it exploded. Every major news media outlet including ESPN, USA Today, and all major TV networks picked up on the tweet. Twitter followers spread the post quickly and news organizations and reporters (Twitter is probably their #1 tool now) picked up on it. The photo went viral on Twitter. Different tool = different audience = different results.

Think about it. If you put the same content on all of your social platforms it’s likely followers will pick only one channel for engagement. This means that instead having the same follower across all of your channels, you only get them once. If you are posting different content across each of your platforms you increase the chance that they will engage with your brand in all platforms.

So don’t just push the Easy Button, be sure you use the right #AudienceSpeak in each of your social media channels.