Social Media Is A Game That Requires You To Master These 2 Skills.
Content creation never ceases to amaze me.
The same piece of content reposted with a single small tweak got 4x the reach.
Mind blown…
This proves that social media is a game.
Here’s the tweak that 4x’d my post performance.
I wrote a listicle for LinkedIn, called:
15 Must-Have (Free) Tools For Writers And Content Creators Looking To Build An Audience In 2024
My original post got average results:
518 impressions.
5 reactions.
2 comments.
You can see it below:
I made one small error that sabotaged my performance.
Not realizing it… I added images to my post instead of posting it as a “Deck”. It’s the difference between uploading images vs uploading a PDF.
And it’s clear that LinkedIn gets a little more excited about these PDFs.
So…
Like that savvy content creator that I am, I reposted it.
Call it savvy, resourceful, or lazy, but reposting stuff is a cheat code.
This time, realizing the error of my ways. I posted it as a proper “Deck” uploading a PDF.
Using the same copy and content SIMPLY formatted differently the results were unrecognizable.
You can view it here, and don't be shy, give it a like and a repost ;-)
The moment I hit post I could see the difference.
I immediately saw reposts (the holy grail of social) and comments rolling in…
2,336 impressions.
13 reactions.
15 comments.
5 reposts/shares.
While impressions are cool, we all know the real reason we post, right?
My followers shot up — growing my 35 from this single post.
And my Substack check going off I had to put my phone on silent as people were hitting that lovely “Subscribe to newsletter” button that LinkedIn drops on your profile for premium members.
One change. 4x performance. 35 followers. New subscribers.
Social media is a game that requires you to master 2 skills.
If you’ve posted anything you know there’s skill involved.
Skill 1: Creation.
As a content creator — a term I will use to refer to anyone using social media to grow their business — you need to master “Creation.”
Writing newsletters, recording podcasts, filming YouTube videos, posting images or videos to IG, or dropping TikToks.
You pick your poison and then need to get good.
Writing is a skill.
Podcasting is a skill.
Filming and editing videos is a skill.
Designing images is a skill.
More reps you put in the better you get. The better you understand your audience the more your content resonates. The more data you get the more refined your content becomes.
It’s no different than playing a sport of learning the piano.
Skill 2: The platform.
Here’s the skill people don’t talk about.
Every platform — is a new skill to master.
Writing isn’t good enough. Because writing an email is different than writing a newsletter is different than writing on LinkedIn.
If you share content to multiple platforms you’ve experienced this.
My post above that got 2,000 impressions and grew my LinkedIn by 35 followers only got 3 likes and was seen by 10 people on Instagram.
Every platform has unique features, different things that work, and different trends.
When we fail to understand or capitalize on them we’re just posting into an echo chamber and sit back blaming the algorithm.
It’s OK though. It’s difficult to master them all. That’s why I only focus on LinkedIn. I still post on Instagram but I am not invested in mastering the skill of Instagram.
Try asking yourself these 11 questions to refine your skills and master the game.
I’m no social media guru by any means.
But here are a few thought-provoking questions to get you noodling on small and simple ways to refine your skills.
Can I post this in a different format native to this platform.
Can I add an image/graphic to my text post?
Can I use a carousel/multiple images vs. one?
Can I shorten my post and place the content into the graphic?
Can I try a different visual format?
Can my carousel become a deck? Or vice versa.
Can my post become a video?
Can my video become a text post, carousel, or deck?
Can I make this short, or longer?
What are the leaders in my niche doing and posting?
What formats are leaders in non-related industries doing?
My intention is to get your creative juices flowing.
I’ll leave you with a few things currently working for me.
Social thrives on shares.
I am investing time into “repostable” content. What will people want to repost? What will make people look smart by sharing to their network? This is what drives growth.
Reposting content is a hack.
If something works. Do it again. Then again. And again. It’s as simple as that. Repost it as is, change the image, or same image with different copy. I’ve gained HUNDREDS of followers reposting the exact same content weeks or months apart.
Model what works.
History leaves clues. Spend some time looking at what’s working for others. Try a tool like Kleo (free) for LinkedIn. I browse thought-leaders, sort by reposts, and see what is getting the most reposts. Then I see how I can model the topics, formats, and creative execution, for my content.
Pay attention and experiment.
If it’s not working, you either need to put in more reps, or try something new. Every post is a data point. Every day is a new experiment. Over time, if you’re paying attention, you see what works and what doesn’t and you can slowly refine things.
Consistently > Everything.
(Try to) Be ruthlessly consistent. Trust me. The people winning at this game have been doing it for years.
Now that you’ve got the cheat codes, it’s time to play the game.
Landon