It’s a question I get asked all the time:
“Is it OK to post the same content to Instagram & Facebook?”
Did the idea of me saying no to this question immediately send waves of panic your way?
Well, not to worry — I’m happy to report that, in 2023, it is still totally fine to post the same content to Instagram and Facebook!
In fact, cross-posting is a great way for small business owners and entrepreneurs to be smart with their time and efficient with their content.
However, there are a few important caveats — let’s dive in!
What is cross-posting on social media?
Cross-posting refers to sharing the same post or content across multiple social media platforms, rather than creating unique posts for each one.
What are the benefits of cross-posting?
The biggest benefit of repurposing your Instagram content to Facebook is that it saves you a ton of time!
As a busy small business owner or budding entrepreneur, you likely don’t have the time to develop unique content for both Instagram and Facebook, so repurposing your posts from one platform to another just makes sense.
Another huge benefit to cross-posting: it dramatically increases the chances of your content actually being seen by your followers!
A sobering statistic: on average, only 9.34% of your Instagram followers and just 4.23% of your Facebook followers actually see your posts.
That’s right — just because someone follows you doesn’t mean that the algorithms are going to show them your posts! (Depressing but true.)
However, by sharing the same content on both Instagram and Facebook, the odds of your followers actually seeing (and noticing) your content significantly increase.
Now that we know what cross-posting is and why it’s beneficial to your social media marketing, let’s break down the dos and don’ts.
The Dos & Don’ts of Repurposing Your Posts from Instagram to Facebook
1. DON’T use the “autopost” feature.
You know that oh-so-convenient option that appears as you’re about to post to Instagram, giving you the option to post to Facebook at the exact same time?
Yeah, that’s the one. Don’t use it.
Sure, it may seem like a great time-saving option — which I’m all about — but virtually every Instagram post needs a bit of tweaking before you can share it to Facebook. Keep reading to find out exactly why…
2. DO use the Meta Business Suite app to post to Facebook so you can see a full preview of your post before it goes live.
Anyone who’s used Facebook knows that strange things can happen between drafting your post and hitting “publish.”
For this reason, it’s always a good idea to see a full preview of your post before it goes live. You may notice some weird line breaks that need to be fixed, or emojis that worked well on Instagram but just aren’t working as well on Facebook.
It’s also important to review how your images are going to appear. For example, carousels (posts with up to 10 images) are a top-performing content format on Instagram, but on Facebook, they can be overwhelming or look cluttered, so cutting down your images to 3-4 or even just a single image can be beneficial.
3. DO adjust the first line of your post.
I promise I’m not trying to make more work for you, but this point highlights one of the key differences between posting on Instagram vs. Facebook.
On Instagram, when a user is scrolling through their newsfeed, they see your visual first (e.g., photo, video, graphic), and then they see the first part of your caption.
But on Facebook, they see the first few lines of your caption first, and then they see your visual, so it’s the other way around.
Sometimes, this doesn’t matter, but other times, it can completely change the context of your post. If needed, give your caption intro on Facebook a little extra “oomph” to draw the user in and get your content noticed.
4. DON’T use your Instagram hashtags on Facebook (or at least not all of them).
Nothing says, “I just copied and pasted this post from Instagram” than a Facebook caption with 30 hashtags at the end of it!
Yes, Facebook has the option to add hashtags, but they’re just not used in the same way as they are on Instagram.
That said, using hashtags on Facebook can help with discoverability (i.e., getting your posts seen by new audiences) and add context to your post (e.g., a hashtag related to a specific campaign, holiday or event).
The best approach: If you’re going to include hashtags, use no more than 2-3.
5. DON’T include links in your Facebook posts all the time just because you can.
We can all agree that seeing a Facebook caption that ends with “Click the link in my bio for more info!” (an Instagram staple) is a definite fail.
But it turns out that including actual links in your Facebook posts isn’t much better.
According to the latest edition of Facebook’s Widely Viewed Content Report, 92.3% of the content views in the US during Q1 2023 did not include a link to a source outside of Facebook.
There’s a reason for this: Facebook wants to keep users on Facebook, so the algorithms are less likely to show posts to users that contain outside links.
That’s not to say you can never include links with your posts, but it does mean you should use them sparingly if you want to increase engagement and reach.
Another option: Include your link in the comments, or encourage your audience to DM you for more information.
6. DO check that any accounts you’ve mentioned in your Instagram post also have Facebook pages.
Tagging other accounts in your Instagram posts is a great way to expand the reach of your content (especially if they share it!) and build community.
However, when it comes to posting that same content to Facebook, make sure you’re not just copying and pasting their Instagram handles — always check to see if they have a Facebook page and tag accordingly.
7. DO take advantage of features that are unique to Facebook.
As you’ve probably guessed by now, I’m a big fan of repurposing your Instagram content to Facebook.
However, the downside of this “Instagram-first” approach is that some features that are unique to Facebook can take a backseat.
The biggest Facebook-only feature you should be taking advantage of is text posts with colourful backgrounds.
Believe me when I say that this format is engagement gold!
Sometimes just asking a simple question can generate more comments, shares and reactions than the most intricately polished caption and photo album.
Other features: sharing a feeling/activity, adding a location check-in and.
All of these are great ways to customize your posts to Facebook and take your reach and engagement potential to the next level.
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