Facebook and Twitter are different animals, and your frequency strategy should be different for each one.
For one, Facebook is not an of the moment, breaking news network like Twitter. (They want to be with the addition of subscriptions and the ticker, but they aren’t there yet.) Facebook users are less likely to take immediate action than Twitter users.
Secondly, while posting new Facebook status updates several times an hour will likely annoy your fans, tweeting several times an hour is not only excepted — some say it’s optimal.
- Use Facebook to post show-related content that remains relevant in news feeds once the show is over (think podcasts, phone topics, videos or stories you shared on-air). Save the appointment listening, what’s happening right now updates for Twitter. Since you are only posting on Facebook every 1.5 hours or twice per show, choose your posts carefully.
- Post the same A+ updates from Facebook on Twitter, along with more appointment listening and of the moment updates. Recent research by KISSmetrics shows that it is optimal to tweet 1-4 times an hour. Posting more often on Twitter means you don’t have to be as picky with the content you choose.
Here’s an example of how an appointment listening post differs on Facebook and Twitter:
You post “We’re giving away tickets to see Adele in 20 minutes” on both. What happens?
Twitter: The immediacy of Twitter may elicit a response, encouraging followers to listen to the show to win. By the time the tickets are given away, the tweet will be buried by other tweets.
Facebook: The post may be visible in your listeners’ news feeds long after you gave away the tickets. The way Facebook’s algorithm Edgerank works makes it impossible to gauge how long this post will be visible.
The results of a 2011 study from knowDigital based on interviews with 30 KROQ/Los Angeles Facebook fans matched my own observations on Facebook and appointment setting. This study shows that Facebook posts about show or station features increase awareness, but do not encourage fans to tune in at a specific time.
Use Facebook Insights or another analytics program to measure your Facebook engagement to see if this is true for your station or show.
-written for The Randy Lane Company Content Ideas
Boy do I have a lot to learn and you are helping with that. I still struggle with new media but am gradually catching on. A lot of it makes so much more sense as I read your posts. It is tough building an audience but we’re chipping away at it. Keep posting and I will keep reading.
Kim,
Thanks for your kind words. I am thrilled to hear that you find my writing helpful. I will keep posting, so you can keep reading. If you have any questions or tips to add, don’t hesitate to let me know!
Stephanie