September 2025
Social media is an integral part of any communications strategy. However, you’re likely trying to reach a range of different people, which means you’ll need to have a presence on multiple platforms. We recently hosted a media and social media training for one of our clients, and this is some of the content we covered.
Focus on Short Form Video
No matter what platform you’re on, short form video is the best way to generate engagement and views. While most public projects can’t be on TikTok, the app’s influence is shaping the content strategies of other platforms. Reels on Facebook and Instagram, Shorts on YouTube, and even short videos on LinkedIn are really becoming popular. Find a way to incorporate video into your strategy. Interview team members, capture any work that’s happening or invite people to a public meeting via video.
Users Want Authentic Content
Not everything needs to be polished and perfect on social media anymore. This doesn’t mean you don’t need to create quality content, but users appreciate seeing small mistakes and imperfections. Obviously, make sure your information is accurate, but if you’re filming a video and the speaker corrects themselves, feel free to leave that in. Sometimes things that are too polished come across as ads, and users will swipe past quickly.
What About Alternative Platforms?
The big social media channels you likely think of are Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and maybe YouTube. Recently, though, Bluesky and Threads have both been growing in popularity. You might be wondering if it’s worth creating content for those channels, too. The answer is simple but frustrating: it depends. While Threads and Bluesky are both growing, they still don’t have as many users as the other platforms we mentioned. Creating content for additional platforms can be time-consuming, and you want to ensure you’re using that time wisely.
It’s never a bad idea to reserve your username on these platforms to ensure no one else snags it before you can, and you can begin to share content you’re already creating for other platforms to ensure your page isn’t blank. If you have the time or the team to create content specifically for these platforms, feel free to do so and see how your audience can grow. Keep in mind, though, that your ideal followers may or may not be on these platforms right now. Do some research to see if it’s a good decision for your brand, and remember that you can always add these platforms to your strategy at a later date if you want. This isn’t a now-or-never situation.
Quick Tips
Don’t be boring. Check out posts from the TSA and National Parks Service, neither of which screams “fun social presence.” Both post creative content that generates engagement.
Post consistently. The best way to feed the algorithm and make sure your posts are seen is to post on a regular basis. That doesn’t have to be daily, but find a rhythm and stick to it.
Check your analytics. Take a look to see what your audience is engaging with and what content they like. Then create more posts like that. Continue to experiment and try new content types, too.