Content fit is one of the most underrated concepts in social media strategy.

Content that’s made for one platform and lazily repurposed for another performs poorly – not just because the format is wrong, but because it signals to the audience that you don’t understand the platform’s culture. I wouldn’t use instagram for info-graphical carousels – I’d use videos. I’d put those carousels on Facebook or LinkedIn. Instagram is quick, fast and fun. Emails are a great chance to write at length, Twitter is where you write in short. 

Platform content cultures

LinkedIn – Professional but increasingly personal. Long-form text posts with strong hooks outperform images. Personal perspective and opinions perform well, just plese don’t make them too cringey or basic.

Facebook – Conversational, community-oriented. Posts that ask questions get prioritised. Video gets strong organic reach. Local and specific beats generic.

Instagram/Tik Tok – Visual first, always. The image or video must stop the scroll. Reels get the most reach. Stories are for behind-the-scenes content.

YouTube – Search-optimised long-form content. Thumbnails matter enormously. Titles should include searchable keywords. One of the biggest search engines in the world. 

Email – Personal, direct, one-to-one in feel. Subject line is everything. One clear CTA per email. Don’t underestimate a good email list.

The repurposing trap

Repurposing content is efficient. But repurposing without adapting is lazy – and audiences notice.

The right approach: start with the idea, then create a native version for each channel. Not the same post copied across five platforms. The same idea expressed in five different ways.

Exercise

Take one content idea and express it natively for three different channels. How does the format, length, tone and structure change? What stays the same?