BY COURTNEY COWPERTHWAITE

Would you throw away your warm winter coat just because you’ve bought a new rain jacket? Probably not, because they both serve different purposes — and social media is much the same. Businesses should not consider swapping existing channels in favour of the latest platforms but should instead think about how having a presence across diverse channels presents an opportunity to reach different audiences.

TikTok has taken social media by storm, incorporating short form video content that many other channels are now adopting. The tailored “for you” page means videos reach a wider audience who previously may not have interacted with content.

Creating TikToks can be a great way to share more relaxed content while jumping on trends to reach a wider audience. Time lapse videos are a great way to share engaging videos that take little editing.

For instance, TitansOfCnc’s videos share timelapses of metal 3D printing processes. Their video AI designing a rocket engine part for a metal 3D printer is a great example that showcases the metal 3D printing process in a satisfying, engaging way.

Short form video content can also act as a great HR tool, providing day in the life insight at a company and giving the audience a view of the roles available.

The new app from Instagram reportedly reached over 100 million users in less than a week and is being adopted as a short form content platform, rivalling alternatives like Twitter (X).

If a business has a large audience on Instagram, Threads could be a good additional touch point. Businesses can share updates in a less polished, informal manner and build a community that they later direct towards other platforms with long-form content, such as LinkedIn.

We can see this in the way The Economist shares short snappy updates on Threads, but then links to its articles, stopping the doom scrollers in their tracks and directing them to the website.

The new, lesser-known image sharing platform, Lemon8, takes influence from both Pinterest and Instagram. Users can filter their feeds by category, so content should only reach an audience that is interested in the product, making it easier to build a relevant follower base. Lemon8 is great for sharing tips and tricks and more personable content.

The #Lemon8Diary trend shows users sharing more of their day-to-day lives. In the context of a B2B STEM campaign, design engineers, data engineers and other team members can showcase how their day might look, engaging with users. They can also create a level of transparency that could be helpful when increasing inclusivity and diversity in recruitment.

Don’t get rained on in your warm winter coat. Keep expanding your wardrobe —or your social media platforms — to reach new audiences. Using a breadth of different channels allows you to showcase your business’ personality and find new ways to interact with followers.