Transmedia storytelling: Should brands modify content for each social media platform?

‘The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects’ is a book by Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan and graphic artist Quentin Fiore. Released in 1967, the book is often regarded as McLuhan’s most controversial work. It is largely accepted that it was a printing error because the opening chapter from his 1964 book was called ‘The Medium is the Message’.

McLuhan proposes that a communication medium itself, not the messages it carries, should be the primary focus of study. He showed that media affects society by its characteristics and content.

Going by McLuhan’s theory, not all content needs to be shared everywhere, neither is all content suitable for every social media platform. Cross-posting the same content across the boardjust doesn’t work anymore, and are redundant strategies. Engaging content is more than just repeating the same post over and over again.

Even though we usually group Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter in one blanket category social media marketing, they are in reality, quite different. The audiences and the platforms call for very different types of writing for each medium.Just like a person’s Facebook and LinkedIn profiles are very different, brand and company profiles need to change depending on the chosen social media platform as well. Knowledge on how best to leverage each medium can make all the difference between winning and losing.

Here is a meme that hits the nail on the head:

Crafting messages for LinkedIn

According to digital communication specialists, LinkedIn is the greatest and most successful channel for content marketing. LinkedIn’s large number of top executives, decision-makers, and influencers represent a potential captive audience. The platform is best used to position the brand as a thought leader and conduct business specific discussions that cater to staff, customers, stakeholders, managements, investors, vendors and potential business partners and new talent.

Facebook for Gen-X

Facebook is popular in both rural and urban areas, cutting across every income level and those of every educational background. Buzzsumo analysed 68 million Facebook posts and found a similar trend: videos have higher average engagement than images and links.On this platform, content has to be bite-sized, snackable (preferably in the form of videos and live videos) that grab eyeballs. This is very unlike LinkedIn, which allows for more flexibility with the length and time both in terms of video and written content.

Be the policy advocator and influencer on Twitter

Marketer Hillel Fuld gets it right when he says that Twitter is built from the ground up for unilateral relationships; a follower and a person being followed. People who live in cities, particularly the rich and educated, are more likely to use Twitter. It is popular among celebrities, politicians, journalists, and news organisations. While updates on the job, company progress, and team achievements are appropriate on LinkedIn, doing so on Twitter is frowned upon.

One for The Gram

Hi-res images, quotes, stories and infographics work best on this medium. Gen Z is here and they treat Instagram like oxygen that is necessary to breathe.

Unlike any other form of media, social media allows brands to engage directly with its customers and build a very personal relationship, so it is critical that it is done correctly.

While the messages are being retold on different media, it has to make sense to the audience as parts of a coherent ‘universe’ of transmedia storytelling. There is no one source of information for the full narrative. Rather, the plot elements are dispersed over numerous media, with no duplication from one to the next. The audience involvement is much higher and they try to seek out every piece of the narrative across multiple media.

Authored by Rajat Gupta, Head - Marketing & Communication, Goldi Solar.