Whenever you post something on social media, there is a certain period of time before it disappears in the constant stream of content that is uploaded every single second. This makes a lot of brands and influencers feel like they have to post constantly in order to keep up, but nothing is less true: posting too much can bore your audience and cause them to unfollow. Then again, posting too little means less reach, making it harder to grow your following. So, what is the magic combination?

Well, it differs from one platform to the other. In this blogpost, we explore the varying lifespans and how they can affect you or your brand’s schedule.

As stated above, each social platform has its own average content lifespan. Let’s take a look at the major ones – we’ll go from shortest to longest lifespan:

TikTok: starts decaying right away

The app has exploded in the last year and as there is so much content on TikTok, it’s getting harder and harder to stand out. Unless you go viral, your post basically gets lost in the competition immediately.  

That being said, if you do manage to have a little success, TikTok can be very rewarding and get you a long way. Plus, video is where it’s at right now and in the foreseeable future.

Our advice: if TikTok is relevant for you or your brand, try to post about 1-3 times a day. But limit it to high-quality, engaging content. You can also repurpose the videos on other socials as well (or transform them into a Reel).

Twitter: 15 – 18 minutes

Twitter is all about short, fast and frequent content. The second you tweet, the timeline is immediately flooded with new ones that drown out yours. According to statistics, more than 500 million tweets are sent out every day!

Logically, one single tweet has an incredibly short life cycle of about 15 to 18 minutes.

Our advice: on Twitter, we recommend posting multiple times a day. Try to plan at least two tweets a day. But in an ideal world – that is, if you have enough quality content – about 6 – 8 tweets a day will help you reach more audience.

Facebook: 5 – 6 hours

After hitting ‘Post’ on Facebook, the average post will last about five to six hours. In this time, it will receive about 75% of its total engagement. Don’t think you can simply increase engagement by posting a lot, though, as posting too much will only irritate your audience.

Our advice: post varying content about two to four times a day, and consult your Facebook Business Center to know which posting times are best for you or your brand.

Instagram: 48 hours

Instagram content already lasts much longer in comparison to the previous platforms. The average lifespan here is 48 hours. Plus, there’s plenty of other ways to engage with your audience and build your following on Instagram.

Our advice: on Instagram, posting up to once a day makes a lot of sense. Make sure you have a Business profile so you can check on your statistics regularly, to see what time and strategy works best for you.

Do keep an eye on the algorithm though, to ensure you won’t get shadowbanned.

YouTube: 20 days or more

Although – similar to the previous examples – YouTube is also overloaded with content, there is one huge difference: it’s built and used like a search engine. This drags out the engagement and gives your content a way longer lifespan.

On top of that, YouTube videos can be shared pretty much everywhere, meaning they get repurposed all of the time.

Our advice: in any case, we’d advise you to post your longer video content on YouTube. Always share it on your other platforms as well and include a link to the video. Need to know more on how to go about this? We’ve made handy guides for both influencers and brands.

Pinterest: 4 months

Although a lot of people often forget about Pinterest, it certainly wins when it comes to longest lifespan. Because again, similar to YouTube, it’s also built and used like a search engine.

Rather than short-lived posts, pins can be re-pinned and re-discovered up to years later. Pins with a lot of traction can continue to garner repins and thus engagement for a long time, making this platform excellent for long-term social engagement.

Our advice: both influencers and brands are wise to join Pinterest, especially if your style or product is a visually appealing one. Pinterest is all about pretty and inspirational pictures. If you upload original content, always include relevant info and a click-through link.

In conclusion

The first step to improving your strategy, is realizing you don’t have to be present everywhere all of the time. Figure out which platforms are right for you, research where your specific audience is most active, as well as where you can reach potential new followers, and then individualize your strategy per medium.

Other than that, a few rules of thumb:

–   Always keep it high-quality

–   Try to engage your followers

–   Regularly keep an eye on your statistics and adapt where necessary

–   It’s okay to repurpose content from time to time, especially when it did well

–   Plan around the lifespans, but also: experiment and have fun with it