One idea, four channels: a social media content strategy that fits each platform

Most brands post the same thing everywhere. Same image, same text, four channels. It feels efficient. In practice, it wastes a good idea four times.

Each platform has its own audience, its own rhythm and its own reason people open it. The idea can stay the same. The post should not.

Here is how we do it for our clients, and for ourselves.

Repurposing content: start with one idea, not four posts

Every week starts with one clear idea: an article, an insight, a piece of work. Not a list of posts to fill.

This plan is a good example. On Monday we wrote about rebuilding our website. That one story became a point of view on LinkedIn, a checklist on Instagram, a tip on Facebook and a service fact on Google.

One idea, told four ways, reaches more people than four ideas told once. That is what repurposing content should mean: not copying a post, but retelling the idea for each place.

Give every channel its own job

This is the core of how we plan social media:

• LinkedIn makes the argument. The "why". A sharp point of view and one practical idea, for founders, managers and partners.
• Instagram makes it memorable. The "what". One idea per slide, easy to save and send to a colleague.
• Facebook makes it doable. The "how". A tip someone can try tonight, or a question that starts a conversation.
• Google Business Profile makes you findable. The "who can help". A short, local fact about what you offer.

Same idea. Four different doors into it.

Camera, phone and notebook on a wooden desk

Write the first line for a stranger

People scroll fast. The first line decides if they stop. So we lead with what the reader gets, not with what we want to say.

Compare:

• "We are proud to share our new article about websites."
• "We moved our website and checked 232 old addresses. None were lost. Here is how."

The second one tells the reader why they should care, in one line.

Design for the platform, not for your archive

Format matters as much as words:

• Instagram carousels: portrait 4:5, 1080 x 1350 pixels, up to 20 slides. Every slide is cropped to the first slide's shape, so keep them all the same size. One idea per slide, large text, lots of space.
• LinkedIn and Facebook: a square image with a few words that support the post, never repeat it.
• Google Business Profile: a clean landscape image and a short update about a service.

And always: your real logo, your colors, your font. Consistency is how people recognize you before they read your name. A simple template per channel saves hours every week and keeps every post on brand, even when different people make them.

Write for sharing, not just for likes

Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, explained in January 2025 that watch time, likes and sends are the three signals that matter most for ranking. Likes matter slightly more for your followers. Sends, when people share your post with someone, matter slightly more for reaching people who do not follow you yet (as reported by Social Media Today).

So we ask one question before every post: would someone send this to a colleague? Useful checklists, clear before-and-afters and honest lessons pass that test. Self-congratulation rarely does.

Stay consistent for months, not weeks

The hardest part of social media is not the first post. It is the fortieth.

Many brands start strong and stop after a few weeks, often right before it starts working. A simple rhythm you can keep beats an ambitious one you cannot. That is why we plan two weeks at a time, with every post written before the first one goes live. More on that in our guide to building a content calendar.

What about rules like 70/20/10?

You will find many rules of thumb online. The best known, 70/20/10, suggests roughly 70% useful content, 20% shared or conversation content and 10% promotion. Treat rules like this as a check, not a plan. If most of your posts are about you, the rule is right to warn you. But no ratio replaces one clear idea per week and a clear job per channel.

Choose fewer channels, and do them well

You do not need to be everywhere. Two channels done well beat five done badly. Choose the channels where your customers already spend time, and give each one a clear job. Our guide on how to select the right social media channels helps you choose.

What we do for brands

Our social media strategy and content creation work comes down to three things:

• Channel-fit content. One idea, adapted to every platform.
• Consistency. A rhythm you can keep, in your house style, every week.
• Measuring what matters. Not just likes, but shares, clicks, messages and bookings. More on that next Friday.

When I sit down with a client on this, we start with the checks above.

Want social media that works as hard as your best idea? Book a call with Atelier ATTENTION.