When, How and Where to Promote Your Content on Social Media

Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time. I can't do that. But sometimes I feel just as skilled when I can manage the multiple arms of content marketing.

The process requires so much: coming up with ideas, drafting concepts, editing to perfection, designing the visuals, publishing, promoting and measuring success.

Promotion is just one part of the process, but it's a complex machine of its own. Learning when, how and where to promote on social media takes knowledge, skill and testing. Or, at the very least, a well-crafted article explaining things to you.

When should I promote my content on social media?

It's an honest question that opens the door to a vast number of answers.

There's the really technical side, where I advise you to publish on Saturdays at noon on Facebook. But I think we, as marketers, have a tendency to get so bogged down about specifics that we miss the big picture. (Like the fact that if everyone published at the same time, social media would feel incredibly boring.)

So, instead, I'm going to take a more high-level view when approaching the topic of when:

1. The same day you hit "publish."

This one's pretty obvious. You want to start promoting your new content right away. As soon as you release a piece of content, start sharing it on your social media channels.

2. Promote again the day after.

Don't be afraid to share your content on social media more than once. It seems like people get hung up on only sharing it one time. Go ahead and share it again the next day, as it's unlikely that all of your readers, or even the majority, saw it the first time.

3. Share the content once more a week later.

At a minimum, you want to share a third time, one week later. Stop worrying about oversharing, especially at this level. It's unlikely that your audience will even notice.

4. Push the limits with multiple shares.

I want to make sure you understand that these recommendations are only a minimum. You can do so much more when you invest in sharing multiple times.

Just look at how Coshedule quadrupled their traffic by sharing the same content nine times in seven days:

How to promote your content on social media.

As I sat here contemplating this section, I knew it could go one or two ways.

I could share my thoughts on how you should promote your content on your own profile, through advertising or encouraging others to share.

But as I review the social landscape, I find many missing the how in another way.

How to promote your content on social media falls into two categories: form and method. I just described method. Now I'd like to address form.

1. Embrace visuals.

Photos on Facebook generate 53 percent more likes. YouTube gets over 4 million views a day. Instagram passed Twitter for daily active users.

People love visuals.

Want to really succeed with promotion on social media? Find new and creative ways to use visuals to complement your content.

2. Test different headlines.

A powerful headline can mean the difference between thousands of people clicking your post and it going completely unnoticed. Test different headlines every time you share the content.

Not only will it give you some insight into the types of headlines that work, it'll keep things fresh for your audience. It's hard for your audience to get bored with your sharing when it's a bit different every time.

3. Customize the message for each platform.

If you're not customizing your message for each social media channel, you're doing it wrong. Each channel has nuances that make it unique.

You must understand these differences and respect them to truly make an impact.

Where to promote your content on social media.

The answer here may seem obvious. Where should you promote content on social media? Uh, on social media. Yes, you're right. But there's more to it than that.

What if I told you to meet me in New York City? Most people would know how to get there. But it's a huge city full of potential meeting places. If that's all you had to go on, we'd never find each other.

Think of the where in social media the same way.

1. Share with your network.

Never forget to share the content directly with your audience. If you do nothing else, do this. Post your content on each social channel you have an active presence on.

2. Participate in groups.

Networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+ have niche communities and groups. If you actively participate in discussions, don't hesitate to share your content here.

Just make sure to always respect the community guidelines. Add to the conversation -- don't just spam your link.

3. Leverage your profile.

If you have a special piece of content that you'd like to promote, leverage your profile. Some ideas for promoting content this way include:

Portfolio links on LinkedIn

Cover photo on Facebook

Link in your bio on Twitter:

You worked hard on your content, so don't be afraid to share it! Far from being seen as overly-promotional, your audience will appreciate the obvious pride you've put into your work.

These strategies should give you a much better understanding of the when, how and where of social media promotion.

So now, I want to hear from you. How will you use this new knowledge to promote your content in the future? Leave me a comment below with your thoughts:

When, How and Where to Promote Your Content on Social Media Promotion is just one part of the process, but it's a complex machine of its own.