Should you repurpose TikTok content for Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts?

This is a question we often get from our clients. Should a brand repurpose content across multiple social media channels? Let’s explore some best practices for maximising your visibility and uncover strategies that work best in this fast-paced world of social media marketing. 

In recent years, TikTok has become the trendsetter where most viral content originates. You'll relate to the following scenario if you’re a regular TikTok user. A friend sent you a viral Instagram Reel, which you had already seen a few weeks ago on TikTok. A few months pass. Your mom is sharing the same video with you, which is now going viral on Facebook. True story. So, how can you translate this to your social media marketing strategy and capitalise on it?

Create for TikTok, post it everywhere.

Social media trends usually appear on TikTok first and then spread to Instagram Reels and YouTube shorts approximately 3-10 days later. Your job as a brand is to create content for TikTok and then post it on all vertical platforms. Trust the process - if it goes viral on TikTok, it will also do well on other platforms. Instagram Reels is rapidly growing in popularity because of its more open algorithm. We’ve noticed that the content we post on Reels often outperforms the same content on TikTok. 

You can either decide to repurpose all content across the social media platforms you use or select the best-performing TikTok videos and post them on other platforms a few days later. This strategy will help you maximise content exposure and engagement across different platforms.

What should be different?

We suggest you modify your video content since the audiences and algorithms are still platform-specific. Don’t embed titles (or subtitles), but create the text within the platform itself to enhance search engine optimization. Remember that young people also use TikTok as a search engine, not just as a social platform. You should also customise stylistic elements for Instagram Reels because the aesthetics are more important on this platform than on TikTok.

How to make the process most efficient?

To make the most of your campaign, you should practice scripting and shooting content once, adapting it, and posting it across all relevant social media platforms. Your money, time and energy can also be saved by using process optimisation tools such as hyptT, where everything can be saved on one platform: the brief, brainstorming notes, scripts, shooting material, videos, client feedback and everything in between.

Let us know if you need any more advice or sign up for a free trial of hyptT!