Effective content strategy goes beyond platform-specific formats. It requires understanding the user's psychological state. A person on LinkedIn has a 'business' mindset, while on Instagram they have an 'entertainment' one. Your message, analogies, and tone must adapt to this context to be effective.

Instead of a "spray and pray" approach, The News Movement creates distinct content for each social platform. Instagram gets human-centric stories, TikTok receives raw news footage, and YouTube Shorts is more flexible, respecting different user engagement patterns.

Your social media platform should be reverse-engineered based on where your target audience congregates. For example, selling to Gen X women points to Facebook, while targeting professionals for an accounting firm makes LinkedIn the obvious choice. Platform relevance changes over time, so constant re-evaluation is necessary.

Instead of one central handle, create multiple accounts focused on specific topics (e.g., "@LizInBaskingRidge" or "@GaryVeeTheJetsFan"). This allows for hyper-targeted content that can capture niche audiences within the "interest media" landscape, dramatically increasing potential reach.

View platforms like Facebook and YouTube as modern equivalents of TV networks (ABC, NBC), not just channels to blast a single piece of content. Each platform requires its own native "show"—content formatted and styled specifically for that audience and algorithm—to succeed.

Brands cannot use a one-size-fits-all social media strategy. Communications must be adapted for each platform's demographic and algorithmic preferences, such as directness for X's older audience versus entertainment-driven content for TikTok's younger users.

To grow on platforms like Instagram, design content with a broad, intriguing hook on the first slide or in the first few seconds. This captures a wider audience beyond your niche. Then, use the subsequent content to deliver your specialized value, converting interested viewers into followers.

Instead of reactively trying to please algorithms, proactively identify the best 'doorways'—specific platforms and content formats—to reach your ideal audience. This shifts the focus from chasing reach to strategically choosing where you appear and how you present your brand.

Matt McGarry's 'Big Three' strategy posits YouTube, podcasts, and newsletters as core media pillars. All other platforms, like LinkedIn or X, should be treated strictly as discovery channels. This framework clarifies their role as top-of-funnel tools, preventing creators from misallocating resources on platforms they don't own.