PipeflowWhy the same text on both channels isn't enough
If you're active on Instagram and LinkedIn, it's tempting to save work and copy the same post to both platforms. That's understandable, but it rarely gets the best result. The two channels are used differently: on Instagram people often scroll through pictures in their free time, on LinkedIn they tend to read with a professional eye.
The good news: that doesn't mean you need twice as many topics. One good topic carries both channels. It just has to be told differently on each, with a different picture, a different opening and a different benefit for readers.
What differs between the channels
These differences are tendencies, not laws. After a few weeks, the statistics in the Instagram app and the analytics on LinkedIn will show you which form works with your audience.
- Image: On Instagram the image carries the post; on LinkedIn it supports the text.
- Opening: On Instagram the first sentence should fit the picture and spark curiosity; on LinkedIn it works better as an observation or a point of view.
- Readers: Instagram often reaches end customers, LinkedIn more often business partners, corporate customers, professionals and potential employees.
- Tone: On Instagram it can be more relaxed; on LinkedIn a factual, personal tone usually comes across as more credible.
- Hashtags: On Instagram a few fitting hashtags help categorise a post; on LinkedIn a few or none are enough.
- Ending: On Instagram a simple invitation, on LinkedIn more often a question to fellow professionals.
The example: a joinery and the wood finish
A small joinery wants to explain why it usually oils solid wood dining tables rather than varnishing them. The topic stays the same. But the message is tailored differently for each channel.
For Instagram, a photo takes centre stage: a hand running over a freshly oiled tabletop with clearly visible grain. It speaks to people who are thinking about a new table for their home. For LinkedIn, a workshop photo of the joiner at work fits. It speaks to architects, interior fitters and businesses looking for furniture for offices or restaurants.
The Instagram caption
“Feels like wood because it is wood. 🌳 We oil our dining tables instead of varnishing them. The oil soaks into the wood instead of forming a layer on top. Small scratches can easily be sanded and re-oiled later, without the whole table having to be redone. Want to know how to care for it? Message us and we'll send you our care guide. #joinery #solidwood #diningtable”
The text is short, speaks to readers directly and focuses on the feel and the practical everyday benefit. The first sentence picks up on what can be seen in the picture. At the end there's a simple invitation that costs nothing and can still lead to a contact.
The LinkedIn post
“We're often asked why we oil solid wood tables for offices and restaurants rather than varnishing them. The honest answer: because we think about the day the table gets its first scratch. A varnished surface looks uniform for a long time. But once it's damaged, usually the whole top has to be refinished. An oiled surface can be repaired in patches, often right on site. For a meeting table that's worked at every day, that's a real difference in effort and downtime. What's your view on furniture for offices and hospitality: easy care or repairable? #interiorfitout #officefurniture”
The same thing, a different perspective. The text argues with effort and lifespan, speaks to decision-makers and ends with a professional question that invites comments. There's no emoji, and only two hashtags.
How to approach your own topics
With these steps, one idea reliably turns into a pair of posts:
With a bit of practice the second version only takes a few minutes, because the real thinking has already been done for the first text.
Not every topic suits both channels equally well. A photo of the café's new lunch menu is right for Instagram, but hardly anyone on LinkedIn cares. The question of how a small café deals with rising purchase prices, on the other hand, is more of a LinkedIn topic. If you can't think of a sensible angle for one channel, simply leave it out for this topic. That's better than a post that only exists so that something is there.
- Pin down the core: Write down in one sentence what the message is, regardless of the channel.
- Define the readers: Think about who is watching on Instagram and who on LinkedIn.
- Translate the benefit: For each channel, ask yourself what exactly these people get out of it.
- Choose the image: The strongest picture for Instagram, and one that fits the idea for LinkedIn.
- Stagger the timing: Don't necessarily publish both posts on the same day.