Thankfully, updates aren’t carved in stone on Facebook. You can edit social media posts after they’ve gone live.
But, should you? And, why would you?
Over the past few months I’ve been reviewing social media posts that are hours old, polishing them a bit more, and watching additional page views and comments roll in. One afternoon when I was having issues transferring a photo from my smartphone to my desktop computer, I decided to forgo the imagery and publish a text-only update.
The post sat. A few likes trickled in.
When I had time to get the image into my computer, I decided to update the post. Once attached, a new notification went out to my followers that I had uploaded a photo. Boom! Comments and likes rolled in. This happy accident has led me to look a little closer at social media posting.
If you think about it, social media is simply a publishing platform that allows businesses to update their customers and readers at a moment’s notice. It’s pretty remarkable, especially to a former print media journo like me who had to wait for that once-a-day newspaper to land on doorsteps.
Since we have the capability to continue to polish and edit our work (and yes, crafting a snazzy, captivating post is work), why wouldn’t we make updates?
Try These Edits After Publishing a Social Media Post
1. Add hashtags. I’ll think of more related topics and keywords and transform them into hashtags. Often I add a few that are silly, just for the heck of it. I’ve actually had readers comment just because of the goofy hashtags. Or, is a directly related topic trending? Add its corresponding hashtag.
2. Include tagging. Did you partner with a company, reference a place or event? See if they have a Facebook page and tag them so they can see your shout out. Tagging businesses and public Facebook Pages helps bring viewers in from their pages.
3. Edit words. I know I’m not alone in typing too fast and publishing typos. Clean those up! There’s really no reason not to, unless your typo was epic and created a conversation that took on its own personality!
4. Reformat the post. Sometimes line breaks or spacing just don’t look right. Play with the formatting on your posts to make specific sentences stand out. We all know a big block of text is a no-no in the publishing world. Use white space to your advantage, even on social media posts.
Are You Hesitant to Push the Edit Button?
On the other side of the question are those people who feel you shouldn’t edit a post after it’s gone live. Why? You might change the tone or information being presented, which no longer aligns with the comments and feedback from readers.
For example, someone may have liked your post for something you wrote, then you delete that sentiment. Ouch! Your reader may feel confused or upset if the tone of the post has dramatically changed.
Do you think it’s acceptable to edit a social media post after it’s gone live? Why or why not? Let’s chat in the comments section.
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