You put tons of effort into creating content for various platforms, so make sure you use that effort wisely. Anyone that has been on social media long enough understands that successful content doesn't mean posting all of the things as often as possible. But even if you've mastered the science of posting in the right place at the right time, maintaining high engagement can often feel like a struggle. Knowing the lifespan of your content post, or its “post life”, will help you better plan your marketing strategy.
The length of time people engage with a post before it becomes lost in the digital abyss is its "lifespan" or "lifetime." Understanding the lifespan of your posted content can help you decide where to focus your efforts. For example, you might decide it isn't worth the investment to spend countless hours creating content that loses steam after only a few minutes. Paying attention to your digital post lifetime gives you insight into where to invest time and energy. Content life varies depending on the platform, so to effectively reach your audience, you need to become familiar with the longevity of each particular posting. This article will explain the length of time your digital and social media posts remain pertinent. It will also provide tips to help you maximize your post life and focus your marketing efforts!
Digital Post Lifetime
Each platform you post on has a unique set of parameters. Whether it's several quick Tweets, a video clip on TikTok, a longer "how-to" video on YouTube, or a blog on your website, the shelf life of your content will vary based on its location. Here is a quick look at the differences in post life on some of the major platforms:
- TikTok: 0-2 minutes
- Twitter: 15-18 minutes
- Facebook: 5-6 hours
- LinkedIn: 24 hours
- Instagram: 48 hours
- YouTube: 20 days
- Pinterest: 4 months
- Blog Posts: 2 years
Keep Your Content Alive And Relevant
The various trends and algorithms for social media platforms (and other digital formats) contribute to the lifespan of a post. Increasing your post lifetime means increasing audience involvement with your content. Your audience can engage with your posts in many ways, including views, likes, comments, saves, shares, and pins. For your content strategy to be effective, you want to extend that engagement for as long as possible. Continuing to post new content may feel discouraging if you aren't sure your message is being heard. Below, we’ll show you what to pay attention to when posting and share Hootsuite’s recommendations on timing your posts. We’ll also discuss how to maintain the relevance and longevity of your post life.
TikTok: 0 to 2 Minutes
Even though a post on TikTok generally has instant decay and a maximum post life of a few minutes, it can still be relevant. You may see more engagement if your content lands on the FOR YOU page. Video is currently the most viewed format and will likely stay that way for the foreseeable future. Because of that, these short videos can have great success.
Tips:
- Repurpose your videos on other platforms.
- Post quality content 1-3 times a day.
- Add content on Tuesdays between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m.
- Post on Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Twitter: 15 to 18 Minutes
According to Moz, Twitter posts have an incredibly short post life. The moment you tweet, your post starts to drown in a sea of new tweets. Statistics show that people post more than 500 million tweets every day! Keeping your content noticed is a matter of frequent posting and potential retweeting.
Tips:
- Tweet at least twice a day.
- Tweet 6-8 times a day if you have enough useful content.
- Post any day but Sunday.
- Post between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.
Facebook: 5 to 6 Hours
The content life of an average Facebook post is only five to six hours. 75% of its total activity occurs during this time, but with 1.5 billion users, your posts are likely to have good engagement. Unlike Twitter, though, posting too much only irritates your audience and will probably not increase engagement.
Tips:
- Post varying content up to 4 times per day.
- Share links to your content on Facebook to extend the lifespan.
- Pin your post on the top of your newsfeed, so people see it first.
- Post on weekdays between 8 a.m. and noon.
LinkedIn: 24 Hours
Regarding content life, LinkedIn posts last an average of 24 hours. The longer lifespan of your content, combined with a strong business demographic, makes LinkedIn an excellent platform for B2B traffic.
Tips:
- Add high-quality content to your LinkedIn profile to extend its lifespan.
- Use LinkedIn Pulse to republish your blog posts.
- Post at the start of the workday.
- Post one post per day from Tuesday through Thursday.
Instagram: 48 Hours
An Instagram post will have a maximum lifetime of 48 hours. After that, posts will see very little action. However, the platform's new algorithm promotes video content so that a Reel can have a lifespan of closer to two weeks. With video becoming more popular on Instagram, video content is something you want to incorporate into your strategy.
Tips:
- Post video content with your video from other platforms.
- See our article on How To Post YouTube videos on Instagram!
- Post once per weekday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Use popular and relevant hashtags to help people find your content.
- Post native video Reels to increase your post life and reach a larger audience.
YouTube: 20 Days +
You may think YouTube is overloaded with content, and you aren't wrong. Being built like a search engine, however, allows your content longer engagement and greater post life. Video on the platform may also have multiple phases of rising and falling in popularity, which could extend your post lifetime up to 2 years! Best of all, YouTube videos are easy to share and repurpose on almost every platform.
Check out our post on YouTube Alternatives to find other places to post!
Tips:
- Post your longer video content on YouTube.
- Use cuts of your video across other platforms and include a link to the original.
- Upload early. It takes a few hours for YouTube to index and distribute videos.
- Post on weekday afternoons and weekend mornings.
Pinterest: 4 Months
Pinterest is often overlooked, but it has a big lead in post life. Pins have a lifetime of about 3 months! Because they can be re-pinned and rediscovered, an adequately optimized pin can garner engagement for years.
Tips:
- Combine your blog posts and Pins to create a robust content lifecycle.
- Pin a mixture of content up to 10 times daily, Sunday through Tuesday.
- Include relevant info and a click-through link to original content.
- Boost your pin with an evergreen video for longer exposure.
Blogs: 2 Years
Studies show the average lifespan of a blog post is 2 years! Based on this enduring post life, blogs have the highest return on investment of all the listed options. Blogging often will increase engagement and traffic. Consistent posts will build trust with your audience by continuing to meet their expectations.
Tips:
- Include infographics and video to make the content easily sharable.
- Update your blogs regularly to keep the content relevant.
- Pick a posting schedule and stick to it.
- Try to post unique content 2 to 4 times per week.
More Ways To Improve Post Life
Create Evergreen Content.
Focus on something other than the short-term. Pick topics that will remain relevant over the long haul across multiple social networks. Continually update your content with accurate data and new context to keep your posts fresh for old readers and engaging for new ones. The freshness of a post is a huge factor in how google ranks your content. Sometimes a simple update can restart the life of your post.
Use more video content.
Video outperforms any other digital content on social media. It creates more commitment than all other posting options. Tweets with video can see up to 10x more engagement. The average lifespans listed above don't account for the multiple uses of video across many channels. It would be wasteful to use video on only one platform because it can and will increase your content life across the board.
Keep sharability and engagement in mind.
The more that your audience can engage with your post, the longer its lifespan will be. Likes, comments, and redirects will all continue to add time to the lifespan of a post. Shares can restart the clock entirely each time new users engage.
Keep your content lifespan in mind, but don't over-post.
Pick a few platforms to focus on and use the tips listed above to get you started. You can then weigh the response and increase or decrease your postings to better meet your audience's needs. There isn't a one-size-fits-all formula, but being aware of your post life will help you develop a successful strategy.
Understanding Post Lifetime
As you can see, many factors are involved in the lifespan of content. Both the type of content and the platform used are critical to knowing your post life. When your post reaches the end of its time, people stop seeing it, and it becomes ineffective. Understanding how and when content loses steam gives you the opportunity to update and add fresh substance to maintain your digital presence.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can understanding content lifespan improve your video strategy?
Knowing how long content stays relevant helps you plan publication, repurposing, and promotion cycles more effectively. For videos built to last across platforms, explore Levitate’s Marketing Video Services.
- Which formats tend to have the longest shelf life?
Evergreen educational videos, testimonials, and brand stories often remain useful for years. Learn how companies use video strategically in this blog on Corporate Videography.
- How can brands extend the lifespan of short-form content?
By adapting clips to multiple platforms, updating intros/outros, and reusing strong visuals in new formats. Levitate’s Social Media Video Services are built with this kind of repurposing in mind.
- Are there examples of long-lasting content done right?
Yes, SquareTrade created testimonial and explainer videos that continue to perform long after initial release, thanks to evergreen storytelling and thoughtful editing.
Want to create lasting video content? Contact Levitate Media today! We can produce video with multiple cuts for long-lasting post value!
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