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Learn Social Media Management
Running social media on impulse rarely moves the numbers. Here we cover how each network works and ways to keep going with a small team, one topic per page.
Where to start
If you've just been put in charge of an official account, start with how each network works and the rest will connect. If you're already running one, start with the topic that's giving you trouble now.
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Start freeHow each network works
What Makes a Post Show Up in X's RecommendationsX's For You feed predicts which reactions each post is likely to get, multiplies each by a weight, and ranks posts by the total score. The weights are written in the source code X has published. Here we read those numbers and explain what they mean for how a business account writes.- How Instagram Recommendations Work and How Businesses Should PostInstagram doesn't have one single algorithm. Feed, Stories, Explore and Reels each use a separate system to rank posts. Based on the explanation published by Instagram's head, we sort out the signals that matter on each surface and turn them into advice for how a business account should post.
- Threads Basics and How to Start a Business AccountThreads is a text-centered conversation network run by Meta. It looks close to X, but the way characters are counted, the rules for links and topics and the way the feed is ranked all differ. Here we gather what we confirmed in Meta's official materials, along with how a business account can get started.
TikTok Basics and How Videos Reach the For You FeedTikTok is built around a "For You" feed where videos from people you don't follow keep flowing in. Which videos are shown to whom is decided by a system TikTok has explained publicly. Here we read that explanation and turn it into what a business account should keep in mind when making videos.- YouTube Shorts Basics: How to Publish Vertical Videos Up to 3 MinutesYouTube Shorts is the place for short vertical videos inside YouTube. YouTube decides which videos are Shorts by length and aspect ratio, and whether they get recommended by how satisfied viewers are. Here are the conditions confirmed in YouTube's official Help and blog, and how a business account can publish.
LinkedIn Basics and Posts That Get Read in Professional ContentLinkedIn is a network where people connect through their work history. What appears in the feed is decided by three kinds of signals that LinkedIn publishes in its help pages. Based on that explanation, here is how B2B companies and companies thinking about hiring should post on LinkedIn.
Facebook Page Basics and How Posts Appear in the FeedA Facebook Page is the official place for a shop or company to post on Facebook. Whether a post appears in the feed depends on four stages that Meta explains in its Transparency Center. Here we read that explanation and turn it into advice for how local shops and companies should run their Page.- Character Limits on Each Social Network and How Characters Are CountedThe same text fits differently depending on the network. It is not only the limit number: whether one Japanese character counts as 1 or 2, and how URLs and emoji are counted, also differ. This page lists the limits and counting methods confirmed in each company's official materials, and covers what to watch when you post the same text to several networks.
- Image and Video Sizes and Aspect Ratios for Each Social NetworkEach network sets its own file size, aspect ratio and length for images and videos. Go outside those limits and the edges get cropped, or the post can't be published at all. Here we list the numbers confirmed in each company's developer documentation, and explain how to make one asset that works on several networks.
Planning and strategy
- How to Build a Social Media Strategy for an Official Account: Purpose, Audience and Routine on One PageStrategy" can sound grand, but it comes down to deciding up front why you're posting, for whom, what, how often, and how you'll judge it. This page explains the order and the thinking in a form even a part-time manager can write on one page.
- How to Set Social Media Goals and KPIs: Work Backward from Business ResultsSocial media gives you endless numbers to look at: impressions, likes, followers, clicks. What matters is deciding which ones to watch first. This page explains how to choose goals and KPIs by working backward from business results, and set realistic target values.
How to Build a Social Media Content Calendar: Plan by Year, Month and WeekA content calendar is a schedule that lays out in advance when, on which network and what you will post. With one, you run out of ideas and forget to post less often, and you are less likely to miss seasonal topics. This page explains how to build one without strain in three layers: year, month and week.- How Often to Post on Social Media: Start Small, Then Adjust by the NumbersDo we really have to post every day?" is a worry that official-account managers often share. The answer is to start with a number you can keep up and adjust as you watch the results. This page explains what to consider when setting your frequency and how to decide whether to post more or less.
How to Choose Your Posting Times: Use Your Own Numbers, Not General AdviceWhat time gets the most views?" depends on your industry and audience, and no one answer fits everyone. This page explains how to set trial times based on your audience's day, then check and adjust them using your own post data.- Content Pillars for Social Media: 3 to 5 Themes That End Writer's BlockContent pillars are 3 to 5 themes you can post about again and again, decided in advance. With pillars, you don't start from zero every time, and you avoid streaks of pure promotion. This page explains how to find pillars, how to allocate posts and how to review them.
Which Social Network Should You Start With? Audience, Content and EffortThere are many social networks, and starting all of them at once tends to leave every one half done. This page explains how to choose your first network with three tests (is your audience there, do you have content to post, can you keep up the effort), and how to think about adding a second and beyond.
Writing and visuals
- How to Write Posts People Read: Structures and Edits for Business AccountsPosts that get read are decided less by writing skill than by knowing first "who am I telling what, in one point." This page walks through how an official account for a business or shop can structure its posts and review them before posting. It also covers adjusting tone for each network and common mistakes.
- How to Use Hashtags: Limits on Each Network and How to ChooseHashtags are not a tool that gets you found just by adding more. Each network limits how many you can use, and irrelevant tags actually lower how a post is judged. This page explains the rules each company officially states, and how a business account can choose a few tags that work.
How to Make Social Media Images: Shooting, Text and ALTThe difference in social media images comes less from design skill than from whether you've decided what one image should say. This page walks through shooting, choosing, adding text and writing descriptions when a business or shop prepares images for its official account. Size numbers are collected on a separate page.- How to Start Short-Form Video: Filming, Structure and Publishing for Business AccountsWhat decides how short-form video gets watched is not fancy editing but whether people can tell what it is in the first few seconds. This page walks through choosing subjects, structuring, filming and publishing rules so an official account can start with just one smartphone.
Using AI for Social Media: Copyright, AI Labels and Fact-CheckingGenerative AI can cut a great deal of the work of writing and creating images for social media. But there are pitfalls: output that resembles someone else's work, statements that are not true, and cases where an AI label is required that you overlook. This page sets out how a business account can use AI safely.- Handling UGC and Customers' Posts: Getting Permission and Japan's Stealth Marketing RulesPhotos and reviews that customers post on their own are more trusted than anything a company writes. But using them without asking raises copyright and portrait issues, and depending on how you pick them or ask for them, Japan's stealth marketing rules can apply too. This page explains the steps for featuring UGC with confidence.
Engagement and operations
- How to Increase Social Media Engagement (and What to Fix First)Engagement is the total of the reactions people have to a post. Posts with more reactions are more likely to be recommended on each network, and your next posts are more likely to be seen too. This article explains how reactions differ and what to change in how you write, post and reply to get more of them.
How to Set Reply and DM Rules for an Official AccountIf how you handle replies and DMs changes with the manager's mood or workload, customers lose trust. This article explains how to write rules for replies and DMs in five parts: scope, timing, tone, what not to answer, and automation.- Social Media Giveaways and Japan's Premiums Act: Prize Limits ExplainedDepending on how you set the entry conditions, a social media giveaway may or may not hit the prize caps under Japan's Premiums and Representations Act. This article walks through, in the order you would plan a campaign, the caps set by Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency, how it views social media sweepstakes, and the contest rules of X and Meta. If you are unsure about a legal question, check with the Consumer Affairs Agency or a lawyer.
How to Gain Social Media Followers (for Small Business and Shop Accounts)People follow you when they see a post and think "I want to see more." This article explains, in order, what a small business or shop account should remove first, set up, and keep doing to gain followers. It does not cover buying followers or growing them with automation.
Preventing Social Media Backlash and What to Do, in Order, When It HappensBacklash can happen however careful you are. What makes the difference is cutting avoidable causes beforehand and being able to act in a set order without panic when it happens. This article explains what small businesses and shops can do in advance, and the order of response when it happens.
Metrics and improvement
- Social Media Analytics Basics: Which Numbers to Check, in What Order, and What to Do NextSocial media screens are full of numbers, but you do not need to look at all of them every day. This article explains which numbers, in what order and how often a small business or shop social media manager should check them. It treats looking and then improving your next post as one flow.
How to Calculate and Read Engagement Rate (The Divisor Changes the Answer)Engagement rate shows how much reaction a post earned, as a percentage. But there is no single fixed formula. The result changes with what you divide by and which reactions you count. This article explains the three most common methods and how to choose a formula for your own business.
How to Write a Monthly Social Media Report: Metrics, Summary and a One-Page FormatAs you keep running social media, you'll need to report results to your boss or clients. This article explains how to make a monthly report in the same format each time that readers can grasp in five minutes. It also covers how to cut the effort of collecting numbers and how to write your findings.
How to Measure Social Media Results with UTM Parameters and Short URLsA social media analytics screen only shows that a link was clicked. To find out whether people then viewed your website, inquired or bought, tag the link with UTM parameters and count them in your website's analytics. This article explains how to add UTM, how to name things and how to combine it with short URLs.
Teams and security
- How to Write Social Media Guidelines for Small Businesses: What to Include and a TemplateSocial media guidelines don't have to be a thick rulebook. One document a manager can open when unsure, with the answer written in it, is enough. This article explains what small businesses and shops should include in their official account rules and how to grow them so they keep being used.
- How to Build a Social Media Approval Workflow: Who Checks What, and by WhenAn approval workflow is a process where someone other than the writer checks a post before it goes out. But too many review steps stall posts until the moment is gone. This article explains how small businesses and shops can build an approval workflow that balances review effort and safety.
- Protecting Your Business Account from Takeover: 2FA, Permissions and SharingWhen a business account is taken over, unauthorized posts and DMs trouble your customers, and you cannot post until you get it back. This article explains what small businesses and shops can do to prevent takeovers: two-factor authentication, how to divide admin roles and how to handle login details.
- Hire an Agency or Run Social Media In-House? (How to Decide and What to Ask)Deciding whether to hire an outside company or do it yourselves is easier when you think about what stays inside the company, not only the budget. This article compares three options: outsource everything, do everything in-house, or outsource part. It also covers what to decide before hiring and what to check in a contract.