Lifespan Of A Social Media Post: How Long Is Your Content Relevant?

Seasoned influencers who have been in the game long enough know that social media schedules are not “post as much as you can, whenever you can”. There is more science and planning behind those posts on your audience’s feeds. However, there is another issue hiding behind those posting schedules - How long your posts will be seen before they become part of the deep abyss of the social mediaverse.?

The average amount of time people engage with a social media post is called its lifespan. Depending on the platform, they may engage through likes, comments, saves, views, repins, etc. Each social media platform has its average lifespan for your posts, after which it may not see any activity.

Social Media Post Lifespan Snapshot

Every social networking platform is unique. We know that some platforms are primarily for search intent, while others share media content, and yet others are for photography enthusiasts. The length of time your content is likely to last also varies from platform to platform. Here is a quick look at life spans on various social networks:?

TikTok – Instant Decay

Twitter – 15-18 minutes

Facebook – 6 hours

LinkedIn – 24 hours

Instagram – 48 hours

YouTube – About 20 days

Understanding Social Media Post Lifespan?

1. TikTok

TikTok has charmed both young adults and adults throughout the world, which explains why the time your post is relevant is zero unless it gets viral. Like Twitter, there is so much content for people to consume that standing out might be challenging. Within the first few minutes after its release, your video gets most of its views. A viral TikTok can last for a long time, but its longevity becomes less certain after that.

2. Twitter

Users can send up to 5,000 tweets per second. Given these figures, it’s no wonder that tweets lose their relevance at a significantly faster rate than most social media networks. Your timeline is suddenly swamped with new tweets that drown out your own the moment you submit that tweet. This is undoubtedly the most competitive venue, with the fastest disappearance of your posts.?

3. Facebook

Your Facebook updates will not stay in your followers’ news feed for a set amount of time. Because of Facebook’s newsfeed algorithm, the length and location of your post in news feeds will be dictated by how relevant and engaging your post is to your audience. It’s important to remember that excessive sharing will not improve engagement; it may decrease it. Though a Facebook post’s lifespan varies, it typically receives around 75% of its total activity within the first five hours. It also reaches roughly 75% of its entire audience in the first two hours.?

4. LinkedIn

LinkedIn isn’t your typical social media platform because it focuses on professional networking and job prospects, but that means your posts will last longer than on other platforms. Unlike TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook, your followers will have a better chance of seeing your updates. Remember to post regularly, but not excessively. Popular discussions receive hundreds of comments and sometimes last months. The goal is to elicit meaningful interactions.?

5. Instagram

Instagram makes every effort to provide content to those who connect with specific accounts frequently. Your posts will be less likely to surface in your followers’ feeds if they do not interact with them. The average longevity of an Instagram post in the general feed is 48 hours. This means that post publishing your content gets most of its likes, comments, saves, and shares during the first 48 hours. After the 48-hour period, the post is less likely to receive much attention.

Instagram stories expire after 24 hours, so they have a limited lifespan.?

However, there is a unique scenario with Instagram reels. Because Instagram is currently heavily promoting reels, some reels may be picked up even after 14 days post publishing. Your reels may get viral even after that much time has passed, depending on trending audio and how much Instagram pushes out your work to other people.

6. YouTube

A video on YouTube has a 30-day or longer lifespan. While you will see an increase in views within the first few days after posting, your video can continue to grow in popularity even after 30 days or longer. People generally use other social media venues to announce their new YouTube videos. So it is best if you send an update to other platforms whenever you upload a new video since this will increase its longevity. Unless you take them down, your YouTube videos will remain available permanently. That is why it is vital that you optimize your videos for SEO.

Tips For Extending The Lifespan Of Content

Knowing how long your post and content last is a must as a busy creator. This is so you don’t spend 45 minutes crafting a perfect tweet that will last mere seconds. However, you can take the time to send out a thoughtful LinkedIn post that can spark conversations. Understanding the lifecycle of your postings might help you develop more successful marketing strategies and boost engagement. This can bring about increased exposure and help grow a bigger social media following.

For more tips on extending the lifespan of your content, be sure to reach out to us at Onya. We would love to hear more about your current strategy and how we can help!