let’s play a quick game: what do Instagram and TikTok have in common?
if you answered, “both have singlehandedly ruined my attention span,” that’s correct.
if you answered, “both want your brand’s content,” that’s also correct.
but if you answered, “both push the same type of content,” I’ll stop you there…not quite.
sure, there are times when an IG reel will also perform on TikTok (and vice versa). but there is a time and place for the re-post, and so many brands are still doing the laziest thing in the book: hitting “save video” on an Instagram reel and tossing it onto TikTok.
sometimes lightning strikes twice. but if your entire strategy is built on copy-paste posting? you’re not really strategizing. why, you ask? let me explain:
Instagram and TikTok have two different personalities.
Instagram is your curated friend. she’s type A.
she’s polished, a little aspirational, and definitely has a matching set of Stanley cups. she loves day in the life videos, carousels with captions that read like mini-essays, and aesthetically pleasing content. Instagram personified is Katie from your marketing 101 class who seemingly has everything going for her… we’re all jealous of Katie.
TikTok is your chaotic bestie. she’s definitely type B.
she FaceTimes you at 11pm with no makeup and an insane story. she loves unscripted monologues, messy BTS, trending audios and content that feels like you just hit record in the middle of a thought. TikTok personified is Brian, the personality hire. You’re always scared to approve this ideas, but they typically surprise you… we love Brian. a good storyteller knows how to tweak his story to speak to his audience. telling a compelling story is always the goal- how you tell the story is the strategy that will make or break the content you post on each platform.
brands who get it
need an example? look at Sephora: on instagram, you’ll see reels highlighting Sephora products, curated product shots, and reposts of influencers using their skincare. but on TikTok? you’ll find more of a focus on trending audios, humor and storytelling and less of a focus on aesthetics. the story is the same- look at all the ways regular people use our products- but they understand how to cater that message to the two different audience that show up online.
overwhelmed? don’t be.
if you don’t have a Sephora-sized social team, here’s the good news: you don’t actually need to shoot two totally different videos to make both platforms happy. the trick is in the tweak.
take one video → treat it two different ways:
- for Instagram: be human, but be aspirational. be aesthetic. polish the edit, choose a curated cover image, add a thoughtful caption, maybe even stretch it into a carousel.
- for TikTok: be more human. use humor. loosen the edges. trim it faster, utilize trending sounds, make your caption read like you banged it out in 7 seconds. lean into unpolished, casual energy.
it’s not about twice the work. it’s about twice the intention. same footage, different treatments = way better odds of landing with the audience on each.
here’s the rub:
brands aren’t losing engagement because they’re not posting enough. they’re losing engagement because they’re ignoring the context. each platform has its own culture. same footage, different treatment = higher performance.
if Instagram is your portfolio, TikTok is your group chat. treat them accordingly.
