It's not that complicated, I promise: Cross-promotion on social media

Social media is often framed as a game of strategy, a perfectly planned post here, a heavily curated aesthetic there. But as someone who has navigated social media across multiple platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube Shorts, and more (both professionally and personally), I’ve found success by doing the opposite. I’ve leaned into being multi-passionate, multi-platform, authentic, and at times completely unserious.

Less Is More: Cross-Promotion

One of the cornerstones of my approach is turning one piece of content into an array of content across platforms. A single TikTok video can easily become an Instagram Reel, a YouTube Short, and a pinned post on Pinterest. Cross-promotion is my secret to maximizing reach without maximizing effort.

Take Pinterest, for example. I’ve grown my personal profile from 80,000 monthly views to as much as 170,000 in a single month with minimal effort. My strategy? I simply repost content I’ve already created for TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. I tag it accordingly and let it live its own life on the platform. There’s no overthinking, no added pressure, just repurposing what I already have. Even when I post “just to see what happens,” the results often surprise me. This laid-back, experimental approach is proof that sometimes, less is truly more. I truly don't put much effort into that platform. If I post something on TikTok, I just open the next app and dump it in. It's all about being current with keywords/visuals.

The Power of Knowing Your Audience: But Don't Limit Yourself

It’s often said that finding a niche is key to success. But for me, niching down feels limiting (and terrifying). I’ve built my personal brand by embracing my multifaceted interests and sharing content that’s timely, creative, and appealing to different audiences. Viewing it from 10,000 feet, it may feel and appear I don't have a brand. However, to me, that's my brand. It's everything.

Knowing your audience doesn’t always mean sticking to one category. Instead, it’s about understanding why you’re posting and who you want to connect with. Whether the tone is serious or lighthearted, the most important thing is to stay relatable. Social media thrives on human connection, and being authentically multi-passionate allows me to tap into different communities and conversations. There truly is an audience for people who, like me, are interested in multiple things.

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. There's value in consistency. Knowing this, I made a separate account to start from scratch. I didn't blindly start posting in a chaotic manner on an established account, alienating an audience who thought they knew me. These new accounts were purposefully made to be a sandbox and a way for me to dump everything into it. I've had enough people dm me concerned about a brain rot post I made because it wasn't something they were accustomed to.

I took the hint.

How Strategy Turns Into Success, Or Not?

Recently, I had a video on TikTok reach over 3 million views. The post itself? A reaction to the casting news for Gladiator II and a certain actor who caught my fancy. (I could view this as embarrassing, but I’m choosing to look at it as a timely and relatable post given its success and the hilarious comments it garnered.) This was a simple, off-the-cuff post that resonated because it was authentic and tapped into something current.

Similarly, on Instagram, I’ve seen unexpected success with videos about another “embarrassing” and/or sad topic: One Direction and the recent news about Liam Payne. Those videos went viral because they connected with a huge community of young women who grew up with the band during a formative time in their lives. Nostalgia and relatability are powerful tools for building engagement, and I leaned into that. Selfishly, I wanted and needed to lean into a community I grew up with. Posting allowed me to engage and feel connected to those who were similar to me and were experiencing similar emotions.

The Balance Between Strategy and Authenticity

At the end of the day, the key to my social media success has been balancing authenticity with flexibility. I focus more heavily on TikTok and Instagram, but I’m not afraid to experiment or let go of the pressure to be perfect. By posting what’s on my mind and what feels relevant at the moment, I’ve created a personal brand that’s true to who I am: multi-passionate, adaptable, and unafraid to take creative risks.

Whether it’s a viral TikTok about Gladiator II or a nostalgic Instagram post about One Direction, my content works because it’s rooted in connection, not constraint. Social media doesn’t have to be about fitting into a box. For me, it’s about sharing what feels right, in the moment, and trusting that the right audience will find it.

Side note: I could spend the time and tag everything in this post, but due to the ridiculousness of the content and the borderline professional tone of this post, I will allow those to live separately. That said, you do have my permission to dig around my socials (I have them all tagged on my website, it shouldn't be hard).

Just know – I wasn't kidding about my absurd amount of interests and hobbies.

Hailey