The Torch

Consider this: If two fan pages have the exact same followers, and all of the followers belong to the same network and receive the same news feeds, what factors determine which pages or feeds the followers will actually visit? It’s very simple: the pages with the most interesting content will have more hits.

The easiest way to spice up your content is to mix a variety of audio, video, and photos in your postings. This poses the question: “Should I link to the digital media, or embed it in my post?”

While there is no right or wrong answer, there are a few things to think about with each post. Embedding the content means an image will appear in the news feed. This can draw the attention of people in your network, and makes it more likely the material is viewed or listened to as the friends or fans don’t have to leave the page to access it. Embedding also makes your brand or marketers seem more “social media savvy.”

Linking to media, especially when using a link shortening host like bit.ly, can reduce clutter on your page. It also provides an active source for the content, meaning that as the media is updated, the link provides the most current material. When the media is embedded, the content is shown exactly how it appeared when embedded, regardless of updates or changes that have been made since then.

So, if you are posting a video commercial your brand recently released, there is no drawback to embedding, because the commercial will not change once it’s been produced. However, if you are trying to funnel fans to a product description page in hopes of generating comments and interactions on the page, linking will bring the fans to the page with the most recent feedback posted and allow them to interact, rather than simply viewing the images or screen shots you have embedded.

With this in mind, the easiest way to make the best choice between linking and embedding for each post is to consider the purpose for which you are using the digital media. If displaying the content is the only goal, go ahead and embed. If changes are being made to the page, even only in the form of comments, and these changes are relevant to the viewing experience, linking may be the way to go.

-Nick

Follow The Discovery Communications Group on Twitter: @DiscoveryCG

Written by: Nick

Nick was hired by The Discovery Communications Group in March 2010 as a Marketing Coordinator and Copywriter before his promotion to General Manager in February 2011. Nick is a 2009 graduate of Endicott College with a degree in Communications, and he spent time in the Marketing and PR departments of Major League Lacrosse and World Championship Fighting prior to joining Discovery. Outside of the office, Nick is a Boston sports junkie and an MMA fanatic. You can contact Nick at Nick@discoverycomm.com and be sure to follow him on Twitter @NickLamothe