Social Media Today has published a series of guides on how to build an effective brand presence across TikTok, LinkedIn and Threads as part of an ongoing platform overview series for marketers heading into the second half of 2026. All three articles are written by Andrew Hutchinson, Content and Social Media Manager at Social Media Today.

TikTok: five tips for building a brand presence

• Use TikTok Trends – TikTok’s free Trends tool allows marketers to track trending topics by region and industry. The Top Ads listing provides an overview of best-performing ads by region, industry, objective and format, helping brands understand what is resonating and how successful brands are activating.
• Build a database of key themes and formats – Using insights from TikTok Trends and Top Ads, marketers can build a list of key themes and content formats gaining traction, which can directly inform how promotions are angled.
• Examine influencers – Creators generally have a better grasp of the platform than most brands. TikTok Trends can be used to find the most popular creators by topic, guiding content approaches and identifying potential partners.
• Formulate a strategy – Marketers should stay aware of trends, keep up to date on niche interests and tap into opportunities as they arise by monitoring the evolution of broader conversations in the app.
• Study analytics – TikTok Insights can be used to measure content performance and double down on what is working. Overt marketing performs less well; understanding what TikTok users are genuinely responding to is key.

For more information, visit socialmediatoday.com.

LinkedIn: five tips for building a brand presence

• Examine trending content – LinkedIn’s Top Content overview provides insights into the most engaging content across a broad range of industries. LinkedIn’s AI-powered conversational search can also help uncover relevant content based on popularity and engagement. LinkedIn advises marketers to build campaigns around expertise rather than simply mirroring popular content.
• Understand the best people to reach – Brands should build a list of specific individuals they want to reach based on job roles and regions, then study what those users are posting about and who they are engaging with via LinkedIn profile activity overviews.
• Take note of key themes – Carousel and video posts generally perform best on LinkedIn, though marketers should note specific trends within each target audience. Understanding the main questions each audience has will help build a more engaging presence.
• Tap into trusted or expert voices – Influencer marketing on LinkedIn is less about follower counts and more about established expertise. LinkedIn research shows buyers are three times more likely to choose a vendor highly recommended by customers over one that promises better products or lower prices. LinkedIn’s Creator Marketplace lets brands search for top influencers in any industry niche.
• Formulate an approach – Marketers should focus on metrics that map back to business outcomes - profile visits, follower growth, leads, event registrations and conversions - rather than reactions and impressions. LinkedIn advises using formats that create ongoing engagement, such as newsletters, articles, recurring video series and events.

For more information, visit socialmediatoday.com.

Threads: five tips for building a brand presence

• Examine trends – Marketers can use the app’s search functions to find top posts by keyword, recent posts and the most active users within each niche. Adding a question mark to search queries will surface what people are asking about a given topic. Searches can also uncover relevant Threads communities worth monitoring.
• Note what’s working – Marketers should analyse which formats are resonating - whether video, polls, still images or link posts - and build a list of key influencers, common questions and the most relevant voices in their niche.
• Formulate a strategy – Marketers can set up monitoring columns in the desktop version of Threads to track future discussions related to certain keywords or influencers, and build a strategy that aligns with organic trends on the platform.
• Consider influencer partnerships – Influencers offer a link to key community discussions and groups. Communication on Threads is fairly open, making it less reliant on specific content styles than short-form video apps, but partnering with the right creators is still important for broadening brand awareness.
• Analyse and improve – The Threads Insights tab provides data on followers, views, interactions and top posts. Marketers should focus on metrics that relate to growing their presence with the right audiences, such as website visits or product discussions, rather than simply growing numbers.

For more information, visit socialmediatoday.com.