Platform Cheat Sheet

Platform Cheat Sheet — MON3TIZE

TikTok, Reels, and Shorts — side by side. Know exactly how each one works before you post.

These three platforms are not the same. What works on one can tank on another. Know the difference — post accordingly.

TikTok

Discovery-first · Trend-driven · Search engine

Algorithm Values

#1 Completion Rate #2 DM Shares #3 Social SEO

Best Content Types

Food, travel, fashion, beauty

High-energy, trend-driven

Real-time, reviews, pop culture

TikTok Shop (product content)

Caption Strategy

Natural language keywords. TikTok reads your audio + on-screen text. Write like a search query.

Hashtags

3-5 niche specific. Below caption.

Posting Frequency

2x per week minimum.

Avoid

Watermarked reposts from other apps

#fyp #viral hashtags — useless

Posting and closing the app

Instagram Reels

Relationship-first · Original content · Saves matter

Algorithm Values

#1 Shares + Saves #2 Original content #3 Comments

Best Content Types

Teaching, business, fitness, lifestyle

Content people save to reference later

Content people send to friends

Fresh takes, not just trends

Caption Strategy

SEO-friendly but less critical than TikTok. Seen viral Reels with unrelated captions — content quality wins.

Hashtags

3-5 niche specific. Below caption.

Posting Frequency

Daily is ideal. 3+ weeks off = reach punished.

Avoid

TikTok watermark — suppressed immediately

Sharing directly from TikTok

Going 3+ weeks without posting

YouTube Shorts

Search-driven · Evergreen · SEO everything

Algorithm Values

#1 Audience Retention #2 Keywords / SEO #3 Schedule

Best Content Types

Evergreen, searchable topics

How-to, educational, tutorials

Content that compounds over time

Niche-consistent series

Caption / Title Strategy

Title = your search keywords. "3 Easy Ways to Grow Your Biceps" not "watch this." Owned by Google — treat it like SEO.

Hashtags

10-20 in the separate tags section. All relevant.

Posting Frequency

1-2x per week is fine. Same day + time every week.

Avoid

Random posting times — stay on schedule

Vague titles with no keywords

Off-niche content — consistency matters here

Universal Rules — Every Platform

Always Do

Film and upload vertically

Native upload — never share from another app

Reply to every comment in first 30 min

Write a different caption for each platform

Stay on a consistent posting schedule

Never Do

Post a watermarked video anywhere

Delete and repost within 24 hours

Post and immediately close the app

Use #fyp or #viral — useless on all platforms

Post inconsistently and expect consistent results

The #1 Metric

Watch time + completion rate above everything

Shares signal relatability — prioritize them

Saves signal lasting value — educational content

Follower count is a vanity metric while building

Focus on making interesting content — followers follow

Platform Cheatsheet