Have you ever stared blankly at your screen trying to figure out what to write? You’re not alone. Many of us struggle with how to write the perfect social media content. How long does it need to be? Are emojis still cool? What kind of content do followers want? Crafting the perfect post is not as easy as it looks. The way you write social posts for your business can affect the authority of the post and more. Heck, if it was easy, you’d probably be out of a job!
Although it is more accessible, the copy of social media messages matters just the same as big marketing spends. If you’re making multiple posts a day, it can be even more difficult to craft an impressive message, as you might not have as much planning time. Good copy matters because every post you make reflects on your brand. With a properly-outlined audience, the correct networks, and a defined brand voice for your business, you’re ready to get posting. So how do you go about crafting the best social posts? Let’s dive into it!
Tips for writing the best social media copy
Make grammar a priority
In a world where important conversations are happening through a few lines of text, using proper grammar is incredibly important. Bad grammar reflects poorly on you. This can diminish credibility and the loyalty your followers have to your brand.
Keep readers coming back and continuing the conversation by using proper punctuation and grammar. Before publishing or scheduling your next post, make sure to read it over multiple times. Not sure if you caught everything? Get someone else to read it over.
Be compelling
When writing copy for your followers, you’re competing for the attention of your audience. One of the best ways to stand out? Tell them what’s in it for them. You could describe an amazing benefit your follower will receive, pose an interesting question that mentions additional benefits, or display an exciting statistic. This way the follower understands the relationship and wants to come back.
Understand active vs. passive voice
When writing copy for social media posts you want to avoid using a passive voice. What exactly are the differences between active and passive voice? With an active voice, the subject performs the action described by the verb; with passive voice, the subject is acted upon by the verb. Using an active voice creates more engaging copy.
Be clear and concise (write to a sixth grader)
Ever read something filled with technical jargon and become completely lost? Same. People skim on social media, so long-winded, complex posts don’t really work. When crafting social posts for your followers you want to avoid that. A good tip is to pretend you’re writing the post for a sixth-grader to comprehend. This will force you to write clearly and concisely. If followers don’t understand your posts, they will scroll past and not engage. As the writer, do the work and make the post digestible by any audience—your followers will appreciate it.
Invoke Curiosity
The whole point of creating social media posts is to create a conversation. Write in a way that makes people want to click through or make a comment. If you’re linking to another piece of content, you don’t need to tell the whole story in your copy. Leave some details unanswered, while implying your link will answer their questions.
Another great way to invoke curiosity? Ask your followers a question. This way they will be motivated to make a comment and open a dialogue with you.
Use emojis
Think emojis are just for text messages? Think again! Many of your followers use emojis in their daily virtual interactions. In fact, 92% of people use emojis. Emojis are a great way to catch the attention of a follower and break up blocks of black text. However, it’s important to not overdo emojis. Stick to one or two per post.
Think audience first
Followers will get frustrated with your brand if there are only posts about yourself. It’s important to write in a way that puts your audience at the center of the story. Easy way to do this? Say ‘you’ more than ‘us’.
Avoid making post after post about your business. Try switching it up with industry-relevant content and posts about the community. At Preferred Digital Solutions, we recommend following a 30/30/30 rule. That means 30% industry posts, 30% business posts, and 30% community posts. This will provide followers with a range of interesting content to keep them engaged.
Be positive
We previously discussed the importance of tone in your social strategy. Well, that tone is translated to followers with the copy. Curious about what tone you should be showcasing? Studies have shown that positivity in social media wins in online interactions. So how do you showcase positivity on social media? Use exclamation points, positive language/words, reference community members, and engage with the community through questions!
Think you’ve got enough to get posting? Let go of that writer's block and get to work! Take time to strategize and outline a week to a month worth of posts for your clients. Try to keep in mind the tips and tricks listed above.
Looking for one place to schedule and plan all your social posts? Preferred Digital Solutions Social Marketing has you covered! Social Marketing has all the elements needed to craft the perfect social post. With easy access to RSS feeds, emojis, GIFs, and stock images, you’ll never hit writer's block again. Build fans, find customers, and engage with the community on behalf of your clients all from within one incredible product.
