You’ve put a lot of thought into developing your social media strategy, but now that it’s time to put it into action, here comes writer’s block.
Now what?
Your social strategy may include things like lead generation, brand awareness, or customer service. These great goals are all achievable by using social media, but writing for social media isn’t exactly like other types of writing. The good news is, by following a few tips, you can compose content for your audience to achieve your ultimate goal of gaining more customers.
In this post, we will share with you seven social media content writing tips for creating posts that get your target audience’s attention and inspire them to engage with you.
7 Ways to Write for Social
1. Do Your Research
The first thing you need to write effectively on social media is an understanding of your audience. This understanding takes research. You can start with high-level things like basic demographics, but ultimately you will want to dive deeper into your customers’ needs. What problem(s) are they trying to solve? And how does your product or service solve that problem?
Simple keyword research can show you what your potential buyer is going through. You can use Google, or sites like Quora or Reddit can give you the exact questions your customers are asking.
Another great way to find these questions is by joining groups on Facebook relevant to your target market. For example, if you sell a weight loss program, joining a Facebook group centered around a health product (go ahead and join a competitor’s group!) will give you MAJOR intel on what your potential buyers face.
Our advice? Keep a spreadsheet and copy/paste exact posts/questions from users talking about their specific problem. Keep reading to learn why.
2. Speak The Same Language
Now that your spreadsheet is full of questions, it’s time to use it! Learning to speak the same language as your audience takes your research one step further and notes the exact language your potential buyer is using. These are the specific words used to communicate their challenges and/or needs. Using their language helps to make sure your content is resonating with your target audience.
When you begin writing your social media posts, you can take this exact language you’ve saved in your spreadsheet and turn it into a post. This writing style helps your potential buyers understand that you know how they are feeling.
For example, if inside a Facebook group you see a post that says, “I get so hungry at night. How can I avoid late-night munchies?” You can turn around and send out a post on your Facebook business page that says, “Are you having a hard time fighting the late-night munchies? Try our nutrition bar that will knock out your cravings.”
Brilliant, right?!
3. Write to an 8th grader – Short & Simple.
As much as some people would love it, social media is not a place for deep thoughts, case studies, or 500-word blog posts. According to AgoraPulse, the optimal length of a Facebook post is 40 characters, and after that, engagement will wane.
You have probably heard the phrase “write at an 8th-grade level” before. And this is true. While this isn’t meant to assume that your audience is uneducated or immature, it means that social media captions should be short and simple. Here are a few tips:
- Make your posts brief and to the point
- Use headings, bullet points, or lists wherever possible
- Use emojis to make a point rather than writing it out into a paragraph
4. Write To Your Reader
The truth is your reader doesn’t care about what you can do. They care about what you can do for them.
Your reader isn’t concerned about your product featured in a list of publications. They want to know (in as few words as possible) how your product can benefit them. Using words that resonate with your audience, paint a picture of how their life will improve.
One tip is to keep it personal by speaking directly to your reader. Avoid referring to your business as “the company” or “the team” and instead use personal pronouns like “I, we, me, you” when writing your captions. Remember you are trying to build trust with your potential buyer.
5. Be Positive
Make sure your posts are positive. (not to be confused with happy) Your social media posts should be exciting, inspiring, and positive to drive your fans to take the next step with you.
Whatever you do, avoid criticizing anyone (or another business) publicly. You can still take a stand on an issue without attacking or being overly critical. Doing so can attract negative people to your page and erode trust and credibility with your existing followers.
6. Use Images and Videos
Use images and videos in your social media strategy wherever possible. Have you ever heard the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words”? Visual content is more engaging, tells the story faster than just words alone, and draws in the reader.
Images and videos allow you to connect with your audience on a deeper level. It makes your brand more human, which enables your potential buyer to like and trust you enough to make a purchase.
7. Add a Call to Action
When writing for social media, whatever you do, don’t forget the call to action (CTA)! This statement doesn’t mean every post should say “buy, buy, BUY”; quite the opposite. CTAs come in different shapes and forms. Here is a list of possible calls to action you can give your reader:
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- Like or share this post!
- Click to read this blog post!
- Visit our website to learn more!
- Connect with us on {another social media platform}
- Ask a question and ask for a response in the comments
- Click here to buy!
Conclusion
The competition for users’ attention on social media is tough out there. Great visuals paired with speaking their language can draw them in. Once they’re scrolling your feed, use short, straightforward, positively inspiring content to compel your users to read and engage with you.
Are you still struggling to fill your calendar? Grab our free cheat sheet with 30 days of social media content prompts. Use these prompts in addition to our seven writing tips for social media to begin improving your social accounts today!
