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Monday, 13 October 2014 17:00

Writing Social Media Copy That Gets Noticed

 

How many social media posts do you really read word for word? What makes you stop your scrolling and take notice?

Make sure you include compelling social media copy in all of your posts - even if you’re posting to share a video, photo, or link. Even though Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ will make your post look appealing by providing a video, photo, or link embed, you’ll miss an opportunity to engage your reader if you don’t include a relevant caption.

Keep It Simple

Think again about how you browse social media. You probably skim posts, right? Make sure your copy is easy to understand even at a glance. Unless your social media audience is primarily made up of professionals who are well-versed in and expect high-level content, you probably want to write simple, easy-to-read copy, using a tone of voice that’s consistent with your branding, that includes clear headlines and calls-to-action.

You don’t know who makes up the majority of your audience and what they expect? Read on…

Understand What Your Followers Want

Ideally, by the time that you get to writing social media copy for your company, you’ll already have a good understanding of your audience. If you don’t know this yet, take some time to do the research now. It’ll pay off in the long run in click-throughs, engagement, and improved sales.

What makes your social media followers tick? What motivates them to voluntarily sign up for regular updates from your company? Each piece of content that you share on social media should be relevant to your audience in some way.

Think about your audience members as you sit down to write your copy. If it’s accompanying a link or video that’ll require an additional click-through before they get to the good stuff - especially if you’re linking to your website’s landing or sales pages! - make sure they know what they’re clicking for and the value it’ll give them.

This is especially important if you know that you have multiple personas in your audience or client base. While they may have overlapping needs and motivations that led them to your company, each persona is unique. Keep personas in mind as you write your copy and make sure it’s relevant to them. It’s almost like a mini-opportunity for segmented, targeted copywriting.

Create Custom Social Media Copy for Each Channel

I’m sure you know about Twitter’s 140-character limit by now, right? Make sure your message speaks clearly to your audience and still includes room for a link to your content. This is no easy feat. To practice your conciseness, try writing three or more copy options for each link instead of just going with your first draft. You may even come up with different options that speak to different audience personas. You’ll be able to use them all to promote your link content multiple times on Twitter.

Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ don’t throttle your writing to the same extent. You can probably get away with sharing the same text on these social media channels, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t try otherwise. Each channel has its own culture; for example, LinkedIn is more professional than Facebook and Google+. You may even have followers from different regions, which may be something to keep in mind as you write social media copy for Facebook and Google+.

Analyze and Learn From Results

Check social media performance regularly and pay special attention to click-throughs. How many people saw your content and took action? Or, more importantly, how many people saw your content and didn’t?

Were your calls-to-action clear? Did you lead with content that was eye-catching and easy to understand? Do your followers have to fill in the blanks to understand how your social media copy is relevant to them and their needs?

Take notes, compare and contrast, and post, post again.

Lastly, Remember Why You’re On Social Media

Why are you sharing these articles and videos, again?

Your social media marketing goals should support your business goals. Let your overall business plan inform what you’re posting and how you’re writing about it. Whether you’re building customer relationships, educating followers about your company and your products, or driving them to a special sales page, make sure that each post has a purpose.

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Jaime Nacach

Marketing Strategist

I love helping small businesses with their digital marketing and business strategy. I'm a young man with a passion in entrepreneurship and international experience in business development, marketing, sales, and web/graphic design. 

Find me on: Team Page | LinkedIn | Google+Personal Website

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