Social media has become an integral part of our lives and, if you’re using it to your advantage, it should be an integral part of your business marketing strategy too. But with billions of users worldwide and more posts than ever before to scroll through, how can you make yours stand out in a crowded feed?
One way to do just that is to focus on your social media content writing. Get it wrong, and you’ll disappear into the internet abyss. Get it right, however, and it could mean big things for your business.
Getting social media content writing right is a challenge, but these tips straight from our content writers themselves should help you craft engaging, relatable social media posts worthy of a double tap…
Top Tips for Social Media Content Writing that Stands Out
Know your Audience
This first one may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised by how many people fall at the first hurdle! All effective content writing relies on having an in-depth understanding of your audience, and none more so than content writing for social media.
When you’re writing a Tweet, or a short Instagram caption, you have a couple of sentences to win your audience over. If that. If those sentences aren’t highly targeted and refined to a specific niche, you’re going to be missing the mark.
So, instead of just taking a stab in the dark at who your audience may be, ensure your conduct proper audience research. Go beyond the basis of age, gender, likes and dislikes and dig a bit deeper. How do they talk? What makes them tick? What other brands are they interacting with? Which platform do they prefer?
Answering these questions will give you a well-rounded view of your audience members. You can then use this information to craft social media copy that speaks to them directly.
Get Personal
We touched on this in the point above, but social media is all about forming connections with other human beings. It’s easy to forget that when you’re communicating through the screen, but there’s a person on the other end reading what you’re writing.
Social media is the perfect tool for you to get closer to your audience and start building lasting customer relationships. And to do that, you need to get personal. Don’t be afraid to niche your social media content writing down even further by addressing smaller groups within your audience.
Make it obvious you’re talking to them with statements like ‘this one is for all the small biz owners out there’ or, ‘if you’re having a bad hair day, I’ve got a tip that’s about to turn your day around’. These personalised touches will draw the attention of those audience members who can relate to exactly what you’re saying. They’ll feel seen and connected to you and your business, making them more likely to sit up and listen to what you have to say.
Get personal with your social media content writing to really start to foster meaningful audience connections.
Headline Act
If your social media feed is anything like ours, it’s packed full to the brim with stuff. Just stuff. Some stuff you scroll past, some you stop and have a read of, some you don’t even notice.
This constant flurry of information and similar looking captions and posts can make it incredibly challenging for social media content to stand out in a crowded feed. One thing you can do to help your post jump out at your audience is include a little headline.
Tell them exactly what your post is going to be about, and punctuate it with a couple of relevant emojis to draw the eye. This way, your followers can decide whether they want to consume your content right off the bat. It’s there in black and white, it’s quick and easy for them to understand, and it means you’ve got way more chance of them reading the post.
Just because its social media doesn’t mean standard content writing rules go out the window – feel free to include a fun headline to capture instant attention.
Power Words
All words have power, but some have slightly more than others. Try using words and phrases in your social media captions that fall under some of the following categories:
- Emotions (words like love, desire, crave)
- Exclusivity (words like rare, unique, VIP)
- Urgency (words like now, today, hurry)
- Credibility (words like guaranteed, proven, trusted)
With social media, you only get a couple of seconds (if that!) to get your point across before the finger of doom as scrolled right past you. Using power words helps your content stand out and evokes a particular feeling in your audience. Using them in the right way can make your message clearer, more relatable, and more likely to turn into a conversion.
Top tip – use power words sparingly! If you use them too often, they lose their magnetic qualities. Every now and again for your most important posts will do the job.
Be Curious
Social media is a two-way street. As much as you want your audience to be curious about your business, they want the same effort from you. They want to know that you’re interested in them and their life, their needs and desires, their likes and dislikes. And if that’s not happening, there’s going to be a disconnect between your brand and your audience.
So, use your social media content to be curious. Pose questions, offer polls and demonstrate an interest in your audience as individuals. For example, you could ask them to respond to a caption that focuses on their personal pros and cons of your latest product. This will show them that you care deeply about their opinions and value their thoughts. You could even ask them to engage in conversation with you about an industry specific trending topic – this breaks down those brand/customer barriers and puts you all on the same level – just two human beings having an insightful conversation.
Being curious in your social media content writing is a great way to start developing those all-important customer relationships.
Be Funny
Standing out on social media doesn’t just happen. You can follow as many content writing formulas as you like, do as much research as you want, but unless you’re adding a pop of personality to your social media content writing, it still runs the risk of falling flat.
One of the best ways to breathe a bit of life into your social media content writing is to be humorous. Now, that doesn’t have to mean telling jokes left, right and centre. But adding in an amusing anecdote or jumping on the back of a funny trend can work wonders for giving your social media posts an extra little boost.
Steer clear of stuffy, overly-crafted posts and keep the tone light-hearted and fun if you’re looking for increased engagement and customer connection via your social media channels.
Tell a Story
Storytelling is our oldest form of communication. It’s what we use to relate to others, and paint pictures in people’s minds. It’s how we draw people in and connect with them on a deeper level. Which is why storytelling should form an integral part of your social media content writing.
Some of the most engaging, well-received posts are those that tell a personal story. Instead of just sharing a top tip, share how you came across that top tip. Was it through a business mistake you made? An inspiring person that you met? Weave storytelling into the advice you’re sharing on social media to ensure your content feels personal, relatable and engaging.
Be Genuine
The most important thing to remember when content writing for your social media platforms is to be genuine and authentic. The last thing people want to see is contrived, crafted content that doesn’t match your brand voice or personality.
Avoid captions that are overly sales-y, keep the tone light-hearted and allow the essence of your business to shine through.
Social Media Content Writing Support
Here at The Edwards Company, we support small businesses with writing social media content that is packed with personality, highly targeted to specific audiences and engaging enough to convince people to stop scrolling and read what they have to say.
For more information or to book in your content support service, please do not hesitate to get in touch.