Using social media to promote your business isn’t the same as using it to connect with friends and family. It’s a completely different ball game. When you use social media to market your business, you’re putting in time and other resources and hoping to get more than a few likes and comments out of it. You’re also representing your brand every time you share a social media post. That’s why sloppy, inconsistent, and ineffective posts are much more costly when you use social media for business.
How do you get the most out of your social media activities by optimizing your reach, engagement, and conversions? Keep reading below to learn how to write compelling social media posts.
Need help writing social media posts that generate clicks, email subscriptions, and sales?
Download my 7 free social media copy templates + examples.
Keep it short and sweet
These days, most people scroll their social media feeds on a mobile device. That’s why it’s strategic to keep your social media posts short, even on platforms that don’t have tight character limits. Most people can find time to read a short post, but they may think twice about reading a long one. Keep your social media posts short by crafting brief sentences and getting rid of unnecessary words.
Example: Sorelle and Co. lets the image do most of the talking in this post.
Appeal to interests and benefits
Want people to engage with your social media posts? Make them about things people actually care about. These usually fall into one of two categories: content that interests them and content that’s helpful to them. Grab your audience’s attention on social media by writing social media posts that appeal to their interests or convey clear benefits.
Related: 9 copywriting secrets to write better sales pages + free list of 100 copy phrases
Example: Take a look at how the Food Network Canada tells people exactly what this post has to offer.
Invoke curiosity
This tip is especially useful if the goal of your social media post is to drive traffic to one of your blog posts. Here’s how it works: Instead of summarizing your blog post on social media, write copy that teases what your audience will find if they click through. If you give away the story in your social media posts, there won’t be any reason for people to read the full post. Get your audience interested about checking out your blog post by leaving key details out or key questions unanswered in your social media post.
Example: See how I use the copy in this Instagram caption to tease my post on 10 conversion-boosting Pinterest tips.
Watch your voice and tone
When it comes to social media, consistency is key. But this isn’t true just in terms of how frequently you post. It also applies to what you post. You may share content every day of the week. But if your posts from Monday vs. Friday look like they were shared by completely different brands, your audience won’t know what to expect from you. You’re also going to have a harder time building a brand that people recognize online.
Maintain consistency in your social media posts by aligning your copy with your brand voice (your brand’s overall personality) and social media tone (the specific emotion and language you use on social media).
Example: Innocent’s social media posts match its fun and casual brand voice.
Need help writing social media posts that generate clicks, email subscriptions, and sales?
Download my 7 free social media copy templates + examples.
Use active voice
Social media feeds are littered with content. That’s why you need to write social media posts that stand out. How do you write engaging posts that encourage your audience to take action? Write in active voice instead of passive voice.
In an active voice sentence, the subject of the sentence performs the action of the sentence. Here’s an example: “Mia kicked the soccer ball.”
In comparison, in a passive voice sentence, the subject is acted on by the action. Here’s an example: “The soccer ball was kicked by Mia.”
Using active voice allows you to write shorter and clearer sentences. Readers also prefer active voice, so it’s a triple win!
Example: Active voice makes this Flare post punchy.
Avoid being the used car salesperson
Paid advertising is becoming increasingly common on social media. But most people don’t go on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to look at ads. They want to engage with content that’s interesting or helpful (sound familiar?). That’s why you don’t want to be going in for a hard sell every time you share a social media post. Most of your posts should aim to build a relationship with your audience by providing free value. This doesn’t mean that you can’t promote your brand, products, or services. You just need to be more subtle and organic when you do it.
Example: See how Lululemon subtly promotes one of its products in this Instagram post.
Leverage the power of “you”
Need an easy way to convince your audience that you’re focused on them and their needs? Place them in the spotlight of your social media posts by using “you” more often than “we” and “us.”
Related: The #1 website copywriting mistake most businesses make + free “about us” page template
Example: Amy Porterfield keeps the focus on “you” in this post.
Don’t talk like a millennial
Unless you actually do target millennials, of course.
Many people associate social media with millennials. So what do they do? They try to sound like millennials in their social media posts, even if millennials aren’t their target audience.
If millennials are your ideal customer, go ahead and throw a “bae” or series of heart-eye emojis into your social media posts. But if you’re a lawyer targeting middle-aged people without wills, leave them out. Write social media posts that resonate with your target audience by using the same language they use.
Example: National Geographic uses formal yet accessible language in its posts.
Don’t become click bait
There’s nothing worse than clicking on an interesting social media post only to find that the landing page it takes you to doesn’t have anything to do with it. To avoid annoying your audience and driving them away, make sure the messages in your social media posts match the ones on their corresponding destination pages. Double check that you’ve inserted the right links in your social media posts. And make sure the copy you use in your social media posts is related to the headline on your linked pages.
Example: See how Nesha Woolery clearly describes what you’ll find when you click on the link in her bio.
Use emojis effectively
Most of the copy in your social media posts will be made up of words. But depending on your audience and the type of post you’re creating, emojis can add a powerful touch. You just need to use them tastefully.
How many emojis should you include in a social media post? CoSchedule recommends including 3 on Instagram, 1 on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, and none on Pinterest and LinkedIn.
Example: Pizzeria Libretto uses an on-brand emoji to jazz up this social media post.
Use these tips to write engaging social media posts
Social media is a powerful marketing tool for businesses. But it’s easy to spend a lot of time on social platforms without getting much in return. Optimize your success on social media by using the best practices described above to write engaging social media posts. They’ll help you boost brand awareness, expand your reach, grow your email list, and make more sales.
Need help writing social media posts that generate clicks, email subscriptions, and sales?
Download my 7 free social media copy templates + examples.
