Sep
14
2017
9 tips for social media writing
Around 2.7 billion people in the world use social media, that’s 37% of the global population. Most of us have at least one social media account, but posting pictures of your cat on your personal Instagram account is a bit different from Tweeting for your organisation.
Before you let loose on LinkedIn and fall into a frenzy on Facebook, take a look at our nine tips on writing for social media.
1.Understand your platform
It sounds strange, but each social media platform has its own personality. Different tones, imagery, and even content are needed for each platform as they all have their own unique demographics. For example, think about LinkedIn, a professional networking site, and compare it to Twitter, the birthplace of the hashtag. Now, do you think you should post the exact same thing on both platforms?
2.Grammar and punctuation still matter
Social media is short and snappy, but that doesn’t mean you can forget about grammar and punctuation! Using ‘txt spk’ will not only have users rolling their eyes and feeling nauseated, they’ll also doubt your credibility.
3.Get visual
Okay so although we’re talking about writing social media posts you need to know that including an image can make a huge difference to your posts. On average, tweets with images receive 150% more retweets – time to get the camera out!
4.Think before you post
Many brands have had major slip ups on social media, so you should learn from their mistakes! Triple check everything you post, and if you’re jumping on a trending bandwagon make sure you know the context first!
5.Be aware of the world around you
Talking of context, you should be aware of what is going on in the world around you. Beware of poor taste and, as a general rule of thumb, keep your posts away from politics and controversial opinions and topics.
6.Don’t be 'salesy'
You’re probably trying to sell something online; you know that, and your followers know that. However, that doesn’t mean your posts should be packed with salesy jargon! People don’t go onto social media to have “BUY THIS!” shoved in their face.
7.Add relevant links
A tweet with an image and some copy that says “We sell this thing!” isn’t enough, you should also try and add in a relevant link. Social media is a great way to drive traffic to your website, so make it easy for your followers to get onto your website.
8.Look at your analytics and learn from them
Not everyone loves analytics, however if you’re trying to get the perfect recipe for posts to your social media account you need to be digging deep. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram all offer in-app analytics so there’s no excuse for not looking at your stats!
9.Be social!
Social media is a fantastic way to interact with potential (and existing) clients, customers, and fellow industry experts. Reply to their tweets and posts, have a conversation about needing your morning coffee or send your favourite gif of a cute dog, just keep the conversation alive!
To learn even more about social media and digital writing, take a look at our Digital writing course here.
