One of the best ways to make a bigger impact and see awesome engagement is by ensuring that the social media content is on point. Your audience is human and they are scanning your content. Right?
Here are some tips to put your best foot forward on social media with the aid of written content.
Social media presents a challenge for the communicators as the users don’t focus on one document. Readers often skim topics, sift through the onslaught of information and browse websites for determining where they should focus attention. If the content is long, dense and filled with jargons, the readers will never find it appealing. To ensure that the readers take time to go through the messages, the social media writers need to
- Understand the audience
- Follow language best practices
- Apply healthy literacy principles
- Use social marketing concepts to improve communication
Effective Social Media Writing Principles
It’s easy to get wrapped in technology while speaking about social media. Remember that flashy tools alone can never make a campaign effective. This is possible with the aid of good content. Social media content must be
- Useful, relevant and interesting
- Easy to share and understand
- Conversational, engaging and friendly
- Action oriented
Social media is most effective when content relates to a particular desire or interest of a group of individuals. Since your targeted audience will receive several messages from different sources every day, try to make the messages useful, relevant and interesting to help your audience interact.
Tailor Social Media Messages
Using the same message on different platforms is a mark of company’s ignorance and laziness. While writing for social media, tailor messages for each audience you are trying to reach out to. Each person has a preferred network as they choose to be communicated in a specific way. If you communicate with your targeted audience on Facebook the way you are used to doing with your audience on Twitter, it will be a major turn off.
Approach your Audience the Way Preferred by Them
Even if your audience makes use of several platforms, when they visit a given platform, they expect communication in a given way. Here are a few ways to frame messages for the biggest social networks.
- Writing for Twitter
What can you express in 140 characters or less? Here are some of the best practices for writing for Twitter.
Length
Though tweets can be up to 140 characters, it’s better to limit tweets to 120 characters or less. This includes the shortened URL. This will allow the followers to retweet message without editing it.
Abbreviations
Try to frame concise tweets that don’t need abbreviations. Abbreviations are necessary at times, owing to the character limit. Use only standard abbreviations that are easy to understand.
Tone
As it is the case with other social media platforms, messages crafted for Twitter must be action oriented and reader friendly. You can ask a question, highlight a statistic or provide a call to action.
- Writing for Facebook
People who favor Facebook prefer a personal touch. They want to interact with a real person. They also prefer to interact with ones belonging to a community of people. Remember that people often use Facebook because they feel the need to belong.
Here are some of the best practices for writing for Facebook.
Length
Facebook offers more space for creating content as compared to Twitter. Facebook posts are better to make 250 characters or less to facilitate the post to be viewed completely in the newsfeed.
Content
Posts written for Facebook must be action oriented and consumer friendly. They need to be compelling and interesting, including a call to action. Posts must include a link to the web page, a captioned video or a photo.
Tone
Since Facebook is a platform for people to share what’s going on in their life, you can keep the tone casual. Use a customer friendly voice and if the post is addressed to common people, avoid using jargon.
- Writing for Pinterest
People who like Pinterest prefer it for its simplicity and opportunity for interaction.
How to write effectively for Pinterest?
Images are of prime value on Pinterest. Make sure that the images are top notch. If the images are not top notch, your audience will scroll by.
Promote and display service and product in a creative and unique fashion.
Remember that nine out of every ten Pinterest users are women. If your targeted audience chiefly consists of women, it’s really worth using the Pinterest account.
- Writing for Google+
People who favor Google+ like it for the opportunities it offers to connect with individuals having similar interest.
How to write effectively for Google+?
Highlight the Niche
In the message, discuss the niche of content and include tags. This will attract the like-minded individuals.
Use Hashtags
Like Twitter, hashtags help the users to search Google+ for their areas of interest. They are one of the best ways to join a conversation.
Take up a unique approach while posting on each social network. Make sure to share content in ways that the audience will not just appreciate but they will be attracted to.