Writing good social media copy can feel like a daunting task, especially copy that can stand out against other brands showing up on your customer’s feeds. There are ways to ensure your copy is noticed by customers and doesn’t get lost in their scrolling session. This blog will cover how to successfully establish your brand’s presence in your copy, what to write about and how to get engagement from your audience.
Pick Your Voice…And Stick With It
As the old saying goes, consistency is key. When writing for social media for your company or organization, establishing a consistent brand voice is one of the first steps you can take to improve your social media copy.
One thing to consider when determining your brand voice is identifying your level of seriousness. Choosing your brand’s level of formality can help you navigate word choice to convey that to your audience. For example, if you’re a finance company, your brand voice might be more formal and focus on proving your credibility. You might opt for a more informal, inviting approach if you own a local restaurant.
Another way to narrow down your brand voice is to ask yourself what feelings you want to invoke when people think of your brand. Brands like Nike focus on motivation. Think of Nike’s slogan, “Just Do It”. The three-word line has been the foundation of almost all of their marketing campaigns. When people think of Nike, they think of the world’s best athletes. Their copy inspires people and resonates with them.
Maybe you own a water damage restoration service. You might choose a tone that conveys that you’re ready to help, experienced and trustworthy. If this is the case, you would opt for copy that mentions how you appeal to these feelings. Your copy might look like this: “our technicians are available 24/7, because emergencies don’t only happen between 8-5”.
Do you see how you have conveyed helpfulness, experience and credibility in that copy? Identifying what you want people to think about your brand is a foundational step in thinking about what you should include in your copy.
Understand The Art of “Less Is More”
When writing copy, it can be easy to let your words run on… and on. However, it’s best to remember that less is more; just a few words can do the trick for many. People’s attention spans are short, so being able to pack a punch with a few words is a skill that can engage readers with your social posts.
People’s attention spans are short, so being able to pack a punch with a few words is a skill that can engage readers with your social posts.
Ask yourself: what’s the most important thing I am trying to say? What do people need to know when reading this?
These questions can help you minimalize (yes, we made up a word) your copy, so you say everything you need and nothing that you don’t.
Create a Conversation
Some of the best social media content utilizes conversation-style copy to increase engagement from their followers. One effective social media strategy might be writing open-ended questions throughout the copy to encourage users to respond in the comments. If you are a pizza restaurant, you might ask what people’s favorite toppings are or if they eat or toss the crust.
Conversational copy not only helps engage your audience but also evokes emotion. No one enjoys reading mundane things; they want to be able to sense a certain inflection and tone within the copy.
Let’s face it, when it comes to a social media post, sometimes the caption is put on the back burner. So, when you can get people’s attention, engaging in a meaningful conversation can make or break a post’s success.
Another way to improve your social media post copy is to cover various content types. For example, some copy might need to be directly sales related, like highlighting a new product or service or sharing about a deal.
Perhaps a different post could include curated content from customers and resharing some of their messages from their own platforms. Other types of content might not even need to be directly related to a task or service but rather any sort of engaging content for your customer base.
Understand the Platforms You’re Writing For
Every social media platform has a different set of purposes.
Platforms like Instagram, for example, focus on photo sharing as a means to communicate with an audience. While copy is important on Instagram, visuals do a lot of the heavy lifting. So, focusing on copy that interacts with the photo you’re sharing can make it meaningful.
In contrast, Twitter predominantly focuses on written content and short pieces of information that fit within its character limits. Twitter is a great platform to have conversations and engage with your users.
LinkedIn combines various platform features, focusing on professional development and networking opportunities. So, focusing on copy that could help benefit your customer base is a great way to perform well on the platform. This copy might include advice from a business perspective or any form of copy that could resonate with other businesses or professionals.
Facebook is still considered the “big kahuna” of social media networks because of its in-depth algorithm, ad management system, and wide number of users worldwide. Facebook is a great option for linking a call to action within your copy, as it can lead people to your website or service page. Writing copy tailored to a specific platform is a much better approach than a one-size-fits-all strategy.
Stay Alert For Current Trends
No matter how formal your approach to social media copy is, one of the number one ways to create attention-grabbing content is to stay aware of current trends and participate in them if they fit your brand. Even the most serious of companies have been known to take advantage of trending content, and it’s worth it!
Is the trend a funny joke circulating around the internet that you could incorporate into your copy? If so, you should. Social media users love feeling “in” on the joke and will resonate with brands that utilize these trends in their social strategy.
These trends don’t always have to be “memes,” but they can be anything that people are talking about. A lot of brands are participating in trends and movements that help people find their brand more relatable and personable. For example, if you are a clothing brand, you might participate in the body positivity movement.
I Need Help Help With My Social Media Copy
Social media copy isn’t always easy, and if it’s not something you want to handle, RSM offers a team of expert social media specialists to ensure your brand is executed perfectly through social media copy.
If you want to learn more about how we can help you strategize copy that is a perfect fit for your brand, contact us today!
