The modern business has a number of options when it comes to marketing and promoting their products or services. In the past, business owners were limited to basic marketing tactics like word of mouth, flyers, posters, billboard and if they could afford it, a commercial on the radio or TV.
The internet has opened countless new doors for advertisers and marketers that had not previously existed. One of the most prominent examples of this is social media. In a sense, social media is still the wild frontier of the internet, as it continues to offer new benefits as time progresses and new channels emerge.
Understanding the Platforms
There are a number of different social media platforms, but the most popular channels for businesses are:
- Snapchat
All of these social media platforms are home to different audiences that consume content in different ways.
As a social media copywriter, it is important to know how to properly utilize these different platforms. This is because it will allow you to make the most out of each platform and generate more potential profit for the business. No one is born with a keen eye for copywriting; it takes time and practice to fully develop strong skills. However, there are a few tips and tricks that can help you get started in improving your social media copywriting abilities.
Before we dive into those tips, it is important to know the purpose and benefits of each social network. Above all, it allows you to decide which ones are right for your company.
Facebook is one of the largest and most popular social media platforms. It offers users the ability to post status updates, photos, videos, stories and message their friends.
Facebook was originally created with the purpose to connect students, however, it has grown into a massive online community. Consequently, it is a popular choice for businesses, as it offers a variety of options for content and has a huge user base.
LinkedIn is one of the oldest social media platforms available. It allows users to do many of the same things as Facebook, but also offer a number of career-related functions, such as job searching and job posting.
It’s original purpose was to make it easier for professionals to make connections with people in a similar field. Since its establishment, LinkedIn has grown into an essential part of the hiring process. LinkedIn is great for businesses as it allows them promote themselves as thought leaders through the content they post.
Instagram is a fairly unique social media platform, as it mainly focuses on visuals. It has grown from offering users just photo content, to including video, stories and more.
For those that don’t know, Instagram was originally a platform to share art and is now a major marketing and advertising tool for businesses. Instagram is popular among businesses that are trying to reach a younger demographic.
Snapchat
In comparison to the other platforms, Snapchat is rather unique. This is because It is basically a messaging platform that allows users to send photos and videos that are only available for a limited amount of time. Like Instagram, Snapchat is a great way for businesses to reach younger demographics.
However, Snapchat is also a popular marketing choice for social media copywriters as it offers a unique feature. Also, Snapchat features a “discover” page, where users can subscribe to different channels. Many of these channels are run by businesses, which utilize them to reach a broader demographic.
Twitter is a popular social media platform amongst businesses of all types. A “tweet” can include words, photos and short videos. Twitter has a wide range of users and is popular amongst a number of demographics, making it an ideal platform for businesses across a variety of industries including B2B and B2C businesses.
One of the main reasons that Twitter is a popular social media platform amongst businesses is because it is a great tool for communicating. A customer can directly contact a company and give them their opinion. Although these opinions may not always positive, they are a beneficial way of learning which aspects of your products or services need improvement.
There is a lot to know about all of the social media platforms, and it can be overwhelming to learn. However, having a solid understanding will give any social media copywriter the upper hand when writing content.
1) Create a Goal for Your Copywriting
Before typing out a single word, it is important to create a goal for your social media copy. Try to take a step back from the situation and analyze what goals you have for the copy.
Those that are trying to gain more of a following should try to connect with the audience with relatable copy. Therefore, those that are trying to create conversions may want to try a more aggressive approach with some in-your-face copy. On the other hand, those that are trying to simply inform potential customers may want to try a more factual, casual style of copywriting. Every company has a different goal, and it is the social media copywriters’ job to reach them.
2) Know The Different Audiences of Each Social Media Platform
Each social media platform offers users different types of content and attracts different users. Some, like Snapchat, are more popular with younger individuals. Approximately 66% of Canadian internet users under the age of 25 have a Snapchat account, while only 13% of users between 45 and 55 have an account. Therefore, a business that is trying to reach an older audience would be more successful using a platform like Facebook.
Knowing the different audiences that will influence the way that you write your social media copy as well. Those trying to reach a younger audience may want to get creative and have some fun with the social media copy. Those trying to reach an older audience may want to write with a professional tone suited for a mature audience. Knowing the different audiences will minimize the chances of catering the copy to the wrong demographic.
For those that have the time, it is never a bad idea to create different content for the different platforms. Those using platforms that have highly visual aspects like Instagram may want to integrate flashier, higher quality photos. On the other hand, those using platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter may want to create a more professional atmosphere with their content.
(The study is based on a survey of 1,500 Canadians ranging in age, gender and region).
3) Perform a Social Media Audit
Performing a social media audit can help a social media copywriter get a better understanding of current playing field. A social media audit is a series of steps that are taken to analyze and maximize a business’ social media presence.
Social media audits will evaluate a company’s current profiles. This will give the social media copywriter a better grasp on how they’re performing on each platform the company or issues like underperforming profiles and whether they need to realign their profiles.
For a social media copywriter, the most beneficial aspect of a social media audit is that is informs them on what content is doing well and what isn’t. This allows them to reevaluate past work and can help them make better decisions in their future social media campaigns.
4) Create a Strategy for Your Social Media Copy
A solid strategy is key to being successful at anything and social media copywriting is no exception. Having a good strategy gives the social media copywriter a powerful tool that allows them to execute high quality, consistent copy.
There are a number of ways to create a strategy. One of the best strategies is creating content ahead of time. As an example, a company using Instagram may want to have their social media copywriter take a months worth of photos and caption them. This allows the copywriter to create a schedule for the content, and gives them the opportunity to make future changes if necessary.
There are also a number of apps and online tools that can be beneficial for social media copywriting strategies. Applications like Hootsuite gives the social media copywriter the ability to schedule posts ahead of time. Doing this is much less time consuming than posting each individual piece of content on a daily basis.
5) Do Your Best to Tell a Story
Although it is easier said than done, one of the best tricks for social media copywriting is telling a story. It can be difficult to create a story for the product or service you are marketing, but there are a number of ways to make it easier. Once again, take a step back from the situation and analyze the product or service at hand. Try to pick apart the key details of it and write down any keywords that may come to mind along the way. Use these ideas and keywords to create narratives for the product or service. If the social media copywriter knows the audience of the platform, they should be able to a create a story that is catered specifically to them.
However, don’t feel the need to rely solely on the copywriting. People like to say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so it is never a bad idea to integrate effective visuals into the content. If necessary, hire an outside photographer or graphic designer to help with visuals. This will ensure that your social media copy is catching both the customer’s eye and their interest.
Try your best to be concise with the story telling. Don’t feel the need to be overbearing with the content and instead, feed the customers small pieces of content at a time. Invision each post as a page or chapter of a story, not an entire novel. Doing this will not only make it easier to be consistent, but it will also make the content less overwhelming or boring to the reader.
This is a perfect example of telling a story without overloading the user with details. It is both thought and emotion provoking.
6) Find Your Voice
Every company is different and wants to be portrayed in unique ways. Some want to seem friendly and approachable, while others are more interested in looking luxurious or expensive. One of the best ways to influence the way the company is portrayed in through the voice of the social media content. The voice of the company helps define who they are and where they stand in their specific industry. Each and every social media copywriter has their own voice, however, this may not always match the voice of the company.
The best way to learn more about the company’s voice is by looking at past content. Scroll through the different social media feeds and thoroughly read through the captions. Get a feel for the personality or the persona of the voice. Afterwards, write out some examples while doing your best to mimic the voice. Over time, your writing style will develop and will become influenced by the voice of the company.
Those who do not have benefit of looking through past social media posts are able to reference other aspects of a business to get an idea of their voice. Track down any newsletters, emails or other pieces of writing that have examples of the company’s voice. This will give you a better idea of the company’s persona and can be a huge help in the voice finding process.
7) Utilize Powerful Headlines
A powerful headline has the unique ability to draw in readers. Although not all social media platforms utilize headlines, platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn give the social media copywriter the ability to share articles with strong introductions. Many social media copywriters will focus on content like captions, however, it is beneficial to publish social media posts related to the product or service your company provides. These social media posts can be topped off with captivating headlines that draw in the reader.
This is a great example of combining a captivating headline with an informative caption. It gives insight into the post before clicking on it.
When writing a headline, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Do your best to integrate as many keywords as possible while writing. This will help inform all of the potential customers before they even click on the article. It’s never a bad idea to have some fun with the headline writing process. Getting creative and thinking outside of the box can sometimes provide the best results. After you are satisfied with your powerful headline, you’re ready to put some time into the caption. Make it thought provoking and interesting to the reader.
8) Never Forget to Edit Your Work
Before you press post or publish, it is always important to thoroughly edit your work. Small things like spelling mistakes can look really bad to customers. Giving your work a solid read through will help you catch any small typos that you may have missed. It will also help make the company look good. Nothing looks worse to a customer than a typo in a headline or caption.
There are a couple of good tips for editing your copywriting. Some find that reading your work aloud can be extremely helpful for the editing process. After writing for hours, it can be easy to slip up on an awkward sentence or phrases. Reading your work aloud will help you catch any run on sentences in the copy or areas that don’t flow well. It also never hurts to let a co-worker read the copy over before posting. Anyone who has read something multiple times knows that a sentence or phrase may seem like it makes sense, but in reality, it might not. Having someone read over the work will provide a fresh perspective to the work. It will also ensure you’re always delivering the best content to your readers.
9) Promote Your Social Media Posts
Many social media platforms make it easy to promote your content. Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram offer in-platform services for content advertising. These offer a variety of advertising options at a range of different prices. Although it depends on how much you pay, these tools can help a business reach hundreds to tens of thousands of users.
These photos are some examples of Facebook’s promotional options. The user is able to pick a budget and a time duration for their promotion. Facebook then gives the user an estimated reach for the content.
For the social media copywriters who want to grow organically, there are a number of free ways that to promote social media content. Most platforms give users the option to share content. One tactic that a company could use is to have all of their employees consistently share or like their content. This allows it to reach more users organically. Doing this also helps improve the company’s image of having a large following.
Social media copywriters who do not have the ability to get consistent shares can trying promoting their content on different pages or groups. The best way of doing this is through research. Search through the social media platforms for any open groups that are related to your company’s product or service. This can range in difficulty depending on how niche the product or service is. However, these are great places to share content, as they will be filled with your company’s prime demographic.
10) Practice, Practice, Practice
Social media copywriting is a difficult thing to get a solid grasp of. It requires a keen eye for detail and a strong understanding of language. However, like any other skill, copywriting can become easier with practice. Practicing your writing skills will make it easier when the time comes to write copy.
There are a number of ways a social media copywriter can practice their craft. One of the most obvious ways is by writing out examples of practice posts. Any sort of writing is good for sharpening your skills, and will strengthen your brain in different areas. The more that you write the more comfortable you become with copywriting.
Along with writing, reading can also be extremely beneficial practice when it comes to social media copywriting. Take the time to go through some of your favorite companies social media pages. Thoroughly analyze both the writing and the visuals to see what you can find. Try to find out what is attractive about the posts and what aspects would be beneficial for your company’s own social media strategy. It also never hurts to get some general reading in as well; things like articles and books are great ways to expand your knowledge of current events or industry trends and can give you new ideas for your copywriting.
After All is Said and Done
The modern business has such a wide variety of marketing options to choose from that it can often become overwhelming. Many of them see the benefits of social media, however, a lot of them do not take the time to educate themselves on how to utilize it. It has become the job of the copywriter to figure out how to master social media for the brand.
Social Media Copywriting Checklist
There are a number of things that social media copywriters can do to maximize their company’s social media profiles.
- All social media copywriters must have an extremely strong understanding of all of the different social media platforms.
- It is essential to create a goal for your social media copy, as it will help you stay on track.
- A social media copywriter should also understand the different audiences of each platform. This will minimize the chances of advertising to the wrong demographic.
- Those whose social media pages are struggling may want to consider a social media audit. It will notify you of any problems that are happening with your pages.
- One of the best tricks of social media copywriting is using the platforms to tell a story. Each platform is unique and can be used to tell different stories in different ways.
- It is key to create a strategy for your social media copy. This will give you something to reference in the future. Consequently, it also allows you to create a schedule that can help keep you on track.
- A good social media copywriter is able to utilize the company’s voice and help it create a web presence.
- Although not all platforms use them, it is beneficial to utilize powerful headlines whenever it applies. A powerful headline can grab the reader and increase their interest in the product or service.
- It is always smart to edit your copy thoroughly or have a co-worker give it a fresh pair of eyes for a new perspective.
- A social media copywriter can also utilize social media to promote their posts. If there is room in the budget, there are a number of paid options for social media promotion. For those that don’t, there are other easy ways to promote the business.
- It is beyond important to constantly practice your craft. Social media copywriters need to be constantly reading and writing if they want to stay ahead of the copywriting curve.
By checking off all of these from your list, your business will be able to maximize its chances for social media growth.
In The End
Any social media copywriter that takes the time to properly implement these techniques and tools will see steady progress in the success of their social media campaigns.
David is the Founder and Director of article-writing.co, the fastest-growing content creation agency in North America. He has transformed companies by offering high-quality content that has impacted their SEO ranking, revitalized websites with engaging and industry-relevant blogs and website copy, and championed successful email campaign copy.
