social media content

How To Write Awesome Social Media Content

Whether it’s a twenty character tweet or a professional mission statement, strong writing is crucial to effective social media marketing. But what exactly is “good” writing? The answer is more complicated than most people (content writers included) realize.

Here’s a couple of interesting examples to consider:

When motivational speaker Robin Sharma tweeted his inspirational phrase “don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life,” that was strong writing. But when a quirky toilet paper brand tweeted “Charmin Ultra Strong’s washcloth-like texture is great for keeping your “driveway” clean this winter,” that was also strong writing!

What do existentialism and butt jokes have in common? In these examples, quite a bit. Both tweets managed to generate quite a bit of attention for their respective brands — due largely to the fact that both utilized the following three characteristics of good writing for social media content:

1. GOOD WRITING IS UNIQUE AND ATTENTION CATCHING

A good social media post makes readers stop scrolling. Whether they stop to ponder their lives or to lol is irrelevant. Give your audience something that stands out — or you won’t have an audience to begin with.

2. GOOD WRITING NEVER WASTES WORDS

When the aforementioned tweets were made, Twitter’s 180 character rule was still in place. However, Robin Sharma’s tweet was a mere 52 characters, and Charmin’s post came in at an even 100. We aren’t saying that all good writing is short — but good writing never uses filler. Don’t bore your readers.

3. GOOD WRITING STAYS ON-BRAND

As talented as Robin Sharma may be, we defy him to write an inspirational butt tweet. And Charmin telling us not to waste our lives would just be…surreal. If there is one message you take from this article, it should be this: one size does not fit all. Whether you chose to write your own marketing content or to hire a writing company, you should ensure that every word you publish matches your brand’s message and tone.

If you do plan on doing your own writing, asking yourself these questions can help make your content more effective:

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF MY SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN?

According to Buffer’s State of Social Media 2016 report, the most common reasons why businesses use social media are brand awareness, community engagement, content distribution, and customer support. Your specific objectives should influence the content you choose to create. For example, a company aiming to provide better customer support may opt to write how-to articles and audience polls; whereas an organization striving for brand awareness might instead focus on storytelling.

WHAT RESONATES WITH MY TARGET AUDIENCE?

Your social media audience probably isn’t looking for direct sales pitches. Interesting anecdotes, informative case studies, or even just funny jokes will likely be more effective. Answering the question of “what resonates most” might require a bit of trial and error — though your direct experiences with your customers and clients can also offer some important insights.

HOW SHOULD SOCIAL MEDIA REFLECT MY BRAND’S “PERSONALITY?”

Every brand develops and expresses its personality in different ways. Free online graphic design software company Canva uses an informal and educational tone, for example. Software firm Torchlight, on the other hand, takes a much more in-depth and technical approach to marketing content, creating data-driven pieces with a more business-like appeal.

MOVING FORWARD…

Your answers to the question above can provide direction and inspiration as you write tweets, Facebook posts, LinkedIn blogs, etc. If you are looking for a bit of extra help, however, you may wish to consider hiring a remote writing service like Content Cucumber. Visit us online to learn more about how we can take your content marketing strategy to the next level!

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