Three tips for writing social media posts
As a marketer who spends a lot of time working on social media creating content, writing and managing ads, and optimizing business pages--specifically in the small business and nonprofit world--I see a lot of cringe posts.
These posts usually have three things in common that turn off readers and don’t convey the information they want to share. The best part is, they’re all straightforward fixes that don’t take a long time and will, in the long run, build your social media page into the marketing force you want it to be.
1. Provide undeniable value in long post captions. We’re all busy and long captions turn people off when they’re scrolling their newsfeed. Keep things short, engaging, and to the point and reduce the number of times someone has to click “see more” to read your captions. The fewer pain points you create to get your business information out there, the better.
That isn’t to say you can never write a long or multi-paragraph post, but keep their frequency to a minimum and create some kind of build in the days leading up. For example, a few weeks after the post below, the business owner published a multi-paragraph “about me” post. She kept her audience biting for more information and updates about the new store, and when she finally released the much-anticipated statement, readers were prepared, interested, and ready for it.
2. Links and website URLs should always have a feature photo. A link that doesn't have a feature photo isn't your fault; it has to be added to the backend of the website design. If you're sharing your website and the link preview doesn't have a photo contact your web designer and get that fixed ASAP. If you're sharing another person's link and it doesn't have a feature photo, you can (and should) do one of two things. First, sometimes you can add your feature photo by clicking the plus sign just below the post's text box. If that's not an option, close the link preview, upload a relevant image, and put the URL in the caption body.
Why are feature photos important? Links that don't have pictures are instinctively untrustworthy, and people do not want to click on them. They're also not engaging; people like visuals and a link without a photo of the link's subject won't persuade anyone that it's worth clicking.
3. Avoid grammar and punctuation errors. This includes using shorthand spelling like "thru" or "biz," and avoid using slang or technical jargon unless it's on-brand for you. Correct spelling and proper punctuation is a signal to people that you're credible. It tells them they can trust what you're telling them and, in turn, your product or service. People are becoming smarter and better consumers, so you need to be on their level.
The easy way to check your spelling is to throw your caption into a word document. Or, use a plugin like Grammarly--even the free version will pick up 95% of standard and apparent mistakes.
