How to Write Effective Social Media Posts? [A Complete Guide]
Author: Team WH
Published On: 10-05-23
Last Updated on: 07-11-23
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
What’s the ideal online platform to reach your target audience?
Undoubtedly, the answer is social media, as that is where your audience is probably spending time right now! So, social media posts are the bridge between you and your followers.
Effective social media writing requires clear planning, understanding readers, adding the right CTAs, and defining your purpose. From using the appropriate hashtags to creating catchy headlines, every element of your post is vital.
Every social post represents your brand voice. Here’s an essential checklist of how to write effective social media posts that’ll attract people to follow your brand. Let’s roll!
Write For Your Followers
The main objective of writing for social media is to connect with your audience. Unless your brand is world-famous, you must attract them to your services. This intention must be clear from any and all of your social posts.
You need to show your followers that they will gain something valuable by engaging with your brand posts. So, by shifting the perspective from your brand to them, they will feel more important. This is applicable to all social media platforms.
So, while writing social media posts, use terms like “you” and “your” over “us” or “we.” Keep in mind your target customer’s pain points while posting.
Speak The Platform’s Language
Your social media content writing must match the platform you’re posting on. This is important as different social media platforms have unique identities and voices.
For example, LinkedIn is a professional social media network, including even C-level executives and entrepreneurs. A semi-formal tone will be appropriate for LinkedIn posts. You might occasionally observe conversational language on the platform, but nobody overdoes it.
In addition, your audience will vary as per the platform. While professionals and CEOs dwell on LinkedIn, Instagram attracts Gen-Z and millennials demographic.
No matter what platform you target, keep these pointers in mind while creating a social post –
- Create content on trending topics
- Add images and videos when applicable
- Carefully use emojis in your text
- Use relatable terms/phrases according to the platform’s style
For example, phrases like “This is dope” or “This is lit!!!” work well on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. However, they are not for LinkedIn.
Draft Clickable Posts That Create Curiosity
The point of learning how to write effective social media posts is to drive traffic to your B2B or B2C brand. So, it would be best if you made the posts scannable and clickable. Create content people want to read, share, and become curious about!
Let’s take an example.
The click-through rates (CTR) of Instagram feed advertisements are between 0.22% and 0.88%. Instagram stories ads have a CTR of 0.33% to 0.54%. These rates might differ according to the catchiness of the two content types.
So, the more curious your audience becomes, the higher your CTR will be. And better CTRs mean more traffic to your social media page or website.
Follow these smart tips to increase CTRs –
- If the post links to an article, do not give too many details
- Create a “cliff-hanger effect” by revealing only some information
- Add a persuasive CTA and relevant image to drive traffic
Prompt Readers to Engage
Your social media posts are the ultimate tool to start meaningful conversations about your brand. Along with increasing CTRs, you must connect with readers through each post.
That’s why calls to action and prompts are essential for any social media marketing strategy. These will motivate readers to take some action after reading your social content. This is the first step in improving your conversions.
Even with fixed character limits, you can create effective prompts with these ideas –
- Ask them to share their thoughts in the comments
- Add a link to your landing page
- Raise a question they can answer in the comment section
- Place a CTA to subscribe to your newsletter
- Prompt them to follow you on other social media platforms
Tell a Story
While creating content on any social media network, storytelling is a must. Try to craft attractive posts that tell a story to engage with the audience. The story can be about your brand’s history, how you came up with the idea and your obstacles.
Or, you can talk about the day in the life of an employee at your office.
These types of posts spread positivity and a clear idea about your company. Moreover, your brand will become more likeable and acceptable to your readers.
As a result, it will establish a better connection with your followers. They will cherish your content, want more of it, and get interested in buying your products/services. Storytelling posts are also fantastic ways to convey your marketing message subtly.
That’s why 55% of clients/customers might remember a story more than some boring facts!
Keep the Posts Consistent
With fixed character limits, it is best to focus on a single topic at a time via your posts. Do not bombard the readers with tons of facts, statistics, and persuasive messages.
Instead, talk about a particular topic and make it succinct. Be clear and direct in your approach to boost your engagement. If you want to discuss the subject, create a series of posts that will fill up your content calendar.
It will enable you to express the required information in compact packages your audience will love reading.
Make the Posts Catchy and Easy to Understand
Your posts won’t get the readers’ attention if they can’t understand it. That is why it’s so crucial to craft posts on social media that are skimmable and easily understandable.
Remember that social media is not the ideal place to channel your inner Wordsworth. So, you need to remove unnecessary jargon to generate free-flowing content. The posts should be catchy and have a clear intent.
Your audience is bound to respond to clear copy, which makes them stop scrolling immediately and engage. On the contrary, overused buzzwords will steer them away, even if you have world-class products.
For instance, Grammarly is a world-class grammar checker but is also great at posting catchy Tweets. Their posts on GrammarlyGO are clear and engaging, telling readers what they get from the AI-powered product. Also, the focus is on “you” and less on them.
Parting Thoughts
While learning how to write effective social media posts, remember your brand voice. Don’t blindly follow viral posts or trends that may have huge engagement. Focus on relatable social media writing relevant to your brand. It will drive more followers and keep them interested.
In addition, edit your posts thoroughly before posting them. Avoid small typos or errors that can hamper your brand’s credibility. Don’t create a haphazard social media strategy such that you end up with gaps between posts.
Keep everything relevant and honest to keep followers coming back for more!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the six C’s for effective writing for social media?
The six C’s of engaging social media content are Content, Connections, Congruence, Conversations, Context, and Continuous.
2. How effective is social media marketing?
Social media marketing is highly effective, offering real-time engagement and extensive reach at a relatively low cost. It allows for targeted campaigns that can be measured and adjusted quickly, providing businesses with valuable insights into consumer behavior and direct feedback to boost ROI.
3. How has social media changed marketing?
Social media has revolutionized marketing by shifting power to consumers. Brands can now engage in two-way conversations with their audience, foster communities, and spread content virally. It’s more personal, immediate, and interactive, demanding authenticity and agility from marketers.
4. How to measure social media marketing performance?
Measure your social media performance using metrics like engagement rates, follower growth, share of voice, and conversion rates. Tools like Google Analytics and native platform insights give you data on how content performs, helping to refine strategy and prove ROI.
5. How important is social media marketing for small businesses?
For small businesses, social media marketing is a game-changer. It levels the playing field, allowing them to reach wider audiences without the hefty advertising budgets that large companies have. It’s essential for brand awareness, customer engagement, and even direct sales.
