There's a huge difference between being able to pen witty and lengthy thoughts on your personal social media platform, and posting for the specific purpose of engagement.
That difference is why not every digital native is a born and bred copywriter. But don't let that discourage you. At the heart of all social media copywriting techniques are just a few simple facts.
You need to know what you want to say, who you're saying it to and for what reason. You need to blend brand relatability with targeted marketing if you really want your business to get noticed on the feeds.
It doesn't matter how amazing the product or in-demand the service, if your copy doesn't hit all those beats, you will not be noticed. Remember, you're not just up against competitors in your industry. You're up against all the infinite distractions social media has to offer your audience.
Here are a few tips you can use to stand out.
"Know Your Platform"
This is first and foremost because while each social media platform is free for all to use, they each have unique features that attract a distinct audience. Naturally, each one us suited to a particularly style of copywriting.
For example, LinkedIn is a far more professional platform. Built from the ground up to be about business and networking. It's the place where you can indulge in some long-form content. It even has a "write article" feature in its status bar.
Instagram is a platform almost exclusively for visual copy. The more interactive, the better. Especially since the introduction of "Stories".
Facebook is neither new nor cool anymore, but that doesn't make it any less great for businesses. With over three million of them actively advertising on their platform. It's sophisticated "Business Suite" features and targeted digital advertising make it an ideal tool for brand visibility.
If you're a business that's only just starting to build a brand online, it's advisable to select a single platform to begin with because copy for one shouldn't be copy and pasted on to another.
"Get Them Hooked"
All copywriting is in the business of capturing and retaining attention.
You need a hook. Something witty or enticing to make your target audience stop the scroll and pay attention.
Your hooks don't have to be "revolutionary", but they need to be relevant or intriguing. The headline itself isn't the sales pitch. It's supposed to pique curiosity.
Here's a good example:
A little wordy, but it's straight to the point and has fantastic visuals to boost its appeal. When it comes to the wittiness of a caption, there is no strict set of rules to follow other than to be creative and have fun with it. Never be afraid to think outside of the box or get input from others when it comes to that.
On an ethical note, writing great hooks for your copywriting is harder than it sounds because there is a fine line between catchy hooks and clickbaiting.
The difference being that the former is catchy and relevant to what the audience is looking for. Where as clickbait is intentionally misleading and makes the person who fell for it regretful. Perhaps even enough to unfollow or block you from their feed for good.
"Compliment With Visuals"
The importance of visuals isn't just limited to flashiness.
Check out this FB as an example:
Notice how the image itself contains the selling point. The most eye-catching part of the post contains the most relevant info, which in turn means less words for the caption. This is how you best use visuals.
Not just to grab attention, but to communicate value while doing so.
One of the reasons why graphic design is a valuable skill to have in copywriting.
"Read The Room"
"Reading the room" is one of the most important and understated skills a social media copywriter can have.
Always remember that you are writing for a target audience and that audience's behavior shifts with the general mood. What would've worked on in a different context might flop in the present. Or worse, provoke backlash.
If you're working for a brand and find yourselves in a position where you can't say anything that can't be positively tied back to your company's image or values, then sometimes it's best not to say anything at all. Instead, create infographics or write copy that serve as public service announcements.
Good copywriting,especially if you're trying to be socially relevant, is supposed to create content that resonates. If it doesn't meet that criteria, don't post it.
"Consistency > Perfection"
The daily hustle doesn't afford you the time to ponder over the creativity of your copy until you get it "just right". Perfection is a waste of time and not the goal you should be shooting for.
Instead of spending too much time fine-tuning the perfect details of each post, which may not improve the reach or sales of your brand anyway, focus on consistency. Strategically lay out in a social media calendar what you plan to say, to whom, with which template and never miss a post.
The quality of your content is important, but so is maintaining the presence of your brand. You can hook an audience with a great post, but you can only keep them with constant activity.
Successful copywriting isn't based on perfection, but consistency and sustainability.
Thank you for reading our piece. We hope it was useful for you. If you're interested in upskilling yourself or your team, click on any of the recommended courses below for more information.
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