10 simple tips to help you write content for Facebook, Twitter and blogs

Social media is now the must-use way to get your message out and promote your business. But how do you write social media copy and content that people will read, they’ll want to act on, and that they’ll want to share, tweet or like?

Here are some tips that will help you write great social media copy:

1.Study other people’s stuff …. learn from the influencers. Especially successful social media-ites who are heavily followed/liked. Now write something similar.

Easier still in many cases you can just re-broadcast their stuff – just add your own thoughts and comments on it.

2.Study your audience. Who are they? What are they interested in?

Use your posts to provide them with what they are looking for …. not just what you want to say.

3.Make your post something worth knowing. Make it something really useful. Information they can readily act on and benefit from is ideal.

If you can, make it newsy. Remember social media is very much instant, on-the-hoof media. So make your post something that is happening now or happening soon.

4.Make it funny. If you can. It’s no coincidence that the most-popular and most-shared social media posts are humorous ones.

5.Keep it concise. With some social media there’s a word or size limit. But even if there isn’t keep your post to the minimum …. most people don’t have time to wade through hundreds of words.

6.Include images wherever possible. Photos are essential in some social media, but even where they aren’t they help bring a post to life. Make it something relevant. Try to use your own photos rather than standard stock ones.

7.Include links. Assuming you’ve caught your reader’s attention provide somewhere they can go to find out more. Sometimes, not always, this can be your own website.

8.Involve the reader. This is probably one of the most important things. Remember that social media is a two way traffic. That’s what makes it unique. Don’t just tell your reader – ask for their opinions, their thoughts, their feedback.

This is also a very good way to get your content forwarded or shared – one of the most exciting things about social media.

9.Understand the tools and/or the etiquette that is appropriate to the individual social media and how to use it. For example, the hashtag on #Twitter.

10.Don’t take too much notice of what other people tell you about writing social media – including me! Remember, it’s still pretty new. No one knows for sure what really works.

Don’t be afraid to try new stuff and see what happens. (Social media is also the ideal tool for growth hacking.)

I hope you find these social media writing tips and techniques useful. For more free copywriting and marketing tips and ideas visit my website at www.markhempshell.com