Writing an engaging social media post is not as easy as it sounds. There are trends to be aware of, audience preferences, length of post, and so much more. Yeah, you could ask ChatGPT to do it all for you, but you risk skipping past that connection with your audience and maintaining your brand voice. If you are trying to maintain an online presence and engage with an audience, knowing these tips for writing a social media post is essential. Also not forgetting the inclusion of media to enhance a post – especially when video posted on social media has earned new customers for 93% of brands.
Why Is a Good Social Media Post Important?
Good social media posts are important as they contribute to building brand awareness, driving user actions, generating leads, and establishing trust. In fact, brand discovery from online sources comes through social media 52% of the time. A trending social media post could potentially be seen by millions across multiple platforms, something that ChatGPT will likely not create for you.
Of course, the larger the audience you already have on social platforms – the easier it is to reach the audience, however, that doesn’t mean your social copy is effective. A small business with a small following could reach a large audience with effective social posts whereas a large business with a large following could reach a small audience with poor social posts. Also, social media platforms are seen as effective marketing tools for 90% of small businesses.
Some of the key reasons a social media post is important:
- Boosts Engagement
- Strengthens Brand Identity
- Enhances Customer Relationships
- Builds Brand Awareness & Trust
- Improves SEO and Online Visibility
- Drives Conversions
- Differentiates from Competitors
- Supports Audience Growth
- Gathers Valuable Consumer Insights
Understand Your Audience
If you want to learn how to write a good social media post, the first, and most important step is to understand your audience. Your audience will define the tone, style, and type of content you create for social platforms. Not only that, each social platform has a different audience demographic, which would also shape the content created. There are many different aspects of understanding an audience to consider when it comes to social media.
Social media is used by 4.62 billion people and represents just over half of the global population – That’s 93.4% of people connected to the internet.
For example, imagine a software company posting on LinkedIn targeting highly educated individuals using complex language in a plain tone. Then the same company replicates that content on a TikTok video – using the exact same tone and language. It wouldn’t work.
LinkedIn has an audience of working professionals and job-seekers, whereas TikTok has a much younger audience where 25% of its users are aged 10-19., who relate more to current trends and humor. Below is an example of the type of information you can learn about audiences on different platforms:
Before crafting your social post, take the time to hone in on your brand style and also research the interests and behavior of your audience on each platform. This will help you use the correct words and language that relate to them, plus it will ensure you stay consistent in targeting the same demographic.
Understand Your Purpose
If you don’t know what your purpose is, you shouldn’t be posting on social media. Just throwing content out there because it seems ‘right’ is not effective and could confuse people. Identifying your purpose will come when planning social media strategies and content – understanding that purpose is when you actually write the content.
Your purpose could be for example, to drive traffic to a website, to generate more brand awareness, or even to build a loyal follower base. For example, 80% of social marketers say that their main goal is to boost engagement across social media. This would be reflected in your social post – where you could have a clear CTA, use niche hashtags, or amplify the use of brand colors/imagery.
Learn The Social Platform
Understanding how each social platform works is crucial when it comes to creating a social media post. This includes researching current trends, how the algorithm works, the main demographic of each platform, what content works best, the tone and style of the platform, and even the length of content. There are plenty of resources available online to gain insights into each platform, but you can further refine this by testing yourself.
You might also be thinking ‘What if I create a post for Facebook and use that on all my other channels to save time…’ While using the same content across different social channels might be efficient, it’s definitely not effective.
For example, a Facebook post copied over and used for X (Twitter) will not work as there is a character limit on X – if it was copied and used for LinkedIn, it would suit the tone and style of content on that platform.
Address the Reader
To put it bluntly – No one cares about companies bragging and talking about themselves. People want to know why it relates to them and why they should care. Posting that you are the best company, all the things your product can do, and how you will change the world is great – but if you aren’t adapting that to connect with the reader, it’s a waste of time.
Once you have completed a post, have another look or ask someone else from an outsider’s perspective to see how it comes across. Have a look at the words used throughout the post: ‘We’ and ‘Us’ are taking the attention away from the reader. ‘You’ and ‘You Are’, are powerful words that instantly address the reader directly.
For example, something simple like a direct question to the audience can spark engagement:
If you mention company achievements or benefits of a product, include the reader within that statement. For example, ‘Our product is the best, it can call people in one touch’ could become ‘Our amazing product allows you to stay connected with your loved ones in one simple touch’ – the language here shifts focus onto ‘why’ the reader should care and how it benefits them.
LinkedIn is a slight exception to this as a professional social network – company posts are expected.
End With a CTA
No matter what platform, goal, or style you are going for, ending a social media post with a call-to-action (CTA) is a must. According to HubSpot, – personalized CTAs convert 202% better than basic CTAs. Imagine creating the perfect copy and image, getting thousands of interactions with the post, but it has no CTA and people just read it, like it, and carry on with their day… it would be a waste of your time and effort.
It’s common to assume that people will find their way to your website or to follow you etc. But that’s not the case anymore. Social media audiences need instructions on what to do next – and those instructions need to be as simple as possible with minimal steps involved.
The goal of your CTA should align with the specific purpose of your social media post. If the aim is to increase website traffic, your CTA should direct users to your site. If you’re promoting a new product, the CTA should lead to a purchase page. If you want more followers, the CTA might be text encouraging the reader where to click and to follow your account.
Here is an example from Babbel:
CTAs can be creatively integrated into your content. They can be straightforward like “Shop Now” or “Sign Up,” or more engaging like “Discover how this amazing product can change your life” or “Join our community of creative content marketers” The key is to make them stand out and feel like a natural part of the conversation.
Capture Attention Immediately
There are several reasons why this social media tip is important; people have shorter attention spans where content scrolling is a norm (over the last 15 years, the average attention span has been on the decline – from 12 seconds to 8 seconds, a 33% drop), platforms cut off 80% of the copy, people skip videos within 3 seconds if it doesn’t get their attention, and short-form content is incredibly popular right now.
This means that the first sentence of your copy needs to be impactful, the image you use needs to be scroll-stopping, or the video you post needs to show a preview that reels the user in. Music is another huge factor to consider – especially with TikTok and Instagram Reels. Using catchy and trending music can keep people on your content longer.
You could go into this further and look at the psychology of using specific colors for images, types of emoji that generate attention, and trigger words, but you get the point. Memes are also another great choice when it comes to grabbing people’s attention – especially if they are popular or trending.
For example:
Take a look at this post from Innocent – they have used an image that immediately makes a reader stop scrolling and question what is happening. It’s abnormal to see Orange Juice on top of spaghetti, for that reason, people will be curious to find out the reasoning behind the image. This is a great example of grabbing a reader’s attention.
Another example of grabbing a user’s attention is this post from Nintendo. Not only do the brand colors stand out, but instantly starting with a date and time will make a user stop to find out what is happening – provoking the FOMO (fear of missing out) response.
Although this is only a one-sentence post – it still reinforces the ‘capturing attention’ point as it sparks curiosity. The word ‘win’ is an instant scroll-stopper as everyone wants to win something. But the confusion in the post cleverly prompts users to comment and interact to find out what’s going on.
Use Hashtags
Using hashtags is still a relevant and important strategy when creating social media posts. Adding a hashtag to your post can increase the reach of that post – showing in different searches and locations on a social platform. For example. posts that include at least 1 hashtag get an average of 29% more interactions than accounts that have less than 1,000 total followers. More specifically, it allows people who aren’t following your account to come across the content you are posting.
In addition to expanding reach, hashtags are a powerful tool for categorizing and contextualizing your content. By using relevant hashtags, your posts can appear in ongoing conversations and trends, making your content more discoverable to those interested in specific topics. A popular example is the #gopro which has close to 50,000 posts!
However, it’s important to be strategic about the hashtags you choose. Overly generic hashtags will be saturated and your content will be lost, while overly niche hashtags might not be followed by enough people. The key is to find a balance by using a mix of popular and specific hashtags relevant to your content and audience.
Also, the relevance of hashtags can vary across different social media platforms. What works on Instagram may not necessarily work on Twitter or LinkedIn. Tailor your hashtag strategy to each platform’s unique environment and audience behaviors. You should also avoid overloading your posts with too many hashtags which can make your content look spammy and can actually turn off potential followers.
Use Media
While content is still powerful, if done correctly, the use of media is 10x more powerful. Also, of all content types, visual formats are 40x more likely to be shared on social media. The integration of media, such as images, videos, and infographics, can heavily impact the performance of your social media posts. Using media is more engaging and can communicate complex messages quickly and effectively.
Videos, in particular short-form, are the most effective when it comes to social media engagement. They can tell a story, showcase a product, or convey emotions in a way that text alone cannot. Short, captivating videos are especially effective in grabbing attention.
Although, if you have important text you want to get across, don’t include this in the caption, either incorporate it into the video or do an image-based post separately, as people will likely ignore the caption and watch the video.
Images and infographics are also great media options to add to your social posts as not only can they break up the text, but they can also lead to ‘Sharing’ or ‘Reposting’. You should ensure that images are in line with your brand style/colors and also that they relate to the post. Don’t just add an image for the sake of engagement, it has to have a purpose in the post.
It’s also important that any media used in your posts is of high quality. Poor-quality images or irrelevant videos can detract from your message and harm your brand’s image.
Avoid Jargon (Mostly)
Another key tip for writing a social media post is to consider the use of jargon (industry-specific terminology). While jargon can establish authority and expertise, it can also alienate a significant portion of your audience and often confuses or excludes those outside that group.
It’s essential to communicate in a way that is accessible and understandable to all your followers. This means opting for clear, straightforward language that appeals to everyone. For instance, instead of using technical terms, explain concepts in simple terms or use analogies that are relatable to all readers.
When your audience finds your content easy to understand, they’re more likely to interact with it, share it, and follow your page or take a desired action. Any confusion could cause the reader to move on and ignore the post. Using clear and simple language also makes your content more inclusive, ensuring it resonates with a diverse audience.
However, this doesn’t mean you should completely avoid all jargon. The key is to know your audience and use jargon where it adds value and clarity rather than creating barriers. For example, LinkedIn content specifically targeted to an audience of tech specialists could work better when jargon is used.
Don’t Say More Than You Have To
It’s always worth checking if your social post can be split into multiple posts. For example, if your social copy contains multiple points, consider how this could be formatted into multiple different posts rather than one.
For example, mentioning a new update to your website, new products, and a new opening time in one social media post, could be 3 separate posts. Not only does it give you more content, but it provides clarity for the reader and ensures the message gets seen by those who scroll and skim read.
Also, consider the length of your post; if it’s getting above 300 words, consider whether it should actually become an article or newsletter, which you can then create a shorter social post out of and link to after. While some long-form content does work on socials, it’s best to focus on the short-form content that works and encourages readers to read the longer content elsewhere.
Learn What Works & Implement
Following these tips for writing a social media post will give you a base level to start – taking the time to measure and track the content that works best for your brand and audience will improve your content massively. That’s why there is no specific formula for how to write a great social media post, it takes time, creativity, testing, and measuring impact & ROI.
Also, 25% of marketers say Instagram is a social platform that provides them with the highest ROI and less than 10% of marketers say Twitter, Snapchat, and BeReal as the best channels for ROI.
Some of the key metrics to keep an eye on include engagement rates, click-throughs, shares, and comments – to understand what type of content is most effective. Social platforms often have analytics tools built in where you can learn about your audience’s behavior and preferences. Use this data to refine your strategy, tailoring your content to match the interests and needs of your audience.
However, what works now may not work tomorrow. Social media trends and user behaviors are constantly changing, so staying flexible and adaptable is also essential. Regularly experimenting with different types of content, posting times, and strategies is necessary. This could involve varying your content mix with different types of media, adjusting your tone and style, or experimenting with new platforms.
In terms of the ROI (return on investment) of your social posts, consider things like increased brand awareness, website traffic, leads, or sales. It will depend on what your purpose and goals are for each post.
Repurpose Content
The idea of creating social media content can be daunting, especially as you need to create and post regularly. However, if you consider repurposing content in your strategy – it doesn’t have to be daunting. Repurposing content is taking existing content and reworking it for other marketing channels – for example, you could take a blog post and create several social media posts out of it or you could write key takeaways from a podcast.
There are many possibilities when it comes to repurposing content, just be sure to edit the original content and adapt it to the platform you are publishing on. Reposting the exact same content will not have an effect and the audience will notice this for future posts and likely ignore it.
