Social media is a powerful promotional tool – but only when used correctly. There are plenty of people out there, who can either share your content, boost the traffic or completely ignore it, making all your efforts wasted.
What makes some content shareable and other content ignored? It might seem a mystery to some of us, but it doesn’t have to be. Social media content writing is like essay writing – once you master the basics and come up with some strong essay topics, everything becomes easy. The same goes for crafting content for social media, and these guidelines will help you get started.
Step 1: Know what your audience wants.
It’s important to know who your target audience is before you even start writing. However, it’s also important to know what content they prefer. Maybe it’s infographics, images and videos, eBooks or classic articles and blog posts?
Finding this might be a bit more challenging than discovering your target audience but it’s very important. The more diverse content you offer, the wider your audience will be.
Step 2: Think about what you know best.
Of course, there are plenty of things you might feel like you need to write about – trends, case studies, etc. If you feel like this needs to be written, go for it. Just don’t forget to come up with some topics on your own.
If you are excited about a certain topic and know it well enough, you’re able to craft a truly engaging piece of content. So even if you have some things you simply must write about, be sure not to limit your content to them only.
Step 3: Find a way to make your content special.
If your audience had to choose between you and another blog/website/media platform, would they choose you? Try answering this question as honestly as you can. If the answer is yes, then why would they do so? What makes you better than your competitors? And if the answer is no, what could you do to change that?
Sure, the best way to boost shares is to offer something unique – but that’s not always possible. In fact, most of the content shared online isn’t fresh and original – it’s just presented in its own special way. So, all you need to do is to find what makes your own content special.
Step 4: Don’t use abstract titles.
We know that clickbaiting is bad – but using abstract titles that don’t say much about the content itself is just as bad. While some titles, whether clickbait or more abstract, indeed catch the initial attention of the audience, they are not enough to make the audience continue reading or watching your content. Clickbaiting leaves people frustrated and abstract titles are often too confusing for people to even bother clicking, so make sure your title is clear and concise.
Step 5: Always tell clearly what to expect.
There’s a common misconception that writing a clear title means giving all the article’s secrets right away. However, it doesn’t have to be this way as a headline can be appealing and clear while only giving the readers a hint of what to expect.
For example, an article called “Mint: The Best Financial App” does give all the secrets away, while the article called “The Best Financial App for iOS” does not.
Step 6: Remember that it must be about them, not you.
There are plenty of articles that say “me, me, me” all the time. While it’s okay if the article is about a personal story, it won’t always look good and work effectively. Remember that your goal is to address your audience – and this means focusing on them, offering a solution they’re looking for, etc.
Step 7: Formatting matters.
These days people often view social media from mobile devices and prefer not to spend much time on reading. That’s why your goal is not only to make the headline clickable and the content engaging, but also to ensure that your article will be easy to scan. Small paragraphs, subheadings, and other formatting options are what makes your content easy to read even if it is read quickly.
Step 8: Make it easy to share.
Might seem like an obvious tip but some people do forget about shareability. Sometimes the content simply doesn’t have a sharing toolbar under it and sometimes this toolbar is too hard to locate. While all the readers can share the content manually, there’s a big chance that many of them won’t bother without convenient sharing options.
Remember: if you want your content to be shared, make the sharing as easy as possible.
Step 9: Remember what works and repeat it.
There’s no unique recipe for success, so if you do want to succeed you need to analyze your progress, memorize what works for you, and repeat it. For example, if your audience likes case studies, write more case studies. If your audience likes infographics, create more infographics and so on. Remember, while it might seem hard at first, it will become much easier with time and practice.
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