How to Cut Through the Noise with Better Social Media Posts

Social media has transformed the way we live—from the way we interact with brands to the way we get our news. It’s powerful, unavoidable, and it’s here to stay.

Statistics show that 71% of customers who have a positive experience with a brand on social media are more likely to recommend it to their family and friends.

But truth be told, cutting through the noise on social media platforms is not easy. Numerous brands create and share content daily and social network algorithms are increasingly suppressing organic searches.

It’s a harsh world out there, and only the best social media posts get seen. However, this doesn’t mean you give up on social media, just learn how to write better posts. Let your unique voice be heard in a sea of ever-increasing brand voices.

Enhance your brand’s visibility and connect better with customers and prospects by becoming a social media wordsmith. Here’s how to go about it.

By, sonu

• January 25, 2021
• 0
• Social Media Marketing

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Writing for Social Media: 7 Tips and Tools

7 writing tips for social media

…and for any kind of persuasive writing.

Sure, great writing may take talent and innate creativity. And hey, you’ve got something to say, right? No matter your current level of experience or skills. With a little gusto in your writing step, you can make the reader feel something, take an action, or be more informed than before.

A few tips below to show you how.

Suggestion: let loose, try some (or all) of these, and repeat them for a few of your posts. Build those new writing-muscles.

You’ll be amazed at how clear you’ll write, and how you’ll zero-in on your voice.

1. Barf it out

Writers block is a myth. if you wanna balst past it just write out anything in your head, without leaving teh keybord. just keep your fingers typing, looking at the keyboard not the screen, so your brain engages. forget about sentence structure, spelling, punctuation… just keep your fingers moving and p[ower through any blockages. do this for an articel, tech-doc, and kind of writing thingie. Even for a paragraph or three. whenever your stuck just typw. editing will come later. This is a brain excercise, not a make-it-look-just-right process. Editing comes later, but don’t mix the two. It’s never write the first time. but push stuff that’s in your head onto the page, then mnake your 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 edits…. LATER.

Okay, I’m back.

Whenever, I’m ‘stuck’, for any kind of writing… I just type. Every time, something useful appears before my writing-eyes-and-brain.

The same will happen to you, too.

Punch the so-called “writer’s block” right in the gut. It’s bunk.

2. Write to an 8th grader

Not because they aren’t smart. Because it forces you to write clearly. And to ditch the jargon and terms that eyeballs just gloss over.

“Drive innovation.”

“Become a disruptor.”

And my absolute non-favorite, “Transform your business…”.

Oh please. Some of the most over-used, under-effective statements of all time.

Companies and their writers hide behind these terms every day, all across the web. Statistically speaking, probably you, too. I’m just sayin’.

I don’t know if this intentional or not. But here’s the thing…

Terms and jargon say little, while making you and your biz appear as a commodity. Like many others. Better to do the heavy lifting for the reader. Because they certainly won’t. They’ll stop and leave, versus stay and scroll.

Do the work. Say something real. Practice on your kid, mom, or any outsider to tell your important and useful message.

Your readers will appreciate it. It makes good business sense.

3. Write to the reader

Because no one cares about what you (or I) do. Readers only care what they can get from what you (or I) do.

So then, write from the readers’ perspective. Make them the hero.

A list of features? B-o-r-i-n-g.

Words that paint a picture for how the reader’s life will improve, that’s the ticket.

Sometimes, “standing out” is nothing more than writing from the reader’s point of view. Because most of your competitors don’t.

4. Write with a purpose

And write that purpose at the top of your draft piece.

To keep your mind on the target while you write.

For an email, blog post, white paper, and of course for any social media post—be clear on the purpose.

What action do you want the reader to take?

Click the buy, call, or contact us button?

Or maybe you just want them to feel a certain way. Empathy? Bliss? Informed?

Too often, we humans write to write. Not a problem.

Unless you want to sell your stuff.

Social posts are usually a top-of-mind selling approach. And an opportunity to build, show, and share your brand.

And still, write with a purpose to raise your signal, lessen your noise.

Hey, don’t forget to delete the purpose reminder at the top of your draft.

5. Write to make the reader feel successful

Which is hard to do when reading long paragraphs, without breaks—like single lines and bolded lines.

Lead your reader down the page by breaking up your message.

Short paragraphs. Short sentences. Transition lines. Bullets. Some bolded items, too. Like this one…

Allowing your readers to skim and scan your message is nice.

It helps them feel a series of successes as they move down the page.

The more they read, the more they understand.

Good for everyone, right?

Oh yeah, and questions are good too. They encourage the reader to ‘lean in’, with interest.

What are you doing to help your readers scroll down the page?

Maybe I’ve overdone the short paragraphs in this post. Maybe not. Part of the just-try-it-and-see-for-yourself model. Better ‘too much’ than ‘too little’. You can dial it down later.

6. Write with a hyper-focus

…and with a tomato.

What the…?

Stay with me.

Too often, we look at a piece of work and think, ‘Ah man, I need a bunch of time to do this post.’

There’s a better way.

By defining and going after a small section or piece of your post, document or whatever you’re writing. Right now. Say, in the 15 minutes before your next meeting.

1. Define a small portion to write (I’m doing this right now for this single section)
2. Set a tomato timer, that you can hear going tick-tock-tick-tock
3. Barf it out (like we talked about above)
4. Make your edits
5. Finí
6. Go to your meeting

Progress made. Feels good.

I wrote this section in 17 minutes. You can, too. String a bunch more of these together to complete your writing, iteratively. Without feeling like you have to set aside a load of time in one or two sittings.

I love the Pomodoro Technique for getting anything done with a hyper-focus.

7. Use pictures to enhance the words

I’m not going to say much about this.

Of course, pictures enhance the words.

This piece is about the words.

I don’t want to leave you hanging though. Here’s one of a thousand good reads about adding pictures to your work.

7 writing tools for social media

Opinion: writing for social media is fun. Those writing tips and tricks help me enjoy the process. And so do these writing tools.

1. Session buddy (Chrome extension)

Good for: Reducing browser clutter by restoring windows and tabs for your writing project. In seconds.
Cost: Free.

When writing, I usually do web searches to find related content or topics. These often become input into my writing piece. I arrange browser instances and tabs within each instance. Then, place them carefully on the screen to move around as needed.

Now, say I need to work on something else. Fine:

• Click on the session buddy icon, in the Chrome toolbar
• Name and save the session
• Close the all the windows

Now you’re ready for action on a new task. Distraction free. Without any browser clutter.

Then, when it’s time to resume that project:

• Click on the session buddy icon
• Select and open the named session
• Everything like before, instantly

Here’s a list of alternatives. Try and use what works for you.

2. Hemingway app

Good for: Writing anything succinctly and clearly.
Cost: Free online, $19.99 for the desktop app.

Hemingway app will make you a better writer. Period.

That whole jargon thing I complain about, it all goes away when you write like Ernest did.

Same for long sentences, unnecessary adverbs, superlative adjectives, and passive phrases. And, with hints for alternatives.

• Write what you write
• Paste it into Hemingway app
• Visually see what works, what doesn’t
• Make your changes, to do more of what does work
• Paste back into your writing piece

Use Hemingway app often to build your writing skills. After a bit you’ll need it less. Though I still use it often to keep me in check. An amazing tool.

3. Markdown

Good for: Writing an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format, then convert it to HTML.
Cost: Depends. There’s a load of editors to write your markdown. Some are free, others cost. But not much.

Markdown allows you to write plain text for nearly all your writing projects. Find and choose a Markdown editor, for Windows, Mac or web.

Word, Google Docs, and the others of that same ilk? Oh please.

Feature bloat, complex to use, and limited to a tool. No thanks.

Markdown just works. With a simple WYSIWYG editor for headers, bolding, italics, bullets, highlight, horizontal dividers, and quotes.

Who needs more than that?

And, instantly convert your work to HTML to post on any platform, using their already-in-place CSS formatting.

In other words… you write text, export as HTML, publish anywhere.

Not sold?

Fine, try it out on your next writing piece. Easy to learn, even easier to use.

Markdown is the only way I write nowadays. Be careful, the same might happen to you. If you’re lucky.

4. ZenPen

Good for: Distraction free writing.
Cost: Free.

There’s plenty of clutter in life. ZenPen is one small corner of the distraction-free-universe to help you write without outside interference.

• Go to zenpen.io
• Type and write
• Copy and paste, or download (via markdown, plain text, or html)
• Do something beautiful with your new Pulitzer-prize-like content

5. Grammarly

Good for: Making your writing clear, effective, and correct.
Cost: Free online

Grammarly promises to keep your social posts on point. It will flag everything from contextual spelling errors to poor word choices. And, the tool integrates with lots of online platforms, including Twitter, Gmail, and Tumblr.

I make up words all the time, and misspell others. Not always a bad thing for getting people’s attention. As long as one is intentional about it.

Use Grammarly to convert the unintentional to the intentional.

6. Pomodoro Technique

Good for: Staying focused, for writing or anything else.
Cost: Depends on the specific timer tool you choose. Loads of free ones.

I know, I already mentioned this.

It’s worth another mention.

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It uses a timer to break down work into 25 minute intervals (usually), separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a pomodoro (Italian for tomato).

Cute, huh?

But Pomodoro is more than cute for getting s&$% done.

I use it all over the place, especially when writing:

• Define a section or two to write
• Set the timer (for 25 minutes)
• Work until it rings (and only on that task)
• Put down a checkmark on a piece of paper
• Take a short break
• Lather, rinse, repeat

Works as a good tracker, too. For instance, four checkmarks = about two hours for the completed effort.

I use an online Pomodoro timer that makes an obvious tick-tock (a kitchen timer works great, too). My wife knows not to interrupt me when in this highly-focused state.

As long as I follow up with her about the ever growing to-do list she came to me for.

7. Dropbox Paper

Good for: Writing and collaborating with others.
Cost: Free for the individual or small business. It costs for the enterprise.

Dropbox paper is my main writing, editing, and collaboration tool. Clients dig it, too. I teach them how to use it in one minute.

• It looks and reads beautiful
• Super-duper easy to write, distraction free (with a simple toolbar that pops up only when text is highlighted)
• Works as web content editor, versus a document editor (who needs line breaks anymore?)
• Write together with others, real-time
• Alert your mates, immediately, with comments off to the side
• Export and download in the common formats to publish elsewhere

Not much more to say. Try it yourself. I dare you.

By, sonu

• January 25, 2021
• 0
• Social Media Marketing

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SOCIAL MEDIA POSTING: HOW TO WRITE ENGAGING CONTENT

TIPS TO ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE WHEN YOU’RE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTING

When it comes to social media posting, the way you write your posts is the key to engaging with your audience. The more engagement you have on a post, the bigger the reach. The greater the reach – the more comments, shares and likes you’ll have! So, you’ll want to take time to craft smart, creative copy that attracts users. Once you have an idea of what you want to write about, follow these 5 tips to help boost engagement and make your content stand out from the rest.

TIP 1: WRITE FOR YOUR AUDIENCE

Think about the people you want to speak to. Do they respond to funny or serious posts? Are they professional or relaxed and casual? Make sure to keep your target markets in mind when writing and direct your posts to them! Don’t forget to even add in words like “ you” and “your” to engage them directly! You won’t be able to please everyone, so focus on pleasing the right people.

TIP 2: KEEP IT SHORT & INSTRUCTIVE

When writing posts – shorter, succinct posts are better received. No one wants to take the time to read lengthy posts and in most cases, long posts will even be cut off making the reader have to click to read more. The attention span of users on social media lasts for seconds so the first 3-4 words of your post are crucial! A general rule is to keep your posts between 100 – 250 characters for optimum engagement.

TIP 3: POWER WORDS ARE YOUR FRIENDS

Some words are overused and glazed over while others may stand out. Power words tap into your emotions and compel readers to take action. Integrating power words into your social media posting produces more engagement and motivation from your audience. Write your posts and see where you can add in a power word or two! ( You can get a FREE list of power words here! )

TIP 4: BE VISUAL

Posts with photos receive more “Likes” on average than just a text post. Using high-quality photos that connect with your message make for a better overall post and user experience. Think about testing different photos and messages to see which ones your audience responds to. Make sure your photo is relevant to what you are writing and adding in branded elements or graphics create consistency in your brand experience.

TIP 5: ADD A CALL TO ACTION

Make sure to tell people what you’d like them to do by adding a call to action. They are waiting to give you their opinion, so ask them to leave comments & thoughts. You can also drive more engagement by setting up posts to ask questions – This or that? Item A vs. item B? Agree or disagree? Like or dislike? The goal when social media posting is to have an immediate action, so simply adding “Contact Us” or “Learn More” can help too.

By, sonu

• January 25, 2021
• 0
• Social Media Marketing

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A Handy Dandy Guide on How to Write Social Media Posts: Best Practices, Length, & More

Imagine this:
You’re standing at a crossroads.
Facebook is open.
You’re ready to write a social media post for your brand, but you don’t know how to write social media posts strategically.
…
What do you do?
It’s not as easy as it looks. Writing and posting on social media is a whole different story when you’re a business versus an individual.
You have to know posting practices to get the most out of social: the way you write your posts can affect your authority, reach, and more.
Don’t just compose a post and call it done. You need to conform to best practices to get the most rewards for your efforts. To fit into each social network niche, you have to post in expected ways.
Follow the below formula for creatively (and correctly) posting to each social outlet, and people are more likely to see and discover your posts. Let’s delve in!

How to Write Social Media Posts That Hit the Mark, Every Time

Stick to proven best practices when thinking about how to write social media posts. Stay true to the best structure for each different network. Then, get creative within that post content and use your own ideas, content, and visuals.
Here’s a rundown of best practices on how to write your social posts for each network, from Facebook to Pinterest.

1. How to Write Engaging Facebook Posts

Facebook can be tricky, as lots of different posting techniques work. Here are some general guidelines. Play around with them until you find a method that works for you.

Post Length

In general, shorter posts are better for social media. However, when it comes to Facebook, you can go a little longer with no worries. For twice the engagement, 80 words is a good sweet spot to shoot for, but you can get as lengthy as 120 words.

Best Practices

A good best practice for Facebook is to include a visual with every single post. Even if your post is a text post, add a graphic or photo to increase engagement. Videos are good complements, too.
You can also boost engagement by ending your post with an exclamation mark. Positive sentiments do well for Facebook posts. Similarly, ask your audience a question to get more reader involvement, like comments.

Hashtags

Using hashtags on Facebook is a good way to connect your post to a larger discussion. It may also get more notice if you choose hashtags wisely.
That said, hashtags aren’t huge on Facebook, so limit yourself to one or two. You can create your own brand-related hashtags and use those, as well. For instance, a marketing campaign with its own hashtag is excellent for getting engagement.

By, sonu

• January 25, 2021
• 0
• Social Media Marketing

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This Is How To Write For Social Media To Create The Best Posts

Social media success requires strong writing skills.

However, not all social media managers consider themselves writers.

Fortunately, writing great social media content doesn’t have to be difficult. Not every post needs to reinvent the copywriting wheel, after all. Still, taking the time to get your writing right is worth it.

Let’s learn how to write for social media and start creating better content now.

Why Does It Matter If You Write Well On Social Media?

Every social post you publish reflects on your brand.

If you’re sloppy, your company will look sloppy too.

Even worse, it could undermine your success on social media.

That’s why it’s important to write well on social media. Social media copywriting requires some unique skills. You need to be able to cram as much value into as few words as possible. You also have to be consistent and engaging at all times.

Plus, every network is unique. What works on Facebook might flop on LinkedIn. This makes becoming a master social wordsmith even more difficult.

And that’s exactly why we wrote this post.

By, sonu

• January 25, 2021
• 0
• Social Media Marketing

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7 Social Media Content Writing Tips

The ever-changing social platform algorithms make it increasingly harder to generate engagement with your social media posts. By applying some simple writing tips, however, you can make your message more appealing to more people.

If you invest time, effort and money into posting on social media, I’m sure you want to get a good return on your investment. That return should see you meeting, or exceeding, the goals you’ve identified for each platform – but if you post without a social media strategy, which outlines how each platform will help you accomplish your business goals, many of your efforts will be wasted.

Having a social media strategy and action plan, based on your unique business goals, resources and available time, is essential to your success.

Yet even with a well laid out action plan, you still need to create social media posts and content that speak to your identified audience, and inspire them to take action.

In this post, I’ll share seven social media content writing tips for creating posts that get the attention of your target audience, and inspire engagement.

By, sonu

• January 25, 2021
• 0
• Social Media Marketing

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10 Helpful Social Media Writing Tips For Businesses

Your social media strategy may include brand awareness, lead generation or customer retention and these factors are all achieved through one thing: excellent social media writing skills.

In this article, I’m going to share with you my social media writing tips for business so that you too can hone your communication and hit those all-important KPIs.

1. Use Your Casual Voice

First, you really need to hone your brand voice. What are your brand’s values and how are you going to get them across on social media?

Understand that your social media accounts are not supposed to be a replica of your website. Even if you are a serious corporate brand, you will need to soften your tone and make it more casual. Remember why people are using most social media in the first place — to connect with friends — and why they follow your Facebook page instead of just visiting your website.

Remember too, that while casual, your tone should be adjusted for each social media network.

For example, on Linkedin, the professional network, you might say “The Agorapulse team has compiled a list of the best social media writing tips. Click below to read them.” On Facebook, where it is considerably less professional, you might say “Need to improve your social media writing skills? Check out our hot tips.”

Takeaways

• Avoid lengthy or convoluted sentences
• Stay away from colorless “business-speak”
• Don’t use an unnecessarily long word if there is a shorter alternative

Related Post: Social Media Management 

2. Keep It Short and Simple

Social media isn’t the place for deep musings, case studies, or pasted stories. Although Facebook gives you 400 characters, please don’t use them all!

The optimal length of a Facebook post is 40 characters and after that point engagement wanes.

Studies even show that some of the most shared posts are just 11 words and incorporate video and emoji like Buzzfeed below:

If you want to share a blog or story with your readers, then introduce it briefly and include a link to it.

Takeaways

• Your social media page is a great place to link to your blog not to copy and paste it
• Use emoji to illustrate your point instead of explaining it in long sentences
• Use fewer words as a teaser to your link, video, or infographic

3. Think CTA!

Your CTA or Call To Action is something you need to be aware of every time you write for your brand.

Does that mean you need to be constantly promotional? No. But you do want your fans to take action, don’t you? Whether it’s to read your article, watch your video, join a conversation, share a post or attend an event. There is always a desirable response.

A good formula for a social media post starts with a thought-provoking question and an invitation for your followers to take action as shown below at Contentworks.

Takeaways

• Be punchy and direct with your CTAs like “Watch Now” or “Read More”
• Ask a short question or make an impactful statement to pique interest
• Don’t confuse your fans by asking for too many actions. For example: “Watch our video then come back and comment and share our post.”

4. Keep It Personal

Focus on using pronouns such as “we” “I,” “me,” and “you” as opposed to “the company,” “the client,” or “the team.” Remember, you are trying to build connections and engagement — so lecturing your followers from your high corporate tower just doesn’t cut it.

Write as though you are speaking directly to each fan and you will see a much better engagement rate. Check out this example from Barclays, a huge international bank, who keep it personal.

Takeaways

• Explain to your CEO why informal language works better on social media
• Tailor your style and words to suit each of your social networks
• Speak directly to each fan to improve your engagement rates

5. Research Pays Off

You can be the best writer in the world, but if you don’t do your research then your posts just won’t resonate with your audience.

For example, say you are a beauty company and you know your target audience is women. What else do you know about them? News flash: are billions of women in the world and they are not all alike. 😉

To write well you need to understand who you’re writing to. Create a persona of your audience. Understand their interests, lifestyle and values. The more you know about them, the easier it will be to write for them.

Takeaways

• Create a persona for your target audience and pin it to your desk so you never forget who you’re talking to
• Include data in your posts – for example, “85% of our customers surveyed love this new shampoo”
• Tailor your language to your audience. If they are females aged 13-18, don’t use the same words as you would for females aged 30-45

6. Break Some Punctuation Rules

You may be a professional writer but social media writing isn’t like writing your master’s thesis. That means you can break some traditionally held rules when it comes to creating social media posts. Here are some examples that go against the grain:

7. Write Great Replies

Posting updates is only part of your job as social media manager. You also need to construct on point replies to your fans.

This is where you really need to understand your brand voice and how you will respond to fans on social. Are you the cheeky brand that likes to play with fans? Are you the straight-to-the-point brand that answers questions without chatting? Either way, it’s important that your social media team are briefed and answering questions in the same style.

By, sonu

• January 25, 2021
• 0
• Social Media Marketing

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Killer Content Ideas To Post On Social Media

WHAT DO I POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

The number one question people ask when it comes to social media marketing.

The interesting thing here is that there’s really an endless amount of ideas for you to use when it comes to posting on social media.

Before you skip this and jump down to the list, here’s a few tips to get the most impact out of these ideas:

1. Make it RELEVANT for your audience.

For Example:

If you choose to share something from your bucket list…

Can you relate it back to your business?

Can you add in an open ended question so it sparks people to engage?

2. Talk TO your audience, don’t talk AT them. This is social media. People are looking for stories and posts that they connect with. If you’re not wording posts socially, you close the door for engagement.

For Example:

DON’T DO THIS: I read a quote this morning, liked it, and wanted to share it with you.

DO THIS: Have you ever read a quote and thought, “Wow, I really needed to hear that?” Well I found one this morning that was so perfect, I had to pass it on to you. It’s a difference in the way you talk with people. I promise, you’ll see a difference in how people respond when you word things just a little differently.

3. EVERYTHING you post should ALWAYS support your weekly, monthly, annual marketing and business goals.

By, sonu

• January 25, 2021
• 0
• Social Media Marketing

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30-Day Social Media Content Challenge

What’s the hardest part of using social media for your business or organization?

If you’re like most small business owners, coming up with content is at the top of your list.

Whether it’s finding the time to create content, or just figuring out what to post on social media on a day-to-day basis — it’s easy to let coming up with content ideas slow you down.

Creating consistent and valuable content is no small feat. But as with many challenges, your best option could be to take things one day at a time (and picking the right social networks to focus on!)

Welcome to our 30-Day Social Media Content Challenge

Knowing how hard it can be to come up with content to fill the seemingly never-ending social media feeds, our marketing experts at Constant Contact have brainstormed a list of 30 content ideas for you to try on your different social media platforms.

And don’t worry or be intimidated. Most of these can be completed in a matter of minutes. We’ve also included helpful examples from other successful small businesses and organizations to get your creative juices flowing!

The rest is up to you!

You can try all 30 or pick and choose from the list. If you find one type of content you really like, don’t be afraid to try it twice.

As you get started, pay attention to what works well and what your audience engages with the most. The more you know about your audience, the easier it will be to create great content!

Ready to get started? Here are 30 ideas for you to try out:

1. Take a picture of your workspace

Giving people a look behind the scenes allows them to get to know your business and build the trust you need to turn them into a customer.

2. Answer a question

You’re answering questions from customers every single day. Chances are a lot of the people who follow your updates on sites like Facebook and Twitter will have the same questions! Pick one question and answer it today.

3. Introduce your newest employees on social media

People love to see the people who make your business or organization great. Use social media to introduce new employees and make a more human connection.

4. Share something popular

If something is popular at your store or on your website, chances are it will be popular on social media too. Look to highlight your most popular assets on your different social networks. And, if they are really popular, consider boosting them with Facebook and Instagram advertising.

5. Interview a customer

People do business with people that they know, like, and trust. One of the best ways to build that trust is to show real people using or talking about your products or services.

6. Post a fill-in-the-blank

Remember fill in the blank questions from when you were taking tests back in school? Those types of questions are a lot more fun on social media. This is a great way to encourage customers to engage with you and share their ideas. One thing to be on the watch for, however, is ‘engagement-baiting.’ In recent years, Facebook and other platforms have cracked down on some types of posts like this.

By, sonu

• January 25, 2021
• 0
• Social Media Marketing

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Content Ideas To Post On Social Media For A Business

Content is hard. Sure, we have moments of inspiration, but consistently coming up with high quality and engaging content ideas to post on social media for a business is challenging—especially when social media never sleeps.

And truthfully, even your best social media post ideas can outgrow their shelf life after a handful of impressions.

With the pressure to stay top of mind and entertain your audience with frequent posts, the well of social media content ideas can quickly run dry.

By, sonu

• January 25, 2021
• 0
• Social Media Marketing

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