How to Write Great Social Media Content

The hardest part of my job is figuring out what to say. As a social media manager, I have to find fresh things to share and communicate multiple times a day for multiple clients and each day begins with a blank slate.

Through the years, and some good mentoring, I’ve put together some basic concepts that I run through for each client so that slate isn’t so blank each day. I know why I’m posting, I know my goals, I know how to communicate on each platform, and now I just have to figure out what today’s message is going to be. My goal with this article is to help you find out what you want to say and how you want to say it for each social post.

If you can nail down these few basic concepts, it makes content creation a lot easier.

If you own a business (or work in marketing) and you’re searching for “How to Write Good Social Posts”, you are likely:

1. Looking for a post for a business for the first time

2. Looking to improve your social posts for a business.

If you’re posting for the first time or looking to improve, it always helps to go back to the basics. Even though most of us have had personal social media accounts for a long time, it’s essential to remember that social media is exactly what the name implies… simply a means of connecting people with each other.

The center of it all isn’t ads or arguments, but human connection. Obviously, it’s rich with opportunities to make money, but people don’t log into their accounts every day wondering who they’re going to throw money at that day. They are looking for connections to real people.

Because of this, the purpose of social media – human connection – posts need to be phrased more conversationally. Think fewer billboard ads and novels and more postcards and letters.

Limited words, less formal format, packed with information and feeling. These conversations could be the way a boss would speak with an employee, a colleague would speak with a colleague or a friend with a friend.

Imagine who you’re talking to and how formal your voice needs to be. Each post will start out one-sided, but we always want those listening to respond and join in.

That’s what engagement is all about.

Ask yourself, why does your company need to be active on social media? You’ll need to answer that question before you proceed. In fact, a good marketing agency will have a slew of questions helping to define your brand and goals on social media.

The program we use here helps define a mission and vision statement that leads right into what personality the company will have on social media along with what measurable goals they can set to know if their social media is succeeding. Some of these goals may be purchases, donations, impressions, engagement, shares, or likes.

Keep in mind that some goals may be less measurable. Sometimes people only check a business’ social media page because they want to know that they can trust them or they want to feel familiar with a person before hiring him or her.

You’ll be able to measure these better if you ask your clients how they found and chose you. Sit down with your agent or at your computer and think about what you’ll get for all your hard work if you invest your time in social media (and how much time is worth it). Reassess this quarterly.

A whole article could be written on this, and many have been.

1. Most people in your audience have a very short attention span and little time.  They scan social posts and stop when they are interested.  It’s your job to grab their attention, get them to stop, keep reading, and go where you direct them (click a link, watch a video, follow you, etc.).
   • Images are crucial.  If you are using a link, what image does it automatically pull up when you draft the post?  If using a video, what’s the thumbnail?  Can you change it?  Is your image too basic or unclear? Do you LIKE looking at it?  Does it create a feeling in you?
   • Your first sentence is the reason they will keep reading.  Without that, you have nothing.  This has to tug at their emotions or wake up their curiosity in some way.  Check character limits for your platform (for example, Instagram will probably cut off after your first sentence, and now the reader will need to click to read more).  It should interact with the image in some way so that you’re giving just enough information for them to want more.  If you’re using a platform that auto generates links, what text is it showing?  Does your text compliment that?
2. You want to stack the rest of your text in the same way, most attention-grabbing at the top, with deeper reading below.  Prioritize and always imagine they are reading it slightly distracted.  First, grab their attention. Second, say what’s most important. Third, give more details (if needed).  Always pay attention to each platform and at what point a viewer needs to click “read more” so you can focus on those introductory words.
3. Don’t ask too much of your audience.  We want them to enjoy your posts and follow you.  Would you enjoy talking to a friend who literally always asked you for money or compliments every time you called? Space those asks out to every 4th or 5th post.
4.  Think about diversity.  Your audience is bound to surprise you. If you think that your only audience is people who look like you, are your age and gender, and are from the same country of origin, then you are seriously limiting your reach.  We are a Christian agency, and all of our clients are Christians who love people of all backgrounds, but we still have to be very vigilant.  Have we only been posting photos of people who look like us because that’s what we’re familiar with and it came naturally?  If we want our audience to relate to us and feel a sense of belonging with us, we have to do better.  We must keep this thinking prominently in our creative process.
5. Look at your feed as a whole: after 10-15 posts do you think people get a sense of who you are and what you offer?  Make sure you are regularly posting the different aspects of your organization, so each new visitor gets a sense of who you are and that you are trustworthy.

The key to all this is to simply keep in mind that you are talking to real people. These real people could probably use your service or product in their lives and all that you need to do is make that connection with them.

Think of them as friends, neighbors, and colleagues, and that personal connection will come through in each post.

While social media can be a simple concept, making the most of each post, engagement, and social media ads, and analytics do best when handled by a professional.

When you get there, feel free to reach out to us at M is Good. We’d love to help in any way we can.

At M is Good, we work on behalf of our clients and pivot when necessary in the world of Social Media. As one of the better performing marketing agencies in the RTP area, we strive to make sure that our client’s social media strategies and content align well with not only their own core values and vision but as well as having cohesive branding and material that makes sense when we are running other marketing campaigns around specific topics and seasons.

We encourage you, and every small business owner and customer alike, to share this information and work with us or your own internal marketing team to develop a social media marketing plan to address the future of where you see your business in 5 years and strive hard to set and meet goals along the way.

If you wish to learn more about M is Good in general or if you have any questions for us feel free to send us a contact form at https://misgood.com/lets-chat/. We look forward to speaking with you and offering any advice we can to help fellow business owners.