A few weeks back, I asked you guys on Instagram what the #1 thing your social media marketing is missing, and the overwhelming answer was engagement.
To get engagement on your social media posts, your posts have to be engaging - I know, I know, groundbreaking! Even though this may sound like common knowledge, how to actually create engaging content isn’t as obvious. So, how do you do it?
For starters, engaging content is about way more than just a good photo.
Copywriting is often an overlooked piece to the social media puzzle, but your copywriting skills can make or break your social media efforts - and I don’t want your effort to go to waste!
To make sure your content is getting as much engagement as possible (which leads to clicks, leads and sales), I’m breaking down how to nail your social media copy with 8 key steps.
1. Establish a goal
For starters, you need to decide what you want to get out of each post.
Is it Conversions? Comments? Branding? Shares? Clicks? Your copy should be tailored specifically to the purpose of the post.
Want more comments? Ask a question!
Want conversions? Make sure you include links or add links to your bio.
Want views? Add #hashtags to connect with people interested in that hashtag.
There are so many tricks to reach the intended goal of your post. Make sure you’re asking yourself “how will this help me get there?” while writing your captions.
2. Hook the reader
People are interested in themselves, so make sure the first thing people think when they read your copy is “This applies to me!”
How can you get them to think this? Start off with a relatable question.
“Do you struggle with sticking to a consistent workout routine?” “Are you sick of how many workout programs are out there?”
Another tactic to hook the reader is to use FOMO marketing.
FOMO marketing uses the power of FOMO - aka the Fear of Missing Out - to grab attention. Highlight what the reader would be missing out on if they didn’t engage with your content!
A great way to do this is using testimonials. “She thought she would never be able to run a mile in under 10 minutes - until she learned this method!”
3. Get to the point
After you hook the reader, you need to get to the point. Tell the reader right off the bat what you’re going to be talking about and what they’re going to get from the post.
The average attention span of Gen Z is only 8 seconds, and that of millennials is 12 seconds. Make your post concise!
The hardest part about writing copy for social media isn’t figuring out what to say, it’s figuring out what not to say. Trust me, I love to talk! But online, sometimes less is more.
Influencer Marketing Hub suggests to keep your captions to these lengths for maximum engagement:
- Facebook: 40-80 characters
- Twitter: 70-100 characters
- Instagram: 138-150 characters
- Linkedin: 100 characters
While it's important to keep in mind that your posts should be concise, these numbers are just suggestions! You should play around with what caption lengths your audience responds best to, and vary in length from time to time.
4. Don’t be boring!
Make your copy stand out. I’m talking hashtags throughout the copy, emojis, spacing - everything.
Remember, you’re not writing a research paper here. Break up your thoughts with bullet points or spaces. Add emojis in areas you want to highlight. Use a FEW* hashtags throughout the copy (but don't make it hard to read either. There is a thin line here).
Ex: The 3 most important lessons of #financialliteracy are…
Even though you should be using hashtags throughout your copy, don’t overload it. A good hack on Instagram to keep your caption short and clean but still reap the benefits of hashtags is to comment your hashtags under your post!
5. Get the reader involved
Interactive posts are a huge driver of engagement. Remember when I said people are interested in themselves? Your followers want to know you care about what they have to say! (Which you should)
On Instagram, I use #LetsTalk to engage with my followers and see what they have going on in their lives!
Another good way to interact with your followers and boost engagement is to use polls as much as possible. I use polls on all my stories and in my YouTube channel community page.
Polls are also a great way to get valuable feedback from your followers without the expense of a research study! Win-win.
6. Use Trends
Talk about trending topics and relate it to your product/service.
All great brands use trending topics to promote engagement. You can use memes, popular videos, trends in the industry, global news, etc.
The trick is to connect trending topics to your business/brand/product in a subtle way that actually makes sense.
Here’s some examples:
7. Tell a Story
You’ll see me sharing stories about the early days of FUBU all the time on social media. I do this because it’s important to show people there’s a real human behind the brand!
People love to see the personal side of a person and brand. Show your followers what makes your brand special, why you created it, and the challenges you went through on the way.
Stories are a great way to promote human connection, and they can also be a great source of inspiration for your followers.
For me, it’s important to show kids and people who don’t have the same opportunities as others that their dreams are attainable, and stories are a way to do that! I want people to know my story and know where I started, because it’s all part of my brand today.
If you hear about a kid from Hollis Queens starting a multi-million dollar brand with $40, you may just start to believe in yourself!
Stories are also captivating. If you can get the reader to stop and get to know more about you and your brand, it becomes more meaningful to them.
8. Customize it to each platform
Although it may be tempting to re-post the same thing on each platform, it’s not a great idea. You need to keep in mind the audience, length limits and purpose of each platform!
On Twitter, you’re not going to post the same detailed story that you posted on Facebook. Instead, you’ll want something short that encourages conversation.
Each platform is uniquely different, so your captions need to be uniquely different too.
I know that can be confusing, so my team is here to help! We came up with a resource that’ll guide you through the process of writing quality captions for all the different types of social media platforms.
Grab it for $7 here!
The Bottom Line
Social media copywriting is a marketing skill you can’t afford to drop the ball on!
Check out my brand new guide with 80+ ready-to-go captions that will generate engagement and conversions! This list will simplify the social copywriting process and teach you how to write simple, effective posts for each platform.
Another great way to be sure you’re creating engagement on social media is to check out my blog Why Your Brand’s Social Media is Failing and How to Fix It.
Your social media is about to be #onpoint!
