Social Media Copywriting: 4 Tips to Increase Engagement

Every modern brand needs a social media copywriter to stay relevant. However, even experienced copywriters should know that social media writing has its own rules.

Long Facebook posts get dismissed with ‘TLDR’ (Too Long, Didn’t Read). Twitter lets you write a maximum of 280 characters. If you used all 280, you may have used too many.

The goal of social media writing is to increase engagement. You want to create a way for consumers to interact with brands. Here are some tips to help you do so.

1. Share a Surprising Statistic, and Ask for a Reaction

What if I told you that one in four children in America will grow up without learning how to read?

How would you feel?

Would you be sad? Angry? Would your mind be blown? Social media lets readers express all of these reactions. You should know how people engage with content on your platform. This will help you style your content to allow room for interaction.

2. Write to One Person at a Time (Just like Traditional Advertising)

This piece of advice might seem counterintuitive at first. However, it is a piece of writing advice from none other than David Ogilvy, who is considered the father of advertising. Ogilvy told his copywriters to write to one person, not as though they were screaming to the masses. Social media lets you take this rule to a new level. The right reply or quip to one person at one time can go viral.

Here’s an example.

This tweet has been featured in numerous articles. It is four words long. It shows you that social media copywriting is informal. You get the chance to have some fun and be a little irreverent. That’s why it’s so important to create a portfolio that demonstrates your versatility as a writer, and your ability to communicate one-on-one.

3. Style Your Post as a Poll (Offer Participation Incentives)

Social media platforms let you style posts as real-time polls where people can vote. This is an interactive form that was never available to print copywriters. You have limitless options for poll questions. You can offer a selection of products, and tell your audience that a temporary discount will be applied to the item that is voted the most popular. This creates an excellent way for consumers to interact with your brand. It also offers you casual insights into product popularity and effective incentives.

4. Learn From the Mistakes of Other Social Media Copywriters

Social media is the fastest form of mass communication ever to exist. It’s also the most direct. In many cases, social media copywriters won’t work with editors. That means you need to develop an advertiser’s 6^th sense for effective content that won’t go viral for the wrong reasons.

Here’s an example of a social media post that got af brand in trouble.

Cinnabon posted this after the death of actress Carrie Fischer, who played the Star Wars character, Princess Leah. Customers felt the tweet was insensitive to the circumstances.

How Can I Learn More About Social Media Copywriting?

Florida International University and Miami Ad School bring you an educational program to help you navigate the shifting world of social media copywriting. Start learning how to bring time-tested best practices to the newest communication tools by contacting Grizelle De Los Reyes, Director of the FIU-MAS Creative Track Program at gdelosre@fiu.edu or fill out the contact form for additional information.