At the start of this series, we stated that copy is the art of communication, and that "knowing your audience and the market you operate in will play a role in how you decide to communicate with them."
This is especially true when considering copy for social media. It's something of a misconception to believe 'social' is one marketing channel, as each platform has different restrictions on what you can post. They also attract different audiences, each of whom have their own expectations on what they want to see on the platform.
Social brevity
Let's start with the universal key differentiator of social copy: brevity. This is not just because of space limitations, or indeed the character limitations that some platforms impose. No, the true reason is that audiences have limited attention spans on social media. Think about it – how often have you been scrolling through a feed and stopped to read an essay? Not frequently, we're willing to bet. That means you need to be able to distil your message into snappy, digestible copy that is still eye-catching and informative to the reader.
Having said that, you should adjust the length of your copy depending on the audience you're aiming to attract, and the platform you're on. Obviously, with something like X (formerly known as Twitter) you have a hard limit on how much you can type, but other platforms don't have the same restrictions, so it's down to you to establish what your audience are looking for, and how much copy you require to convey that. A thought piece on LinkedIn, for example, requires a certain length to demonstrate sufficient expertise in your domain, while announcing new opening hours can be much shorter, punchier, and if necessary, you can link to a longer blog post on your website.
So, you should really start with the message of your post: what is the one thing you want an audience to take away? Once you have your message, you can then begin to think about how you craft that while staying true to your brand's tone of voice. From there, you can start to explore how you convey your personality across the different platforms and still feel 'native' to each one.
What does your tone of voice say?
One thing we have found is that social media can present a great opportunity to portray your brand in a more personable light, and you can really have some fun with it if it's appropriate to your audience. Companies like Oatly, Innocent, Aldi and even Heinz have all gone viral for their fun, tongue-in-cheek social presence, but that isn't appropriate for every brand. It's a decision you need to make yourself, based on what you know about your audience and your product or service.
Emotional about emojis
And that leads to a big question. Emojis: 👍or 👎? Is there such a thing as too many? Is the thumb passive-aggressive? Emojis are great for injecting a bit of personality into your posts, and definitely your replies, but used incorrectly, or too liberally, and it can make you appear insincere or unprofessional. It's a balancing act, and is something you would need to discuss with/within your marketing team to decide if it's in keeping with your brand. Challenger bank Monzo, for instance, actually published their tone of voice document to the public, detailing the logic behind their use of words – and emojis.
The rule of thirds
A commonly accepted concept is the Rule of Thirds: one-third of your content should focus on promoting business, one-third on sharing other posts and one-third on interacting with others.
But why is this important?
It's all about finding the perfect balance in your social – and copywriting – game. Think of it this way: one-third of your posts are dedicated to showcasing your unique value – writing captivating taglines and irresistible product promotions that make you shine. Another third focuses on engaging with your audience – ask thought-provoking questions, spark meaningful conversations, and show genuine interest in their thoughts. And the final third? Showcase the talent of the industry and your position as a well-versed player within it by curating and sharing amazing content from other industry experts and your own thought leaders.
Mastering the rule of thirds helps build a loyal following, elevate your social media presence, and establish yourself as the go-to resource in your field. It also ensures that you have a steady flow of content going out on your social media channels.
Copy for social images
We've written previously about how design and copy work together to elevate your message, so we won't reiterate it all here, but there are some things you'll want to consider. People scroll through their feeds absentmindedly, and almost always, regardless of platform, it's the image that catches the audience's eye. From there, they might (key word) read the accompanying copy. So make sure your image is striking, on-brand, and reinforcing your key message, as you won't have their attention for long.
Some top tips for social media copy
Be strategic with your hashtags
Hashtags are a fantastic tool for increasing the visibility of your posts, categorising your content, and engaging with a wider audience. However, it's crucial not to overload your posts with dozens of hashtags; instead, be strategic in your usage to achieve better results. Carry out some preliminary research on hashtags to identify what's trending and relevant to your audience. You might want to consider using a branded hashtag, but ensure it's unique and not already in use. Exercise caution in how you use it – we've all heard the horror stories of people projecting unmoderated hashtag streams...
Proofread!
Social media may be a more informal channel, you still need to maintain a professional presentation. Emoji are one thing, but spelling mistakes are something else! Remember the difference between ‘there, they’re, and their’, make sure you spell places and names right, don’t forget capital letters, and in this humble copywriter’s opinion, don’t be afraid of the Oxford comma…
What is the competition doing?
It’s ok to take inspiration from what other companies are doing – especially if they’re doing it well. As part of your competition analysis, check out other company’s social media platforms, see how they present their brand, engage with their audiences, and what fun little things you could take and enhance on your own platform. You might even consider engaging in some ‘social banter’ with other companies, although make sure it’s within your brand guidelines to do so.
If in doubt, experiment
If you're unsure which copy will resonate with your audience, don't worry! Nearly all social media platforms allow you to run A/B tests or ad variants to see what garners more engagement.
This means you can experiment with different tones of voice, different lengths, and run various copy alongside different images to discover the style that works best for you. This is ideal if you're establishing your brand's social presence, or wishing to revamp your brand and test new assets or a tone of voice.
More importantly, you can experiment to find the most effective calls to action (CTA). Every post needs to have a CTA, whether that’s asking for a like, a share, a comment or asking them to click on a link. Which provides the best engagement, and how does your copy resonate with different market segments? Experimenting to discover how to best engage your audience means your social media strategy can be planned using data-driven insights.
The key thing to remember is that, ultimately, engagement is the goal. Unless you’re running paid promotion, your post will be subject to the black box rankings of the social algorithms. No one can say for certain how or why they work the way they do, but it’s a safe bet that one of the key factors is how people engage with your posts, and how long they engage for. This means that there is an opportunity for longer posts to gain an audience – if the content is right. This means not only is it interesting or informative, but also that it’s targeted at the right audience. Don't post essays on Twitter, for example, but LinkedIn audiences might be receptive to a thought piece.
One thing to note is that this is only for ad platforms, meaning you will have to pay to run A/B tests, but it's a worthy investment if you're still establishing your brand's tone of voice.
Despite the expectation of brevity with social media, you can see there are many factors to consider when creating content for your social channels. This is why spending the time to fine-tune your copy is so crucial. If you're looking for help elevating your social presence to the next level, then reach out to Brew Digital today, and see what you can achieve with us in your corner.
