On social media, attention is a highly competitive good. Texts seem to play a subordinate role. They fade into the background, while memes, GIFs and short videos are trending. A reason for this is that the human brain processes visual information faster than information in text form. Anything visual serves as an eye-catcher and stands out better in the daily flood of information. Nevertheless, text formats are the most frequently used content format in online marketing. While visual content grabs the recipient’s attention, text creates a meaningful context, conveys important information and establishes factual references. Language and text influence our perception every day – how we think, act and what we remember. Even though visual content formats are increasingly important, texts have great power that must be harnessed. Because memes don’t always beat texts. How does copywriting work on social media?
There are tricks to writing good text. The nuts and bolts of this craft are the criteria of content, structure and language.
When developing content, the focus should always be on the target audience. After all, the content is only successful if it appeals to, is of interest for and enriches the right readers. Companies should therefore not make the mistake of using their social media channels as a pure advertising platform for themselves and their products. Rather, they should focus on the topics that address customer needs. The short and concise text should contain a single core message, which – if possible – you support with facts and evidence. Exciting stories with entertainment value increase the attractiveness of your texts and make them stand out from the crowd.
The classic structure of a text consists of an introduction, main body and conclusion. For social media, this structure applies in a modified form, as many platforms impose a character limit. But even with short texts, it’s the first sentence that either draws readers in or prompts them to keep scrolling. With an exciting introduction, a provocative thesis, question or headline, you motivate the reader to read on. At the end, don’t forget to make an appeal with a call to action (CTA).
When it comes to texts, the motto is: Less is more. Here, you should pay attention to target group-specific language and an appropriate choice of words. The text must be easy to understand and should not put anyone off with too many foreign or technical jargon. Check the text last for grammatical, spelling mistakes or other errors. In addition, there are channel-specific guidelines that need to be followed. The use of hashtags is welcome on LinkedIn and Twitter, while they are not used at all on Xing and very reduced on Facebook. Instead of writing one-size-fits-all texts, it is worth adapting their tone to the users of each channel.
The key to success: tools and creativity
Writing texts for social media can be practiced and improved. The basis of a good text consists of a few basic rules that are easy to follow. Above all, you need a good-sized supply of creative ideas for creating exceptional content:
10 tips for a compelling social media text:
1. be short and direct
2. speak the language of your target audience
3. differentiate posts according to channel
4. use active voice and informal wording
5. write an exciting introduction
6. encourage interaction
7. tell stories
8. observe hashtags, emojis and character limit
9. shine flawlessly
10. implement creative ideas
