Finding Your Voice: How To Write Social Media Copy That Hits Different
A sign of truly great social media copy is when you can identify the brand from the caption alone.
And brands that overlook the importance of copywriting are probably failing to connect with their audience and limiting their online growth.
Finding a unique writing style on social will help build a genuine connection with your followers and establish a well-defined brand identity. Here’s how you can find yours:
Customer-Inspired Copy
Good copy shouldn’t tell your reader how to feel, instead it should speak from the perspective of your customer.
Look at how your customers actually communicate on social: Are they a formal crowd or meme-loving bunch? Are Emojis a go-to or a big no-no? Whichever it is, your brand’s tone and style should mirror their language. The MERL nails it every time.
Your copy also needs purpose. Being enthusiastic is a given, but it’s just as important to bear in mind these tricks of the trade:
Don’t repeat yourself. Stop repeating.
Punchy statements get noticed.
Make an urgent call-to-action. Now!
Want to grab your reader’s attention? Lead with a question.
Don’t be afraid to: Break. Grammar. Rules.
Assonance and alliteration can keep copy compelling.
And The Academy Award For Best Supporting Role Goes To…
Harmonious copy and creative can transform a good post into a great post. But, there needs to be no mistake about which is the focus of the piece.
Often, the copy’s job is to enhance its accompanying image or design. And a great copywriter knows that fewer words can sometimes have a greater impact.
Want an example? Take a look at this recent Instagram post from Greggs:
Can you imagine if the caption was anything else? Me neither. So make sure you’re working with the creative and not against it.
Scannable Scribblings
Concise captions usually perform well because most of us haven’t got the time or patience to sift through long, waffley copy.
On mobile, people now spend just 1.7 seconds looking at a Facebook post on average before scrolling on, so you need to grab attention quickly. It’s therefore good practice to stick to one or two punchy sentences where possible.
Of course, short and snappy isn’t always possible, and on some occasions it might not even be appropriate. When you have a message or story that requires more depth, it’s perfectly fine to let the long-form flow… Just make sure it grabs attention from the first sentence and is formatted for scannability.
Many brands, like Adidas, do this brilliantly.
Effective Emojis
If it’s appropriate for your brand voice, don’t be afraid to enhance your posts with Emojis.
Pick two or three Emojis to be your go-to way to sign off. These could match your brand colours, reference your logo or brand name, or symbolise what you sell. This is a really simple way to make your copy instantly recognisable to an audience.
For general Emoji use, familiarise yourself with what’s most popular with your customers. Remember to consider what they will look like on each platform and device, as subtle differences between the designs can massively change your audience’s understanding of a message.
Consistency Is Key
Once you’ve identified a clear style and tone, this should remain consistent throughout your content. It may be the case that multiple people work on the brand’s social media channels, but your followers shouldn’t be able to tell.
If you’re having a tough time maintaining a coherent style, it’s crucial to develop clear brand guidelines around tone of voice.
It’s important to note that the tone of your copy is likely to evolve as your audience does. This does not mean to say that your entire brand voice will shift, rather, much like a person, it will naturally grow and develop over time. So remember to review your social media copy every so often, to make sure you’re always attuned to your consumers.
