Creating Content for Social Media Marketing
Effective social media strategies rely on a mix of original content (created by you or your team) and third-party content (curated from credible sources).
The social media content you write should be helpful, providing useful information and ideas to a specific audience. Use the 80/20 rule. 80% of content provides for your audience, 20% is promotional content.
Getting Started with Writing Original Content for Social Media
1. Align Content to Your Audience
Before crafting a social media post, it’s essential to set clear intentions and align your content with your audience's preferences. Start by asking yourself these foundational questions:
What is the purpose of this post?
Your brand voice and tone are the foundation of effective social media communication. They shape how your audience perceives you and determine whether your message resonates or falls flat. Crafting a consistent voice that aligns with your brand identity while adapting the tone to fit your audience and platform is essential for building trust, fostering engagement, and driving results.
What Are Voice and Tone?
Defining Your Brand VoiceStart by identifying your brand’s core attributes. Ask yourself:
By mastering your brand’s voice and tone, you’ll not only ensure consistency across platforms but also create deeper, more meaningful connections with your audience. This understanding turns followers into brand advocates, driving loyalty and long-term success.
2. Craft an Attention-Grabbing Hook
The success of your social media post often hinges on the first line, also known as the "hook." This critical opening sets the tone, grabs attention, and entices your audience to read further or engage with the content. With countless posts competing for attention in their feeds, a compelling hook can make all the difference.
Why the Hook Matters
3. Add Value
Provide content that is useful, entertaining, or thought-provoking. Some ideas include:
Tips or how-tos: Offer practical advice.
Inspirational stories: Share relatable or uplifting anecdotes.
Data or insights: Include facts that are relevant to your audience’s interests.
4. Include a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
Guide your audience on what to do next. CTAs should be specific and actionable, such as:
“Download our free guide today!”
“Comment your favorite tip below!”
“Tap the link in our bio to learn more.”
5. Incorporate Hashtags Strategically
Use branded hashtags to build your community.
Research trending and niche-specific hashtags to boost visibility.
Limit hashtags to 5–10 per post for most platforms (except Twitter and TikTok, where fewer or more are fine depending on context).
6. Optimize for Timing and Frequency
Post when your audience is most active. Use platform analytics to find peak engagement times.
Example: Post on Instagram between 9 AM and 12 PM or on LinkedIn during weekday mornings.
7. Proofread and Edit
Review your post for grammar, spelling, and tone before publishing. Tools like Grammarly or Hemingway can help refine your writing.
Here are some resources to help improve your writing
Grammarly
Hemingway
Wordcounter
Read-AblePower Thesaurus: Stuck on a word? Power Thesaurus is a crowd sourced tool that provides users with a number of alternative word choices from a community of writers.
ZenPen: If you're having trouble staying focused, check out this distraction-free writing tool. ZenPen creates a minimalist "writing zone" designed to help you get the words down without having to fuss with formatting right away.
Cliché Finder: Feeling like your writing might be coming off a little cheesy? Identify instances where you can be more specific using this handy cliché tool.
8. Test, Analyze, and Adapt
After posting, monitor performance metrics such as:
Engagement (likes, shares, comments)
Click-through rates (for posts with links)
Conversion rates (if applicable)
- Original Content: Reflects your brand’s voice and values, fostering a stronger connection with your audience. Examples include blog posts, infographics, videos, and photos.
- Third-Party Content: Demonstrates thought leadership and relevance by sharing valuable industry insights from other creators. Always credit the original source and add your commentary to contextualize the content for your audience.
The social media content you write should be helpful, providing useful information and ideas to a specific audience. Use the 80/20 rule. 80% of content provides for your audience, 20% is promotional content.
Getting Started with Writing Original Content for Social Media
1. Align Content to Your Audience
Before crafting a social media post, it’s essential to set clear intentions and align your content with your audience's preferences. Start by asking yourself these foundational questions:
What is the purpose of this post?
- Is it designed to inform (share valuable information), entertain (delight your audience), inspire (motivate or uplift), or persuade (encourage a specific action)?
- Define the primary objective to ensure your message resonates and achieves the desired impact.
Your brand voice and tone are the foundation of effective social media communication. They shape how your audience perceives you and determine whether your message resonates or falls flat. Crafting a consistent voice that aligns with your brand identity while adapting the tone to fit your audience and platform is essential for building trust, fostering engagement, and driving results.
What Are Voice and Tone?
- Voice is the consistent personality of your brand—how it would sound if it were a person. This doesn’t change much over time and reflects your brand’s core values, mission, and culture.
- Tone is more flexible; it adapts based on the context of the message, the platform, and the audience. While your voice might be casual, your tone could shift to be more empathetic in addressing customer concerns or more playful when celebrating milestones.
Defining Your Brand VoiceStart by identifying your brand’s core attributes. Ask yourself:
- What values do we stand for?
- How do we want our audience to feel when interacting with us?
- What adjectives describe our brand? (e.g., friendly, authoritative, quirky, inspirational)
- Do: Use approachable, inclusive language.
- Don’t: Use overly formal or jargon-filled phrases.
- Instagram: Visual-first with concise, conversational captions that encourage engagement.
- LinkedIn: Professional, value-driven, and thought-leadership focused.
- Twitter: Witty, timely, and to the point.
- Celebratory Posts: Use a cheerful, enthusiastic tone to celebrate milestones or achievements.
- Educational Content: Adopt a helpful, confident tone that inspires trust.
- Sensitive Topics: Show empathy and thoughtfulness when addressing challenges or concerns.
- Use inclusive language to make your content relatable. Avoid technical jargon or overly complex language unless it’s appropriate for your audience.
- Infuse your posts with cultural relevance, referencing trends, memes, or news that align with your brand.
- Share content that reflects your audience’s values. For example, sustainability-focused brands might emphasize eco-friendly practices or community impact.
By mastering your brand’s voice and tone, you’ll not only ensure consistency across platforms but also create deeper, more meaningful connections with your audience. This understanding turns followers into brand advocates, driving loyalty and long-term success.
2. Craft an Attention-Grabbing Hook
The success of your social media post often hinges on the first line, also known as the "hook." This critical opening sets the tone, grabs attention, and entices your audience to read further or engage with the content. With countless posts competing for attention in their feeds, a compelling hook can make all the difference.
Why the Hook Matters
- Stops the Scroll: Your audience is inundated with content; a strong hook disrupts their scrolling pattern.
- Encourages Engagement: An intriguing or relatable opening invites readers to click, comment, or share.
- Sets Expectations: A clear, engaging hook tells your audience what the post is about and why it matters to them.
- Start with a Question: Asking a thought-provoking question immediately engages readers by making them pause and consider their answer.
- Share a Surprising Statistic: Data points or percentages are powerful because they provide instant credibility and context.
- Make a Bold Statement: A confident, impactful statement creates intrigue and compels your audience to read further.
- Tap into Emotion: Use a hook that connects emotionally with your audience, whether it’s curiosity, humor, fear, or excitement.
- Use Trending Topics or Pop Culture References: Referencing current events or popular culture can immediately catch audience’s eye.
3. Add Value
Provide content that is useful, entertaining, or thought-provoking. Some ideas include:
Tips or how-tos: Offer practical advice.
Inspirational stories: Share relatable or uplifting anecdotes.
Data or insights: Include facts that are relevant to your audience’s interests.
4. Include a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
Guide your audience on what to do next. CTAs should be specific and actionable, such as:
“Download our free guide today!”
“Comment your favorite tip below!”
“Tap the link in our bio to learn more.”
5. Incorporate Hashtags Strategically
Use branded hashtags to build your community.
Research trending and niche-specific hashtags to boost visibility.
Limit hashtags to 5–10 per post for most platforms (except Twitter and TikTok, where fewer or more are fine depending on context).
6. Optimize for Timing and Frequency
Post when your audience is most active. Use platform analytics to find peak engagement times.
Example: Post on Instagram between 9 AM and 12 PM or on LinkedIn during weekday mornings.
7. Proofread and Edit
Review your post for grammar, spelling, and tone before publishing. Tools like Grammarly or Hemingway can help refine your writing.
Here are some resources to help improve your writing
Grammarly
Hemingway
Wordcounter
Read-AblePower Thesaurus: Stuck on a word? Power Thesaurus is a crowd sourced tool that provides users with a number of alternative word choices from a community of writers.
ZenPen: If you're having trouble staying focused, check out this distraction-free writing tool. ZenPen creates a minimalist "writing zone" designed to help you get the words down without having to fuss with formatting right away.
Cliché Finder: Feeling like your writing might be coming off a little cheesy? Identify instances where you can be more specific using this handy cliché tool.
8. Test, Analyze, and Adapt
After posting, monitor performance metrics such as:
Engagement (likes, shares, comments)
Click-through rates (for posts with links)
Conversion rates (if applicable)
also 9. Using Storytelling, Visuals, and Data to Enhance Your Posts
In the crowded landscape of social media, crafting posts that captivate your audience requires more than just great writing. It demands a blend of storytelling, compelling visuals, and data-driven insights that grab attention, spark emotion, and build credibility. These three elements work together to make your content more memorable, engaging, and effective.
10.The Power of Storytelling in Social Media
Humans are hardwired to respond to stories. They evoke emotions, make information relatable, and help your audience connect with your brand on a personal level. A well-told story can transform your social media content from mundane to magnetic.
Why Storytelling Works
The Role of Visuals in Enhancing Social Media Posts
Social media is a highly visual medium, and posts with eye-catching visuals are significantly more likely to grab attention and drive engagement. In fact, studies show that posts with visuals are shared 40% more often than those without.
Types of Visuals to Use
Incorporating Data for Credibility and Engagement
Data adds authority and substance to your social media posts. It shows your audience that your claims are backed by facts, not just fluff.
Why Use Data?
In the crowded landscape of social media, crafting posts that captivate your audience requires more than just great writing. It demands a blend of storytelling, compelling visuals, and data-driven insights that grab attention, spark emotion, and build credibility. These three elements work together to make your content more memorable, engaging, and effective.
10.The Power of Storytelling in Social Media
Humans are hardwired to respond to stories. They evoke emotions, make information relatable, and help your audience connect with your brand on a personal level. A well-told story can transform your social media content from mundane to magnetic.
Why Storytelling Works
- Creates Emotional Connections: Stories evoke empathy and draw people in.
- Simplifies Complex Ideas: They make even technical or abstract topics easier to understand.
- Builds Trust: Authentic, relatable stories humanize your brand.
- Start With a Hook
The first line should immediately grab attention. Use an intriguing question, a bold statement, or a surprising fact.
Example: “What if we told you our best-selling product almost didn’t exist?” - Be Relatable
Share stories that reflect your audience’s experiences, challenges, or aspirations.
Example: A fitness brand could post, “Meet Sarah. She went from struggling with her workouts to running her first marathon with these 3 tips.” - Highlight Transformation
Structure your story around a journey—problem, solution, and outcome. This keeps your audience engaged and showcases the value of your product or service.
Example: “When we started, we had just $500 and a dream. Today, we’re a team of 50, helping thousands of small businesses succeed.” - Incorporate Visuals
Pair your story with images or videos that enhance its emotional impact. A before-and-after photo, for example, can amplify a transformation story.
The Role of Visuals in Enhancing Social Media Posts
Social media is a highly visual medium, and posts with eye-catching visuals are significantly more likely to grab attention and drive engagement. In fact, studies show that posts with visuals are shared 40% more often than those without.
Types of Visuals to Use
- Photos
High-quality images of your product, team, or customers can make your posts more relatable and authentic.
Example: A behind-the-scenes photo of your team working on a new project. - Videos
Video content captures attention and keeps users engaged longer. Short, dynamic clips perform best on platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
Example: A quick how-to video demonstrating your product in action. - Infographics
Infographics help simplify complex data or processes, making them more digestible.
Example: A step-by-step infographic on how to use your service. - Memes and GIFs
Humor and pop culture references can make your brand more relatable and shareable.
Example: A funny meme about a common problem your product solves.
- Keep It Consistent: Use your brand colors, fonts, and logo to maintain a cohesive look.
- Focus on Quality: Blurry or poorly lit images can hurt your credibility. Invest in good visuals.
- Use Text Sparingly: Avoid clutter by keeping text on visuals minimal and easy to read.
Incorporating Data for Credibility and Engagement
Data adds authority and substance to your social media posts. It shows your audience that your claims are backed by facts, not just fluff.
Why Use Data?
- Builds Trust: Concrete numbers make your message more credible.
- Adds Value: Data provides actionable insights that your audience can use.
- Encourages Sharing: People love sharing statistics and facts that surprise or inform.
- Share Surprising Stats
Highlight data points that catch your audience’s attention.
Example: “Did you know 80% of people prefer video content over reading text?” - Use Data to Support Claims
Back up your value propositions with relevant numbers.
Example: “Our software reduces project management time by 30%.” - Visualize the Data
Turn numbers into charts, graphs, or infographics for better understanding.
Example: A pie chart showing market trends in your industry. - Keep It Simple
Avoid overwhelming your audience with too many numbers. Highlight only the most impactful data.
Example: Instead of listing 10 statistics, focus on the one that’s most relevant.
Video Post Best Practices
Importance of Descriptions and Captions
Importance of Descriptions and Captions
- Descriptions: Craft concise descriptions with relevant keywords to improve searchability. On YouTube, use timestamps and include CTAs in the description box.
- Captions: Include accurate, on-screen captions to make your content accessible to all viewers and to capture attention when videos auto-play without sound.
- Tools like Descript or Rev simplify captioning.
- Include compelling opening text to encourage viewers to keep watching.
- Prioritize vertical video formats (9:16) for platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
- Use the first 3–5 seconds to grab attention with bold visuals or movement.
Audio Post Best Practices
Podcasts
Podcasts
- Create audiograms (short, shareable clips) using tools like Headliner to highlight the best parts of each episode.
- Include timestamps or chapters in your podcast description to help listeners navigate.
- Share behind-the-scenes content about the making of the episode to build anticipation.
- Collaborate with guests or co-hosts by tagging them in your promotional posts to extend your reach.
- Use hashtags specific to your niche and audience, such as #MarketingPodcasts or #TrueCrimePodcast.
Visual Post Best Practices
Infographics
Infographics
- Focus on simplicity and readability—stick to 3–5 data points.
- Use contrasting colors and bold fonts to make your infographic visually appealing and shareable.
- Optimize dimensions for the platform: e.g., vertical formats for Pinterest or carousel-style slides for Instagram.
- Ensure images are high-resolution and optimized for the platform (e.g., 1080x1080 pixels for Instagram).
- Use tools like Canva or Lightroom to enhance colors and add text overlays.
- Add alt text descriptions for accessibility and improved SEO on platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook.
- Share photos from your audience with proper credit to build trust and foster community.
- Use branded hashtags (e.g., #YourBrandName) to encourage submissions.
- Curate and repost user-generated content in Stories, posts, or dedicated highlight reels to showcase brand loyalty.
Additional Tips and Reminders
Keep it short, using powerful words like YOU, NEW and FREE
Keep it short, using powerful words like YOU, NEW and FREE
- Create a plan or outline for your content
- Use short sentences - Hemingway.com is a great resource for this.
- Talk from the YOU perspective – Ex. Take advantage of this offer and you will save 25%
- Talking directly to the audience
- Edit posts down to keywords and phrases. Social Media Posts Character Counter
- Use emotional and persuasive words.