It was a privilege for me last week to sit in on a seminar on Short Content Form Writing presented by my friend, Gretchen Jameson. Gretchen is the owner and principal of PurePR, whose mission it is to “support people of passion and purpose to build the conversations that shape communities and change our world.” I believe in Gretchen’s work, because I have had the first hand experience of seeing how it had a positive impact on our ministry at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
At the seminar, Gretchen drew us in with some fascinating and interesting facts about writing for social media. If you think you know everything there is to know about writing for social media, think again. Did you know these facts?
- Writing for social media not about YOU. When you write, write from the perspective of the “fan.”
- Posts of 80 characters or less get the highest engagement rates.
- You have got to show people that you’re listening by the way you respond to their “likes” and “comments”. (By the way, did you know that there are 6 phases of engagement on Facebook? Here they are…and see if you haven’t followed the same flow yourself: Lurk, Like, Like a comment, Post a Response to an Initial Post, Make an Unsolicited Post on a Page, and Share a Post.) Acknowledge those who are liking, commenting, and sharing your posts.
- Be LIKEable, Kind, Curious, Empathetic, and Generous.
- Think of social media like an actual social event. If someone commented on something you said at a social event, would you just ignore her and walk away?
- Be brief. Briefer is better.
- Use the word YOU.
- Lead with what matters. Say what you need to say right up front. Whether it’s an attitude, idea, or concept, make the main thing the main thing.
- Tap into human needs. People want to be validated. They love things that are “exclusive.” They appreciate it when they feel as though you have been helpful. Be an authority on something. And know that people give you time before they give money.
- Make it personal. An effective post is a post that is emotion-rich. That means you ought to have fun with your posts, make them positive, but write it so it sounds like it could come from anyone.
- Be Useful. Give a new idea. Lead with a number (Did you notice the title of this post?). Start with “how to.” List it out (people love lists that they can quickly read through). Share secrets.
- Use A Digit, a Power Word, or a Promise. These three things are very likely to draw people in.
- Have fun with your Facebook Page or Twitter Account. Coca-Cola got HUGE response when they tweeted something like this: “We’re trying to get exactly 10,283 likes and 8,761 shares on this post.” Guess what? They got more than both of those numbers.
What tips do you have for creating more engagement…and more fun!…with your social media posts?
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.