Copywriting is one of those things that comes in many flavours and styles. Some can be more serious, dry and politically correct – some can push the envelope and become a little more edgy, maybe even using a swear word here and there.
Whichever direction you take, just remember that it needs to represent you and your business or personal brand. Write from the heart, and don’t simply write what you think others want to hear.
So what is copywriting? To answer that, I'll give you 3 tips on how to write better descriptions for your social media posts:
1. Write in bulk. If you’re just writing post descriptions at random, as you throw things up, you’re going to grow tired of it – pretty quickly. And you’ll eventually just stop or slow down drastically. The more you do something, the more you’re able to develop systems that work for you.
So, as we do this quite a bit – we’ve figured out that the most effective way of writing copy for socials is in bulk. Open up a word document and have at er! I like to write 10 – 20 pieces of copy ahead of time, and then send them over to Jon for posting.
So, work as a team if you have one. Get this done in bulk and then pass it on to the next team member. There are 2 huge benefits which come from copywriting in this way.
The first is that you don’t become fatigued easily from sharing content. Sharing regularly is a big commitment – and you need to put as much energy into it as you can. If you’re just randomly writing copy every day at different times, it won’t fare well.
The second benefit of doing copy in bulk is that it gives your marketing efforts a streamlined and effective style of its own. You’ll be hashing out a large number of posts in one sitting, and although they’ll all be different – they can still exist together as one collection – a bunch of small pieces in one cohesive whole.
Nailing your marketing messages is going to be key to your success, and this is one of the best ways to do it.
2. Do some research and use stats to your benefit. Wherever possible, add scientific facts to your writing. Consumers love proof when they’re thinking about the best possible choice to make for themselves, so give it to them!
These pieces of proof can include percentages, fractions and recent study findings. If you’re having a hard time with it – simply type into google “facts about (insert industry here).”
Something will come up that you can roll with – find a way to seamlessly insert it into your writing. You know, a 2021 survey of 1000 consumers found that more than 80% consider trust to be a deciding factor in their buying decisions.
And what’s one huge thing that fosters trust? Give the people the proof!
3. Write honestly. Listen, it’s 2024. No one wants to hear your sales pitch. So the best rule of thumb is to read what you’ve written back to yourself – like actually read it aloud. And ask yourself “does this sound like me?” If the answer is NO, then erase that shit and start all over.
People want to hear from other people. We don’t want to hear from brands, and we don’t want your PC, cold as ice, eyes glossed over messaging. Make your copy sound human and you’ll do well.
Add a CTA at the end of posts here or there – but don’t push it too far, and keep it light in the CTA department. People want to be helped, not constantly sold things. Try to find ways of giving them value – whether that’s through education, entertainment, or both – and they’ll love you for it.
And that about does it. If you’re able to follow even two of these tips, then your copywriting will dramatically improve, and your business will benefit from it.
If this all sounds like too much and you simply don’t have the time or the energy, then a phone call with us may help. Please, by all means – reach out any time. We’re a content rich social media marketing company, and we love to help out in any way that we can.
To Your Success,
Jay Ashcroft
four32 MEDIA