It's easy to use social media. It's not so easy to do it well. Follow these tips to help your social presence - and your personal "brand" - look more professional.

1. Social Media
Writing Tips*
Jim Streisel | Carmel High School
@CarmelJim
10
*In no particular order. C’mon, guys, I’m just not that organized.
Tuesday, June 25, 13

2. 1. Keep it short...
very short.
• Posts with 80 characters or fewer
receive nearly 23 percent higher
interaction than longer posts.*
• Twitter: 85 to 100 characters (max).
• Facebook: 30 words or fewer (nobody
wants to “...Continue reading.”
• Type your post, then challenge
yourself to write the same information
using fewer words. (92 characters)**
*Buddy Media Research
**Draft a post, then try to make it shorter but say the same thing. (69 characters)
@CarmelJim
Tuesday, June 25, 13

3. 2. Write for people
who are in a hurry.
Be clear and direct.
• People check social media when they
have time to spare.*
• Write for someone who checks social
media accounts for a few minutes
between activities.
*Like in the middle of math class. Or social studies.
Or now...while I’m speaking.
@CarmelJim
Tuesday, June 25, 13

4. 3. Be humorous...
but be professional.
• Crack jokes.
Make puns.
Play on words.
Make people
smile.
• People are
more likely to
share content
that’s funny.* *But don’t make light of serious news.
@CarmelJim
Tuesday, June 25, 13

5. 4. Make content
easy to share.
• Don’t make posts too long.
• Use active verbs.
• RT means “retweet.” MT means
“modified tweet.”
• Dn’t go crzy w/abb, tho.*
*SMH
@CarmelJim
Tuesday, June 25, 13

6. 5. Have a conversation.
• Acknowledge
when people
respond to
your posts.
This shows you
value your
readers’
thoughts.
*
*Hi, Jill. I value you.
Sincerely,
Me.
@CarmelJim
Tuesday, June 25, 13

7. 6. Don’t write
a press release.
• Don’t be boring and dry.*
• Define your “voice.” Write for your
audience.
• How do you want people to perceive
you/your publication? Your writing
reflects that perception.
*You in the back, stop looking at me like that.
@CarmelJim
Tuesday, June 25, 13

8. 7. Be nice.
• Don’t tick off your readers; you’ll lose
them.
• If you aren’t funny, don’t try to be.
@CarmelJim
Tuesday, June 25, 13

9. 8. Be knowledgeable.
• Be an expert
on all things
_____ High
School.
• Make your
social media
feeds
something that
people will
WANT to follow.
@CarmelJim
Tuesday, June 25, 13

10. 9. Avoid texting slang
if at all possible.
• All of that
BFF and
LOL and
SMH is just
too darn
confusing.*
*Remind me to tell you an LOL story when I see you next.
Oh, and I have one that involves FTK as well. Good stuff.
*
*WTF?!
@CarmelJim
Tuesday, June 25, 13

11. 10. Don’t rush.
• It’s better to be accurate than first.
• Spend a couple of minutes on each
tweet before you send it to edit and
polish.
@CarmelJim
Tuesday, June 25, 13

12. The bottom line.
• Be smart.
• Be professional.
• Be accurate.
• Be nice.
• You’re building your “brand.” You’re
building your publication’s brand.
@CarmelJim
Tuesday, June 25, 13