How to write good social media copy for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and more! Here are 11 tips from the pros!

1. How To Write Effective Social Copy

2. Writing Effective Social Copy
• Less is more
• Give context
• Rewrite the headline
• Use synonyms
• Eliminate implied words – to, of, it, that, the,
• Use #s abbreviations
• Actionable language
• Include a call-to-action
• Tell the story with an image
• Write like you speak
• Avoid passive voice

3. Less is More
• If people have to rewrite your content to make it fit, it won’t
get shared
• If you want it to be shared, aim <100 characters
– Tweets <100 characters get 17% higher engagement rate
– Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook* - can be longer form (3-5 sentences)

4. Give Context
Tell people WHY they
should click on your content

5. Rewrite the Headline
Walt Disney World tweeted this in lieu of this
Sometimes blog titles just aren’t good.
Write a headline YOU would click on.

6. Rewrite the Headline
IBM tweeted this in lieu of this

7. Use Synonyms
Excellent (9) Awesome (7)
Great (5) Top (3)
Use
Synonyms
to cut
down on
characters

8. Use #s and abbreviations
• w/ instead of ‘with’
• 7/20 instead of ‘July 20’
• Bday instead of ‘birthday’
• 5 instead of ‘five’
• b/c instead of ‘because’
• 2pm instead of ‘7:00 p.m.’
• thru instead of ‘through’
• econ instead of ‘economics’
• ur instead of ‘ur’
Just make sure it’s legible by the masses...

9. Include a Call-To-Action
The call to action is not a cliché, it's a necessity.
Don’t be afraid to ask for the sale, the download, the
RT.

10. Avoid Passive Voice
Passive voice weakens your message.
Let your subject perform the action.
Active: Researchers earlier shows that
high stress can cause heart attacks.
Passive: It
was earlier demonstrated that heart
attacks can be caused by high stress.
Active: Over 82 billion apps are
downloaded each year
Passive: Over 82B apps have been
downloaded year over year
Active: Passwords are constantly
changing, but their story remains the
same. Passive: Passwords have
evolved, but their story remains the
same.Image credit: iamthegrammarpolice.blogspot.com

11. Use more verbs, less nouns - Actionable
Social media scientist Dan Zarrella analyzed 200,000 tweets that included links and
found that those that included adverbs and verbs had higher click-through rates than
those using more nouns and adjectives.

12. Images Enhance Your Story
Images do get more shares and overall engagement
(2x’s more on Twitter)
Plus, a picture can say your message in unlimited characters
Tip: You can even make your own graphics easily with Canva.com

13. Write like you speak
• End a sentence in a
preposition to convey a
warm and personal feeling
• Use contractions like you
do in normal conversation
• Keep it simple
• Humanize your posts, no
need to sound like a press
release all the time
Image credit: aimhighwriting.com

14. Tracy Sestili is a social media author, teacher,
speaker and strategist.
You can get her latest book, Taking Your Brand from
the Bench to the Playing Field on Amazon in
paperback or on Kindle. Each chapter has exercises
at the end to help you perfect your social media
strategy .
http://amzn.to/1rN2bYe
Follow her on Google+
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Follow her on Twitter: @tracysestili
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