In a previous life, part of my job was to write catchy headlines and titles for articles. The great thing about writing multiple headlines a day was that I could immediately tell if what I wrote was working based on clicks. Social media works so similarly to this, but with a bit more of an external influence from fun factors like… algorithms.
So, how do you write super-readable, valuable copy, AND maximize stickiness to the algorithm to boost views to your social media posts? Here are some tips…
TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE COPY X ALGORITHM LOVE:
1 – Lead with the lede! Ever heard the term, “don’t bury the lede”? It means don’t hide the most impactful or important thing deep in the copy. What is the MOST important thing you want to say in your post? What is the most engaging idea? Make that part of your first sentence or headline.
2 – Length – the longer a consumer spends on your post the better for algorithmic support, but at the same time, too many words can overwhelm and cause disconnection from the post. When crafting your message, keep both in mind. There are a few strategies you can use to keep people reading and engaged without overwhelm such as:
2a – Language – the more you tap into HOW your intended audience communicates, the more you can pair the tone and message of your brand and post with their natural linguistic style. Then if text is a bit longer, you will keep their attention because reading the copy doesn’t have a linguistic barrier to entry, they’re already thinking and writing similarly, so then your copy is easy to read.
2b – Lists – you can get a lot of length in a post by posting lists using emojis as bullet points. Benefits or uses of a product/service or ingredient, relevant tips, informational/interesting/funny/fact-based lists related to the product or service are all ways to incorporate lists.
3 – Entice EASY engagement – think about the subject at hand and how it is relatable to your followers and intended audience… what are they thinking about, feeling, wanting, needing, interested in… and what is EASY to talk about for them? Asking, “what are your hopes and dreams” is probably too vague and personally revealing. But asking, “as a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?” is more likely to “work” because it taps into nostalgia and is just a fun thing to engage with.
4 – Be mindful of the specific words you’re using. Take a sec to look through which hashtags might make sense for your post and if you can pull words and phrases from the most popular ones and use those words or phrases in your post, it will help increase the likelihood it will be surfaced to the right folks.
5 – End with a Call To Action – aka a CTA. This could be a question to solicit engagement in the comments, directive to visit the website, or another thing to DO. Giving readers a way to continue engagement or way to stay thinking about your post or brand will help bring them back for more.
Keep these tips in mind when creating your copy. Which tip did you find most helpful?