Writing Tips to Follow on Each Social Media Platform
Having a presence on all social media platforms is a great way to build a following, increase brand awareness, and drive conversions. However, it is important to note that every social channel is different. Each platform — whether it’s Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Google My Business — has its own trends, demographics, post formats, and requirements. Because of this, it’s key to tailor your writing style to each platform. Doing so can optimize your efforts and maximize Engagement.
Boost your social strategy and increase your KPI’s with these tips.
Instagram
Instagram is driven by visuals, so captions should be short and sweet. The main goal of the copy is to provide context for the image or video, providing a clear call to action that encourages the viewer to engage with the content. Users who are active on Instagram are not looking for in-depth reading, so it is important for the copy to be direct and concise.
The number of characters: We recommend no more than 3 lines of text, as the caption gets cut off after this.
Hashtags: Maximize your writing and boost engagement with hashtags. Hashtags improve your searchability and visibility on the platform, helping people find your content easily. Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags per post.
Emojis: Choose impactful emojis to accompany your content appropriately.
Facebook
Similar to Instagram, Facebook posts should have a conversational tone. This platform is all about getting people to engage with your posts. Ask open-ended questions or include a call to action such as “Tell us what you think” to get users commenting and sharing with their friends. Content such as blogs, reports, and videos are good to promote on this platform since people are looking for content to read and engage with.
Audience: 69% of adults use Facebook and the majority of this audience is female. Facebook actually has the largest number of users over 65 years old.
The number of characters: While the character limit on status updates is 63,000, posts with 80 characters or less receive the most engagement. Try to keep your captions under 120 characters.
Hashtags: Facebook has tried to encourage hashtag use, however, it hasn’t taken off as it has on other platforms such as Instagram or Twitter. Test posts with and without hashtags to determine if you want to include them in your strategy. Include no more than two brand-specific hashtags in your posts.
Emojis: Like Instagram, you can use emojis in Facebook copy. Look more professional by placing emojis at the end of your sentences instead of throughout the caption.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a platform created for working professionals to build their networks. Because of this, it has an entirely different audience and writing style compared to Facebook and Instagram. Since it’s a more formal network, everything is driven by the desire to make professional business connections — your writing should reflect this. On this platform, longer posts are encouraged. Share credible articles to establish your expertise, drive Engagement, and boost customer acquisition and retention.
Audience: The audience is pretty evenly split, however, the majority of users are male.
The number of characters: There is a 700 word limit on LinkedIn posts. If you want to write a long-form piece, consider publishing an article directly to the platform. This gives you the opportunity to expand on your thoughts and position yourself as an industry thought leader.
Hashtags: We recommend incorporating up to three hashtags at the end of your caption for maximum exposure on the platform. Using more than three hashtags runs the risk of looking spammy and untrustworthy.
Emojis: While emojis are generally discouraged on this platform, feel free to incorporate GIFs and images to make your post stand out. Because this is a professional platform, you want all of your posts to have a businesslike tone — emojis detract from this.
Twitter
Many people use Twitter to get news and updates. The audience wants simple, to-the-point writing that is easily digestible. This platform is perfect for engaging with other users. Utilize the tagging feature to interact with other accounts. Highlight company news and post industry updates to get followers engaging.
The number of Characters: Twitter allows a maximum of 280 characters per post, however, this platform is all about brevity. Keep captions around 140 characters.
Hashtags: Gain maximum visibility with hashtags. We recommend including at least three hashtags throughout or at the end of your tweet to increase Engagement and Reach.
Emojis: This platform is emoji friendly — use emojis to boost overall Engagement.
Google My Business
Use Google My Business (GMB) to promote sales, upcoming events, and company updates. Your posts should be brief and inspire readers to take your proposed call to action. Accompany the caption with a well-lit photo or video to grab the viewer’s attention.
Audience: GMB has a broad audience. These posts are appealing to everyone who uses Google on a daily basis to research businesses. Because of this, it’s important to keep posts neutral to appeal to people of all age groups.
The number of characters: While you have up to 1,500 characters, it’s important to keep these posts short. Try aiming for 150-300 characters for maximum Engagement.
Hashtags: Hashtags are not necessary or relevant to GMB. They won’t increase post exposure, so it’s best to not use them.
Emojis: Emojis do show up in GMB and can spice up your post, but aren’t necessary. Include them at the end of the copy to keep the post more professional.
Use Thumbstopper for Your Social Strategy
A tailored social media strategy with correctly formatted posts designed for each platform can boost Engagement, Reach, and social ROI. At ThumbStopper®, we are here to help you streamline the social media management process with our highly effective social media automation solution. Contact us today to learn how ThumbStopper can take your social media strategy to the next level.