Social media &
5 Essential Social Media Writing Guides You Must Apply
Filed under: Blogging, Content Copywriting, Guest Posts, SEO
Social media marketing on Facebook and Twitter is getting more and more important when it comes to online marketing. On top of that, Google+ marketing might become important. The social media marketing industry might have only been around for a few years, but there are people who can apply their many years of writing, media and online marketing experience to social media with great results.
The world of social media marketing has exploded. Before we focused heavily on our SEO (search engine optimisation) efforts. But Google realised it was necessary for them to create a more unique search results and integrate social media content, interactions, and the trends of social world to the search results they produce. Considering they dominate search, Google has managed to be pretty fair about the way they have been delivering search results. So now, social media plays a big part of our online marketing strategies, and having that content managed, and well written is extremely important.
Without trying to create many fancy strategic claims or plans, here are the essentials of writing for social media, from someone who has been in the business of writing, translation, localisation, media, online marketing, TV advertising, billboard advertising, subway and limited-time-terminal advertising (i.e. plasma screens in a taxi, subway train or bus) for 20 years.
Research
There is nothing like detailed research to know you audience. What mobile phones do they prefer, what shoes do they wear on Friday nights, how much would they spend on a gift for their partner if they just won 1000 dollars on a 2 dollar lottery ticket. Every little detail collected is more information. Data is alone not enough. Quantifying and qualifying our data is essential. The old saying applies – we cannot compare apples and oranges.
Write For Your Reader
In translation this is simply known as target language. In localisation it is known as target audience. The same rules apply. If you are talking to your audience of 13-18 year old females, writing for them is essential. This is not to say that it should be a female of that age (or a little older) who will be better at this, but there are some fundamentals about understanding the audience we cannot ignore. This is the case for all segments, audiences, and markets.
Write for the Medium
Just like in all media, we need to write for the medium. Nike will have different adverts in their business newspaper advertising when compared with the advertising they will place in a male orientated lifestyle and entertainment magazine, say, FHM, for example. The same goes with social media marketing. Facebook is a medium, linked in is another medium, and each site and network will have its own suitability.
Personality
Personality is your brand with words. You cannot compromise your brand or you will confuse your target audience. You can change your tone for your segments, but compromising your personality is destruction of your brand. Brand is everything. Brand is your company’s image, emotional association and ‘experience’ for your viewer.
Getting Feedback
Communication is nothing without feedback. Feedback is the key to social media marketing, and key to dealing with your people. Now more than ever, they can complain, and they can complain to a lot of people very fast, and very loud. Not all companies are dealing with this well. You must respond to complaints. Consumers have further options such as taking you to Fair Trading commissions and Consumer Affairs, and that will be out there for all to see. People listen to their friends. Your brand and company can be trashed before you know it from one poorly treated customer
SEO (search engine optimisation) has really come a long way. We are using these principles in our social media writing and integrating social media content into our SEO. We really do have a lot on our hands.
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Image credit Will
Posted on: October 17, 2011
