Let’s face it, writing effective copy for your business’s social content can be tough.
For all the personal Facebook posts or blogs that we write, for some reason, when it comes to writing for our company’s online community, many of us are just stumped!
Which is precisely why I thought it would be a great idea to suggest five top tips for content writing so that we can all have a go-to guide to inspire us when we hit that dreaded brick wall.
Find your voice
When you’re stumped for what to say, one of the best places to start is with your own voice, your own language.
I hear so many people say they “aren’t very good with words” or don’t “have the vocab” to create good content – but that’s simply not true!
The best content we can create is in our own voice because it’s straightforward, honest, and consistent with what people know of us.
So when you start to write your content, begin by typing out your message in exactly your own words. You can edit, revamp, and mix it up from there!
Top Tip: Think about including colloquialisms in your content (these are words or phrases that you use in your area or community). These can add a depth of character to your content, and help make it sound less flat or impersonal!
Write with purpose
Another top tip to help you create amazing written content for your business is to write with purpose.
This means not waffling on or getting distracted, and maintaining a clear, concise narrative to your copy.
Planning ahead and deciding what you’re going to talk about before you start writing your content will help prevent any confusion here! So have a think about how you can include this in your content creation process if you don’t already.
Write a story
The next thing to consider when you’re writing content is the structure.
Getting your words typed out is one thing, but formatting them so that your message inspires your audience to take action is another thing entirely!
Personally, I like thinking of my written content as a story – whether it’s a social media post, a blog, or a piece of copy on our website.
In this way, everything that I write has a beginning, a middle, and an end – and each component needs to be introduced to complete the story and deliver the message in the best way possible.
Let’s take an Instagram post as an example…
Beginning
In this section, I would introduce the topic by writing a headline for my post or introducing the topic with a question to my audience.
Middle
Here, I would add context to the headline and a more indepth explanation of what my message is. (This is where you tell your story!)
End
For me, this section is a conclusion – a way of rounding up my message – as well as being the time to tell my audience what I want them to do next. I do this by providing a call to action. Depending on what the purpose of your written content is, your call to action could be anything from ‘Learn more by clicking this link’, to, ‘Visit my website to buy yours now’.
Proof-reading & keeping it simple!
When you’re writing content, if you think that your message sounds confusing or complicated, bets are on that it is.
Don’t forget that your audience isn’t in the privileged position (that you are) of knowing the message you’re trying to tell.
Because of this, it’s vital that we keep our written content simple so that our audience doesn’t have to try and decode it or figure it out for themselves!
To make sure your written content is nice, simple, and easy to understand, be sure to proof-read and edit your content if necessary.
This doesn’t have to take long, and can be a great way of making sure you avoid mistakes in your copy, or confusion for your audience when they read your content!
Make ’em cry!
My final top tip is all about connecting with your audience and making them feel something towards what you’re saying.
I am, of course, talking about adding emotion to your written content!
Injecting emotion into your written content is a great way to help your audience connect with what you’re saying, and so ensure your message has a stronger impact.
To do this, think about including emotionally charged words in your sentences. This might make your written content feel a bit more dramatic than you’d like, but it’s great practice and will definitely give your copy an edge over your competitor’s.
Here are some ideas to help get you started:
I hope these top tips have helped inspire you with your content writing!
Be sure to let me know if any of these have worked for you, or if you have any top tips that you use for your content writing in the comments.
