Scrolling through our feeds is a compulsive urge that many of us find hard to resist. Social media is vying for other people’s attention and it’s a battle to get people to stop on your post. You will need to tap into all of your inspiration to write great, attention-grabbing, scroll-stopping copy.
Here are some quick and easy writing hacks that will help you give people a reason to engage with you…
1. A Great Headline
Your headline could lose you traffic regardless of how great the content of your piece is! It is estimated that, on average, only 20% of those who read your headline will click through to read your article! That means you have an opportunity to convert 80% more of your audience.
What makes a great headline? It needs to provide value to your target customer and suggest it can make their life better.
When you’ve written your piece, think of a few intriguing headline options and pick the best – is it bold and shocking? Is it a controversial opinion? It is weird or funny? Your reader is busy – cute or unclear headlines are not going to cut it.
And don’t stop at your headline – make sure that your opening is strong too so that they continue to read on.
2. Take their attention away from what they are doing
Different people focus on different aspects first. You’ve got a headline and an image / graphic to work with plus preview text. Get them all working in your favour – none of them should be an afterthought.
A piece that challenges a commonly held belief can grab people’s attention. You can also play on people’s “FOMO” (fear of missing out)!
3. Connection is key
Don’t become clingy and burden them with information all of the time; instead, entertain, engage and connect with them.
Write copy in language that will resonate with your ideal customer. People buy with their emotions – ask yourself how your ideal customer is feeling right now?
The world can be depressing place, and social media can be the centre of it for many. There’s value in giving people a smile as they scroll through their feeds as there’s nothing quite like a grin get people to stop on YOUR post.
Remember your audience are real people.
4. Find out what they are looking for
Make it interesting, or make them curious, but avoid being mysterious or irrelevant. This is why it is vital you understand your ideal customer – what are their interests, what DON’T they know, and what might they really like to know?
If you aren’t yet crystal clear on your ideal customer read my previous blog posts https://clairewinter.info/why-identifying-your-ideal-customer-is-crucial/ and https://clairewinter.info/the-importance-of-identifying-your-ideal-customer/.
Maybe you know your ideal customer but aren’t sure what they are looking for. Try https://answerthepublic.com which gives you a visual representation of what people are searching for on Google!
What now?
So now you have all of these valuable tips, a great exercise is to re-visit some of your old blog posts and refresh them with these hacks in mind. Why not try re-posting them to see the uplift in engagement?
Let me know how you get on in the comments below!
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Claire