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The average consumer is bombarded with a zillion advertising messages every day. Getting past the filters that allow only a trickle of messages to penetrate through to the subconscious mind of consumers is the challenge that copywriters face every time they begin to write copy. If that wasn’t difficult enough, along comes social media to present a fresh new challenge. How should copywriters craft a message that cuts through the clutter and whacks readers with an attention grabbing message that not only gets read, but is commented upon, re-tweeted, shared or liked?
Social Media copywriting requires a new way of thinking – unlike writing copy for advertisements that sing the virtues of the latest model car or children’s shoes. Business related content posted on social media sites competes with snippets of information about celebrity news, photos of last night’s party bash and trending topics that are of specific interest to individuals. It’s almost like learning how to write copy all over again – short staccato bursts that whip through the social media ether and shoot through to the reader’s consciousness.
Social media Copywriting is not about enticing a reader through a long drawn story that appeals to the deepest desires of the prospect, hopefully leading to a purchase. The internet is powered by search. That’s exactly why Google has become the generic word for search engines. Only about 15% of users use the internet with the intention of buying a product or service. That’s why keyword research is regarded as pure gold in search engine optimisation. This is what copywriters need to focus on for social media copywriting. Headlines for Facebook posts and YouTube videos need to be keyword rich. Twitter posts should include keywords or keyword phrases, so they are found.
In traditional ad copy, copywriters have the luxury of quarter, half-page or even a full page of a newspaper or magazine. Ample space to excite, cajole, lure or scare the reader into taking action. With social media copywriting it’s all about a keyword packed punchy headline. Get this wrong and the eyeball flicks off the content in a nanosecond and onto whatever else grabs the attention of the reader. Short keyword rich posts that pack a punch is what’s needed in social media copywriting to cut through the heap of garbage that clamour for the reader’s attention. Of course with platforms like Twitter, there simply is no other choice. With a limit of 140 characters, Twitter posts are simply power packed headlines disguised as posts. Anything wimpy gets passed over in the blink of an eye.
Social media has leveled the playing field like never before in the history of marketing communications. Traditional media allowed businesses to have the field to themselves. Consumers had no voice, and simply had to accept what was written or spoken in the ad as the gospel truth. Social media allows complete freedom of expression, and consumers can finally talk back to businesses about their products and services. Copywriters hence cannot be caught out exaggerating their claims. One false move through a social media post or video and the viral backlash can spell the doom of the product or service which could take months or years to correct.
If all that a copywriter achieves through a cleverly written keyword rich post or a YouTube video is to get people to “Click, Share or Respond in some way” it’s a job well done. The challenge in social media copywriting is to find out what the target reader is talking about, what kind of language they use, what infuriates them and respond with copy that that evokes the response, “They’re talking to me, in my language. I better listen and get my friends to listen as well.”
Here’s where many copywriters go wrong. Yes, there’s no place for prose in social media copywriting, so let’s go straight for the kill. This works as well as a marriage proposal on a first speed date. Social media is all about building relationships. Of course a business needs to sell, so that it can prosper, but that comes later. Not before the trust has been established. The focus on writing copy needs to shift from sales copy to copy that educates and informs. Who will a consumer want to buy from? A business that takes the time to help them make a well informed decision, or one that tries to get them to reach for their wallet first?
While copywriters need to rewire their thinking when writing for for social media, they will always be judged the one enduring quality that great copywriters are known for – creativity. Creativity will always rule, all that’s required in social media copywriting is to channel this ability in a slightly different direction. Of course for some copywriters this could be a challenge, but those that are early adaptors will get ahead in the social media copywriting space.
