How to write effective social media posts as a professional communicator

Noticing that your posts aren’t performing as well as they should be? Here’s some tips to keep those numbers going up.

On Jan. 24, My Multimedia Journalism class live-tweeted a presentation given by professor Amber Hinsley about how to boost engagement on various social media platforms.

To begin a live tweeting session, you need to let your audience know why you’ve become sandwiched in-between every other tweet.

Whats up everyone, y’all want tips on social media writing? Well, I am probably not the best to give advice on that, so I will be telling y’all what my professor says! 😊#mmjtxst pic.twitter.com/CTIiw8MwYg

— Alberto C. Montalvo (@alvirgochapa) January 24, 2023

Writing for Twitter

Twitter allows for tweets up to 240 characters and could possibly allow for up to 4,000 characters in the future, according to CEO Elon Musk. Having access to that many characters doesn’t necessarily mean professional communicators should use them all.

some advice from @amberhinsley,
“research shows that the sweet spot for getting engagement with your tweets is 70-75 characters. That’s characters not words.” #mmjtxst

— Wesley Ferrell (@WesleyAFerrell) January 24, 2023

It’s best practice in journalism to keep your writing at a 5th grade reading level so everyone can be well informed. This is especially true on social media, where education level of users varies widely.

Use the language of your audience. Write to your general public, as simple language is universal. #mmjtxst pic.twitter.com/DdPf6Hdje8

— rease!! (@reaseliliannn) January 24, 2023

Writing for Instagram

Instagram has a surprisingly high character count available to users, clocking in at a whopping 2,200. Try to ensure the information you want to convey is easy to find and not lost in a sea of characters.

Instagram captions should be "front-loaded," with the important information at or near the beginning of the caption#mmjtxst

— Dylan Limas (@dylanlimas361) January 24, 2023

While hashtagging your posts may seem a bit cheugy in 2023, it’s still one of the most effective ways to get your content seen by a specific audience. Even though Instagram allows you to put your post under 30 tags at once, try not to overdo it.

Hashtag THIS!
Hashtag THAT!

Instagram users!! “The sweet spot for hashtags is about four” @amberhinsley #mmjtxst

— Kadence MaKenna (@kadencemakenna_) January 24, 2023

Writing for Facebook

Facebook is the most popular social media platform in the world making it very important for professional communicators. To get attention on Facebook, you want to ensure your audience feels invited to your content.

https://twitter.com/chelseaidreier/status/1617991961243430912

Surprisingly, outrage isn’t the best way to reap engagement on Facebook. Even if the content you want to spread isn’t the best news, try to look on the bright side.

Stay positive! Content on facebook with positive vibes tend to perform better. #mmjtxst

— Wesley Ferrell (@WesleyAFerrell) January 24, 2023

General tips

While all social media platforms vary widely in user base, content style, and format, some rules apply to all platforms.

💫TIPS FOR ANY SOCIAL MEDIA💫
How many times a day do you post?
Who’s your audience?
Is 8am on a Wednesday a good time to post? THE ANSWER is a no, you should say no.

Think of these questions when posting on any socials! #mmjtxst pic.twitter.com/UFWqzV9Yhm

— Alberto C. Montalvo (@alvirgochapa) January 24, 2023

If all else fails, the blog is always a great option outside of social media. Using search engine optimization, your content can be seen by anyone regardless of platform.

Blogs have the longest shelf life for content relevance. Content can be relevant for up to 2 years. #mmjtxst

— Wesley Ferrell (@WesleyAFerrell) January 24, 2023

Need more tips?

You can find more helpful tips for social media engagement on platforms like LinkedIn by visiting the #mmjtxst hashtag on Twitter to see all tweets from the class’ live-tweeting session. If you’re having issues with Instagram, I have an article on my blog on how to write specifically for Instagram.