Caption this: the art of crafting the perfect copy for your post
I know it may seem super sacrilegious for someone such as myself – who’s built a career out of writing copy – to teach just anyone how to do just that. But, hear me out.
Imagine you’re about to post a really engaging visual on social media, but when it comes to putting a caption to your photo or video, you’re stuck. If you’ve ever been in this position and writer’s block has gotten the best of you, these copywriting tips (in no particular order) will ensure that doesn’t happen again.
1. Keep it short and to the point
The reality is, the average person doesn’t read paragraphs anymore, but skims and scrolls through articles and news feeds. By keeping social media captions to a minimum, you’re eliminating the possibility of your post becoming an oversight by your audience. Also, by staying to the point, you’re ensuring your message is conveyed from the get-go.
2. Always have a call to action
Whether you want people to visit your website, buy a product or service, or even go to an event, you should always have a purpose for your content. At the end of the day, quality will always outweigh the frequency of posts. For example, each content calendar that Social Know How produces for its clients is always backed by its tried, tested and true formula to help build brand awareness and generate new business opportunities. By adding a call to action at the end of each post validates how your audience can either reach you or take the next steps you want them to take.
3. Take vocabulary and sophistication down a notch (or two)
There’s a couple of reasons why this works so well when writing captions for social media.
We aren’t assuming that your audience can only read at the level of a middle-schooler, but you want to be mindful that your message is clearly being conveyed and not being lost by fault of fancy lingo. Additionally, this writing technique will help you keep focus and get what you really want to say with fewer words.
Depending on your audience, you’ll want to hire a seasoned and skilled copywriter to effectively work with you and/or your team to help you craft a message that makes sense, yet also includes every bit of information.
4. Draft it out with your thoughts
Just like any fine piece of writing, sometimes the first thoughts are not always the final ones. That means that you should be drafting your posts and revising it until your copy speaks to your visuals and your call to action. While this can be challenging at times, the Social Know How team takes the worry out of all of that! We will craft a whole month’s worth of targeted and results-driven copy, accompanying captivating visuals.
5. Don’t forget to be BOLD
A lot of companies lose sight of why they’re marketing on social media in the first place. They want to get on the most popular platforms to stay relevant with the target market and gain a competitive edge; yet, most companies are now actively online anyways and growing presence every day. So, how does one stay relevant and competitive? They’re bold. Through hashtags and witty copy, the creative details inevitably turn themselves into marketing campaign on its own. These are the things people remember about specific brands.
Looking for some help with copywriting? Social Know How is equipped with copywriting skills to accompany your creative visuals for content and paid ads. To get started, please visit SocialKnowHow.com
