Social media and readability go hand in hand. Short, clear messages are the key to both. But, that's not always easy to do. Follow our how-to guide and you’ll soon be writing killer social posts.
What is readability and how is it measured?
Regular readers of our blog will be well versed in what readability is and how it’s measured. For the benefit of those new to the discipline, readability is a computer calculated score that measures the reading level needed to understand a piece of text.
Readability is so important to social media that the UK Government recommends readable.io in their social media guidelines.
For a more in-depth explanation, ‘What is readability and how can it help you?’ is a great blog for you read.
Stand out from the crowd
We all know that social media is a crowded world, but let's put it into perspective:
- 2.2 billion monthly users of Facebook
- Each day sees 1 million new active mobile social users
- There are now more than 50 million small businesses using Facebook
- 1.8 billion people log into YouTube every month
Those numbers are so high that it’s sometimes hard to see where you fit into that picture.
What you can easily take from those stats is that there is a huge potential audience for you to tap into. However, you’re not the only one to think that and you have to work hard to stand out from the crowd.
Your social posts have to be clearly written, they have to be focused, and they have to have a must click hook.
And, where’s the best place to start to make sure you have all of this in place? Start with your customers.
Customer focus
Customer focus is a common theme in my blogs - such as ‘What is readable content marketing and why do you need it?’. When it comes to marketing of any kind, you have to be writing for your customer.
You won’t engage with an audience if you merely talk about your business, product or service. You have to show them the benefits of becoming your customer and how your product or service will improve their day-to-day life.
Social is no different. The only difference is you have be even more disciplined and get to the point quickly.
Get to the point
Readability is all about clear communication and avoiding pitfalls such as long sentences, too many syllables and jargon.
And this is exactly the sort of writing you should also be avoiding when it comes to social posts.
Keep it short. Keep it to the point.
Killer hooks
Your social post is all about the hook. What will it take to make people click, share or comment on your post?
If you want someone to read your blog, don’t just add the blog title with the link. Give your social readers a reason to engage with you.
Bad example
Good examples
One size doesn’t always fit all
Since Twitter moved to 280 characters, changing your message for each platform isn’t as big an issues as it used to be. However, you still need to keep in mind that what will work on one channel doesn’t always work on another.
Experiment with different versions of your copy to see what hits the mark and what doesn’t.
On channels such as YouTube, Vimeo and Instagram, your copy plays a supporting role to the video or image. But, that doesn’t mean it’s any less important and the same effort to making it readable should be applied.
Conclusion
Your copy for your social media post is every bit as important as the content it is promoting.
Spending time to get your message as on point as possible is always time well spent.
If you focus on your customer and why they will benefit from clicking your post, you’re on the right track. Happy posting!
