Social Media Changed How We Write

“Are you on Facebook?” It used to be a frequently asked question some 10 years ago. Nowadays it even sounds a bit ridiculous, because if you’re not on Facebook, you don’t exist. More than that, Facebook is not a limit. An average person now usually has several accounts on various sites, such as Twitter, Instagram, etc. No wonder that proactive businesses started to invade this big new world, trying to use various online techniques in order to increase sales, introduce themselves to an audience and promote their goods and services in a friendly and non-binding way. It also means new opportunities for writers, as every user of social networks unwillingly becomes a reader and gets involved into communication process. One of the greatest advantages of social media for writing industry is that it helps to increase the author visibility. Online channels allow authors to meet readers, cultivate an audience, as well as increase the author’s discoverability. In order to increase sales, writers have to find a social media channel that fits them best. As important as that is, however, to adapt their wrting to modern realities of social media world.

Several tips that might be helpful

In order to interact with his/her readers via social networks effectively, the author has to really enjoy it. One can’t force himself into successful interaction, so the author must really thrill to the idea of bringing something new and worthy to people’s lives. To put it simply, communication is key to success. Readers express their appreciation and interest through sharing and commenting on posts, therefore your content should be valuable enough to raise a desire for spreading a word about you. The main idea behind using social media is giving people a solid reason to spend their time (that they value a lot) on your page. That is why the author must do it well or not do it at all.

1. Don’t underestimate headlines

First things first. When scrolling down a Facebook or Linkedin news feed, users quickly skim through headlines and judge if a read is worth spending time on or not. Only a catchy headline can make a reader stop and actually pay attention to content. Therefore, remember a saying “Headlines are worth 90% of the advertising dollar” when working on your post. Do your research and learn how to write good headlines. You may want to check out Brian Clark’s Magnetic Headlines or Neil Patel’s blog for more information.

2. Add more visual information

In your posts, give readers facts and numbers, charts and statistics, provide them with links to your expert sources. People tend to believe factual information more than emotions and reactions. Organize your data in imposing graphs and maps, make it clear and demonstrative, use colors. Fortunately, there are tons of online resources that can be helpful, for example, this, where you can find more than 30 tools for visualization of your data. Another big thing is the pictures. Make sure to add good quality and relevant images that would frame your writing, stimulate interest and complement the content.

3. Write more words

The longer your posts are, the better chances you have to be found first in search engines. Therefore, it is always a good decision to spend a couple more hours investing in length, as it will eventually pay off. Moreover, as statistic shows, word count affects likeability and shareability of an article or a post deeply. Believe it or not, but according to a study conducted by Matthew Barby, articles with an average of 2500 words get more backlinks and shares. Taking your time when editing such a long piece of writing is necessary, however. It is not a good idea to publish a freshly written post, the best is to take a day or two for it to rest and then edit with a fresh mind. When editing, don’t spare your feelings and delete everything you find irrelevant or excessive.

4. Focus on quality

Quality, of course, is as important as length. Respect your audience and present only high-quality material that would make you feel proud to be its creator. It refers to both content and writing quality. A good author is not afraid to express his/her opinion and always stays true to his/her own integrity. If you don’t feel right about doing something, better not to force yourself into it. All the posts must come out of your mind and heart and must not contradict with any values or beliefs you hold. Probably the most important is to maintain your own inner harmony and authenticity. Especially in a sphere of marketing, where it is easy to be eaten by a competitor, make sure to check your texts for plagiarism. Online checkers, such as PlagiarismSearch, can help to ensure your work is all fresh and original. You can also learn if anyone has been stealing from you!

Also, make sure to publish only well-written texts, void of errors. For this, you can also use one of the many online tools for grammar checking and correction. Weather with Slick Write, Polish My Writing, Spellchecker or Grammarly, just take this extra step to make sure nothing is out of tune. If you don’t trust machines, get expert help from professional editors Writology.

5. Reach out to your readers

Answering questions and writing posts about your works improves relationships with customers and, therefore, increases the chances of becoming more popular and earning more income. Get involved in discussions, thank your readers for being active and encourage them to come back to you by opening your personality through dialogues.

It is important for a writer to be able to set own priorities and develop a plan to reach short-term and long-term goals. Social media is helpful in both cases, as it has become a vital element of today’s life and has greatly affected the writing industry. Each writer who wishes to reach success should use it in his work. The most important here, however, is to remain honest and always put quality in the first place.