Copywriting Formulas to Energize Your Social Media

 

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Table of Contents

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Why Copywriting Formulas for Social Media Specifically?

·         1. The 4 C’s

·         2. The 4 U’s

·         3. Cliffhangers Make the Readers Want More

·         4. Use Social Proof

·         5. AIDA

·         6. So What?

·         7. Who-Why-When-What

·         Bonus Formula: Your Own

 

1. The 4 C’s

In marketing, it seems like things come in fours. The 4 P’s are often in the introductory marketing courses. So, it makes sense that there are the 4 C’s of copywriting. They are:

1. Clear

2. Concise

3. Compelling

4. Credible

If you can infuse your social media posts with these 4 C’s, you’re on a roll. This formula gets a little bit tricky.

https://www.hyundai.com/eu/about-hyundai/brand/experience-n.html

In it, it’s clear what you’re going to get – tips for successfully going it alone. It’s concise. It’s compelling to people going it alone and not sure how to find support.

 

 2. The 4 U’s

Another copywriting formula with the 4 U’s.

1. Useful

2. Urgent

3. Unique

4. Ultra-Specific

This one has a little more energy behind it than the 4 C’s. If your target audience needs an extra push, this is a great formula to deliver that push without feeling like you need to take a shower as soon as you hit publish.

 

Copywriting is simply a type of writing used to get an audience to act, but as any copywriter knows, achieving that is not so simple. As there are a number of factors that influence whether a reader takes action,

Chris Brogan is the King of this. He sells without it sounding sleazy. Here’s an example of a recent promotion he did for a paid webinar he hosted about email marketing.

 

It was useful for people who didn’t feel email marketing was their strong suit. The webinar was happening that night, so there was a sense of urgency in the post. The positioning was unique. And, it was ultra-specific about what the person would get. That’s hard to do in less than 140 characters, but he did.

 

 

3. Cliffhangers Make the Readers Want More

Our brains like closure. We’re drawn to it. We have to know what happens to the damsel in distress at the end of the fairy tale. We’re drawn into movie theaters like moths to a flame so that we can find out who did it in the murder mystery teaser we saw on TV.

 

In this example, Dr. Emad Rahim poses a question leaving the audience asking, “how?” To find out the answer, you have to click on the post and read the article. There’s curiosity baked into that post. Click, and you’ll find out how to develop empathy, which is a coveted feeling most marketers want to achieve.

 

4. Use Social Proof

It’s easy to make claims online. I can claim to be an astronaut, and with strong copywriting, I could get someone to believe I could teach him how to cook in space.

That’s obviously far-fetched. I have zero training in either space walking or culinary science, but by adding a few words to my post.

This type of sleaze has made many consumers worrisome about believing claims online. If your business falls into that class, you might want to use social proof in your posts to get people to trust you.

 

5. AIDA

AIDA is a classic example of copywriting formulas. It’s the go-to for most copywriters of all skill levels because it works. AIDA stands for:

·         Attention

·         Interest

·         Desire

·         Action

Grab the person’s attention up front. Tease them with something interesting. Plant the seed of desire. Then, tell the reader what action you want him to take next. Here’s an example:

 

6. So What?

“So what?” That’s the question running through your customer’s mind when he reads your sales pitch.

So what?

Instead of just saying, the headline goes on to say why that matters.  It’s a clear benefit, and it gives a more tangible reason to pay attention to the post. It’s not about sucking up to the editor; t’s our work in front of their audiece.

7. Who-Why-When-What

In storytelling, these are all important questions to answer. Copywriting is a lot like storytelling, so when added to a strategic mix, they make for a strong copywriting formulas.

·         Who is this for?

·         Why should that person care?

·         When can they get it?

·         What do they have to do next?

  

Bonus Formula: Your Own

Ultimately, to be persuasive and attention-grabbing in copywriting, you have to tell your story with your voice.

If the copy feels dirty to write and publish, chances are the reader will feel the same way and you’ll lose that coveted attention on social media. On the other hand, if you feel good about what you’re saying, you’re in a far better spot to capture the attention of the reader.

You choose what feels best for you. Test different copywriting formulas, tweak your approach and learn as you grow.

Kimberly Crossland is a copywriter with  talent for writing words that pull out brand’s personalities. 

 

 

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qualities or skills to be a radio producer.

 You need certain qualities or skills to be a radio producer. The qualities you need include the following:- (a) ability to see and hear what is happening around you. This would mean a keen desire to know more about things. We may call this inquisitiveness. Unless a person is inquisitive, he or she cannot be a good radio producer. This is because you need ideas to produce interesting programmes. How do you get ideas? Let us think. Firstly, we need to observe things to get ideas. Remember the story of Isaac Newton who observed an apple falling? This observation led him to wonder why the apple fell down from the tree and why it did not go up. The result was Newton’s gravitational theory. Let’s take another example. James Watson was boiling water in a kettle. When the steam gushed out with force, he realized that force or power could be used. The result of this paved the way for the invention of the steam engine. So you can get ideas by: 

(i) observing things as discussed above.

 (ii) drawing from experiences : We have good and bad experiences in life. People who have written stories, novels, poems and plays draw their ideas mostly from their experiences. The great poet Kalidasa saw the dying bird and its pair which was sad and took to writing poems. The English poet Wordsworth observed flowers (daffodils) dancing in the air and wrote one of the best pieces of poetry. So from our own experiences or going through the experiences of others, we get ideas.

 (iii) You have just read about the experiences of others. How do you come to know about them. Well, you need to talk to others to find out and understand their experiences. 

(b) Ability to conceptualise ideas: You may get any number of ideas, but you need to turn them into concepts and then in to radio scripts. 

(c) Creativity : What is creativity ? Are you creative? This is a quality which is found in almost everyone. But you need to be creative in putting together an idea in a manner which can attract people .Creativity would mean, doing something new or different. The same idea can be made into a radio programme differently by different people. If everyone does it in the same way, they will all be the same and not interesting. (d) A good user of words. You need the ability to use the right word at the right time in the right manner. Radio programmes depend on a good script and that depends on your ability to write well. For this you need a very good knowledge or stock of words or a good vocabulary. You have to be using words in the appropriate manner. We shall deal with this aspect later.

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Social Media-Social Networking sites

 

 

A social networking service (SNS) is an online vehicle for creating relationships with other people who share an interest, background. Social networking service users create a profile with personal information and photos and form connections with other profiles.

These users then use their connections to grow relationships through sharing, emailing, instant messaging, and commenting. Social networking services may also be referred to as a "social networking site" or simply "social media."

·         A social networking service (SNS) is an online vehicle for creating relationships with other people.

·         Social networking services are more commonly referred to as "social networking sites" or "social media."

·         Social networking services business models are based on online advertising.

Successful specialized Social networking services include YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Snapchat, Tumblr, Pinterest, and TikTok.  Facebook alone have over 2.91 billion users worldwide.

Social Networking Service Characteristics

While social networking services may take many forms, and has several characteristics

Some characteristics include:

·         User-generated content, such as photos, videos, and posts that inform other users about the activities and interests of the poster.

·         The ability to connect individuals from all over the world, though some platforms recommend that individuals know one another in real life before connecting online.

·         They are free. Their business model is based on breadth of membership, therefore charging for use would be counterproductive. Still, the possibility remains that if a network grew large and useful enough, charging a fee may be possible.

·         They connect people with common histories, such as school attendance, work colleagues, or people who share a common interest.

·         They may help forge and develop relationships between people who share a profession or business network.

·         They may be used to help individuals find information, products, services, or resources that are relevant to them.

 

Social media dramatically change the media landscape of the 21st century and consequently the way people communicate with each other, bringing a new way to conceptualize public opinion.

 

 

What Is Social Media?

The term social media refers to a computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through virtual networks and communities. Social media is internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of content, such as personal information, documents, videos, and photos. Users engage with social media via a computer, tablet, or smartphone via web-based software or applications. More than 4.5 billion people use social media, as of October 2021.

 Social media is an ever-changing and ever-evolving field, with new apps such as TikTok and Clubhouse coming out seemingly every year, joining the ranks of established social networks like Blog, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

All social media involve some sort of digital platform, whether that be mobile or stationary. Social media allow some form of participation.

BLOG 

A blog is a website where someone regularly records their thoughts or experiences or talks about a subject. In the early 2000s, blogging emerged in a variety of forms when several political blogs were born. Today, there are more than 570 million blogs on the web. 

 

A blog, a shortened version of “weblog” is an online journal or informational website displaying information in reverse chronological order, with the latest posts appearing first, at the top. It is a platform where a writer or a group of writers share their views on an individual subject.

What is the purpose of a blog?

There are many reasons to start a blog ; the main purpose of a blog is to connect you to the relevant audience.  

Blog structure

The appearance of blogs has changed over time, and these days blogs include a wide variety of items and widgets. However, most blogs still include some standard features and structures.

Here are common features that a typical blog will include:

·       Header with the menu or navigation bar.

·       Main content area with highlighted or latest blog posts.

·       Sidebar with social profiles, favorite content, or call-to-action.

·       Footer with relevant links like a disclaimer, privacy policy, contact page, etc.

 

Blogs need frequent updates.

Blogs also promote reader engagement.

Readers have a chance to comment and voice their different concerns and thoughts to the community.

Blog owners update their site with new blog posts on a regular basis.

Definition of a blogger: A blogger is someone who runs and controls a blog. He or she shares his or her opinion and knowledge on different topics for a target audience.  A blogger is someone who writes regularly for an online journal or website.

 

 A political blogger might provide weekly commentary on current events.  A personal blogger keeps a website which may include diary-like entries, photographs, and links to other sites. Such a blog is a record of how the blogger spends her days — vacations, weekend outings, books and movies she's watched, and so on. Fashion bloggers might take photos of outfits or link to shopping sites, and pop culture bloggers might recap last night's TV shows. Blogger comes from blog, first used in 1998 as shorthand for weblog.

 

Social media allows you to do at least four important things: 

·       Discover new ideas and trends.

·       Connect with existing and new audiences in deeper ways

·       Bring attention and traffic to your work.

·       Build, craft and enhance your brand.  

 

FACEBOOK

Facebook is a social networking website launched in February 2004

Facebook, with more than two billion users worldwide, is the most powerful and influential of the social networks. It is a great way to connect with family, friends and friends of friends. It remains mainly a personal network for most people, but it is useful for business and professional outreach as well. Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and others when he was a student at Harvard; though when the site was initially launched, it was restricted to Harvard students only. Later the privilege was extended to high school students and later to everyone that is 13 years or older (Boyd, 2007). As of July 2010.  Facebook was ranked as the most used social

network worldwide.

YouTube

 YouTube provides   forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and 

acts as a major distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers, large and small.

YouTube is based in San Bruno, California and uses Adobe Flash Video technology to display a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos. In November 2006, within a year of its launch, YouTube was purchased by Google Inc. in one of the most talked-about acquisitions to date.

 

YouTube has entered into a number of partnership relations with content providers such as CBS, BBC, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group, NBA, The Sundance Channel and many others (YouTube, 2005). YouTube offered the public a beta site of the site in May 2005, six months before the official launch in November 2005. The site grew rapidly, and in July 2006, the company announced that more than 65,000 new videos were being uploaded every day, and that the site was receiving 100 million video views per day (YouTube, 2005).

 

TWITTER

Twitter gained a lot of popularity first because it offered more different options such

as micro blogging and secondly because it was used by some celebrities. Twitter is a free social networking microblogging service that allows registered members to broadcast short posts called tweets. Twitter members can broadcast tweets and follow other users' tweets by using multiple platforms and devices. Tweets and replies to tweets can be sent by cell phone text message, desktop client or by posting at the Twitter.com website

 

 

Tweets, which may include hyperlinks, are limited to 140 characters, due to the constraints of Twitter's Short Message Service (SMS) delivery system. Because tweets can be delivered to followers in real time, they might seem like instant messages to the novice user.

 

 GOOGLE BUZZ

Google buzz is a social networking and messaging tool that integrates a web-based email program which will work through the popular Gmail service, will allow users to post status updates, photos and links to members of their network, as well as pull in their activity on other sites like Twitter or Facebook .

 

 

 

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Feature Writing and Types

Defines a feature article as “a newspaper or magazine article that deals in depth with a particular topic.”

FEATURE WRITING 

A feature story is a piece of news item written with a particular intention i.e. either to make audience aware of a particular matter, to instruct or to entertain. 

Unlike a general news story, the feature might be prejudiced and sometimes can be used to express the emotion of the writer.  But a feature need not be on a topic of current discussion but can be a general topic. A feature story is normally slightly bigger than an ordinary news story. 

HOW TO WRITE A FEATURE - STRUCTURE OF A FEATURE 

 Headline : Headline should be as catchy as possible. The reader decides to read the news only if the headline is attractive. 

 The introduction: The introduction should be attractive and should persuade the reader to read further. It can have quotations, anecdotes and can be made dramatic and sensitive. 

 The body : Of the feature should present the details of the story. The various and opposing ideas regarding the story are presented in the body. The story should maintain its rhythm and tempo throughout.

Conclusion : The conclusion should be able to convince audiences of a particular perspective and should end with a punch line so that the reader will be reminded of the story when it is mentioned again.

The APPLAUSE Formula

According to a popular theory, a feature story must subscribe to the APPLAUSE Formula, where each letter of the word APPLAUSE stands for the following values:

A    Appeal -Appeal: A feature must evoke interest.  At some level and somewhere, it must appeal to the senses of the readers.

• P        Plain Facts -Facts are stranger than fiction
• P        Personalities Readers like celebrities. If a feature narrates the personal story of an individual who is important enough, readers will lap it up. An interview or a biographical piece can be very interesting depending on who it deals with. 
• L       Logic Obviously, a feature story has to conform to logical considerations
• A      Action A feature should ideally incite people into action. Only then, it fulfills its objective.
• U       Universal/ Unique  feature should have a decidedly universal orientation. It needs to be useful to all and sundry. It can’t necessarily target a certain section of readers alone. .
• S        Significance The feature has to ideally deal with a subject matter that has impact on people’s lives. In some way or the other, the feature should have some relevance in the daily lives of people.
• E                   Energy/ Enthusiasm  feature should be emphatic in its approach. It should be convinced about its own subject matter. In other words, a feature story needs to be energetic and enthusiastic in nature.

• types of feature stories:

• Colour Piece: A feature story that essentially tries to enlighten readers on a particular theme or subject.

  Fly on the Wall: A feature story that is conceived and narrated unobtrusively and mostly without the explicit permission of the subjects.

  Behind the Scenes: A feature story that shifts its focus from the principal event to the background and narrates an interesting tale.

  In Disguise: A feature story that is told while the storyteller is a part of the event.

  Interview: A feature story that develops itself around questions asked to a respondent, who is usually in a place of prominence.

  Profile: A feature story that is based on the exploits of a particular eminent person with or without his/ her interview.

  How-To: A feature story that is dependent on research and helps readers in solving a problem or deciphering a scenario.

  Fact Box/ Chronology: A feature story that provides plain and simple facts mostly in a chronological order.

  Backgrounder/ A History of: A feature story that provides detailed information.

  Full Texts: A feature story that is nothing but extracts from a book or transcripts of an interview.

  Testimony: A feature story that is the first-person account of an individual.

  Analysis: A feature story that scholarly analyzes an event.

  Vox Pop/ Expert Roundup: A feature story that accumulates opinions from the general citizenry and thought leaders concerning a subject.

  Opinion Poll: A feature story that conducts a research of opinions and presents a generalized summary of the accumulated opinions.

  Review: A feature story that reviews a work of art and presents a generalized opinion.

  While news items are extremely important, feature stories play the extremely critical role of building opinions and inciting actions. Features are extensively used for the purpose for advocacy as well.

  Feature writing is a skill that is acquired over a period of time. Proper training modules are required to turn a naturally gifted writer into a feature writer. 

SOME KEY POINTS OF FEATURE WRITING

 1. Focus should be on the topic and the topic should appeal to the audience. The feel and emotion that the writer creates determine the success of the feature. 

2. Be clear what the feature should do,that is t to inform, persuade, evaluate, evoke emotion, observe, analyze 

3. Accuracy is important. Make sure that the details are correct. 

4. Write for the audience. Know the audience’s taste and write. 

5. Interviews should be detailed and it would be better if the writer can meet the interviewed rather than talk on the phone  

6. Use Anecdotes (Life incidents), quotations and stories to make the feature attractive. 

7. Use the same tense form of the verb throughout the feature unless the situation demands 

 8. Write in Active Voice. Avoid lengthy, complex sentences and paragraphs. Use Active Voice of the sentence. 

 9. Collect details from various sources before writing a feature. Update information and talk to experts on the topic before writing. 

10. Check the grammar & spelling before sending for publication

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