Platform Counts! The Differences between Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Writing

Great writing can connect with your audience, so it’s only natural that you should be gearing your updates toward the audiences on your social media platforms. Even though Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter tend to get lumped into the same general category of marketing, they are actually quite different. The audiences and the platforms call for slightly different types of writing for social media.

This is one of the biggest reasons to avoid posting the same updates across the board. Marketers like to save time but crafting one update for Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter can make your social media marketing efforts fall flat.

Does this mean that you need to go out and find (or create) three or four separate resources to share each day? No. But it does mean that you need to take the time to customize your writing style to your audience.

Here’s a real live example of how I did just that with my colleague Joellyn Sargent’s recent post about social media and B2B Branding. Using the Buffer tool, I’m able to schedule multiple updates for platforms but still maintain the option for customizing each update.

Twitter Updates

By now, the 140 280 character limit for Twitter updates has been burned into everyone’s brain. But this isn’t the only rule for clickable Twitter sharing. You need to have a hook to capture your follower’s attention and entice them to click through to read the article. This is important whether you’re sharing your own resources or you’re sharing someone else’s.

Consider using a line from the article itself rather than the title. Although in this case, the title of the article is very good, it may not always be the case with every story you want to share. Finding an actionable, interesting line in the blog post – or summarizing the main thesis – can draw your followers in.

As an added bonus, creating your own Twitter update for a curated blog post can help you stand out from the pack. How many times have you seen the same title from Neil Patel or Mari Smith tweeted over and over again? Don’t be a sheep – find something else to share from the story.

I know that I have a lot of B2B followers on Twitter because that’s who I’ve networked with, so I make sure this version of the update includes the B2B term to attract attention. I also turn #B2B into a hashtag to attract some more potential followers in my niche.

Note that the update itself is under 100 characters. I have a long Twitter handle, which used to be even longer before I truncated my last name. In order to make re-tweeting as easy as possible, I try to keep updates around 80 to 90 characters tops. Keep this in mind when you’re crafting your own Twitter updates for more effective Twitter marketing.

Twitter Writing Checklist:

• Keep your update under 90 characters.
• Craft your own clickable headline if possible.
• Use popular hashtags that relate to the update *and* your target audience.

Facebook Updates

With Facebook, your personal profile updates may be more casual, but when it comes to posting on your company’s page, you need to take a whole different approach. Your page updates need to be well-defined and geared toward your businesses’ audience.

In my case, my Facebook business page has attracted a lot of solo and very small business owners, both in the B2B and B2C industries, based on networking that I did very early on. Many of them are not in my B2B target audience, so my Facebook update is a little more general. I want to brand my Facebook business page as a good resource for SEO, content and social media advice. Plus, sharing a post that is B2B oriented may encourage sharing from by B2B audience which can bring in more B2B fans on Facebook.

Facebook allows longer length updates than Twitter, so take advantage of this. Ask a question on your Facebook page in order to build community and get people talking.

The image selection is also important. In the case of this post, the suggested image was black and white, so I opted to display the eBook offer which was a bit more eye catching. If a post doesn’t have an image, you can upload one yourself to make the update stand out.

Facebook Writing Checklist:

• Match your update tone and focus to your audience.
• Ask a question or encourage discussion on your page.
• Always feature an eye-catching image (upload one if you have to).

LinkedIn

Like Facebook, LinkedIn offers a longer post length so you can create more insightful updates than just a headline and some hashtags. However, since the audience is exclusively business oriented, it’s important to keep that in mind when you’re crafting your updates.

Business readers are pressed for time – which I’m sure you know from firsthand experience. You’ve got to get to the meat of the post as quickly as possible. Your updates appear in a Twitter like feed only when a LinkedIn user visit the homepage, so it’s important to capture attention.

The LinkedIn audience is most definitely a B2B audience, so in this update I can really highlight the nature of the post, call them directly out with a question and encourage them to read on for more.

Once this Buffered post is live on my profile, I’ll share it with a few key groups but edit the update a little more. Don’t you hate it when people post updates to a group that they are clearly spamming everywhere they can? Don’t be that person. If you’re posting a B2B update to a small business networking group, don’t speak to B2B marketers. It’s as simple as considering your audience and making a few changes in words and tone.

LinkedIn Writing Checklist:

• Highlight an actionable tip from the post.
• Ask questions to encourage conversation.
• Tailor the update to groups where you are sharing.

If you’re looking to do more with LinkedIn, check out how to blog there in this video:

Like all marketing, and social media marketing in particular, these aren’t hard and fast rules. You can experiment with your own followers on each platform to see what writing for social media style works best.

Your turn! What are your favorite rules of writing for social media platforms?

Author Bio

Courtney Ramirez is an expert in Social Media Writing. Courtney is the Director of Content Strategy for Endurance Marketing, where she helps take B2B brands from boring to breakthrough. She creates strategies that helps businesses tell their story, increase their prospects and convert more customers. She manages content marketing creation and implementation so clients can see the best results from their inbound marketing efforts. She geeks out on content marketing metrics and cat memes.

Photo by Vaishnav Vharkat on Unsplash

Writing For Social Media FAQs

When writing for social media you should?

When writing for social media, it is important to keep your audience in mind. Consider who you are trying to reach and what you want to achieve with your message. Keep your language clear and concise, and avoid using jargon or slang. It is also important to be aware of the tone of your writing. Social media is a relatively informal platform, but that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice professionalism. Take the time to proofread your work before hitting publish, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you’re not sure about something.

Why is writing important for social media?

Writing is important for social media because it allows you to convey your ideas which ensures that your message is relayed and understood by your audience. In addition, writing can help to build trust and credibility with your readers. Those who take the time to write clearly and thoughtfully are more likely to be seen as reliable and trustworthy sources of information. As a result, good writing is essential for anyone looking to build a following or establish themselves as an expert in their field.

What is content writing on social media?

Content writing on social media refers to the creation of text-based posts for use on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The main purpose of social media content writing is to engage with readers and generate interest in a particular topic or brand. Content writers must carefully consider the tone and style of their writing in order to appeal to the target audience. In addition, they must be aware of the latest trends in social media in order to create posts that will be widely shared.

How can I improve my social media writing skills?

Here are the few things you can do to improve your social media writing skills:

1. Take some time to understand the different platforms and what kind of content performs best on each one.
2. Experiment with different voices and tones until you find one that feels natural and authentic.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from your friends and followers – they can often provide valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t.

How much do social media writers make?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as social media writers can earn a variety of different salaries depending on their experience level, the type of work they are doing, and the industry they are working in. However, according to Salary.com, the median annual salary for social media writers is $50,000. This means that half of all social media writers earn less than this amount, and half earn more. Of course, salaries can vary considerably depending on factors such as experience and location.