If you want to grow an audience, promote your business, or build a personal brand online, particularly on Facebook, Instagram, or X then learning copywriting for social media is important.
The right words catch attention, spark interest, and drive action. On platforms packed with noise, a strong post can help you and your business stand out and make the difference between being ignored and making an impact.
Even if you’re not a natural writer, you can pick up the basics of copywriting and start creating posts that stop the scroll. It’s not about you using fancy language, it’s about getting your message across quickly, making things relatable, and knowing how to encourage your audience to get involved with you.
In this guide, I’m sharing my favourite steps and tips for learning social media copywriting. In this guide You’ll find practical ideas, examples you can try right away, and simple tricks that have worked for me and countless others.
Social media is all about connecting, and good copy makes that so much easier, whether your goal is to sell, inform, or just entertain.
Step 1: Understand Your Audience
Great copy always starts with knowing who you’re talking to. Different platforms attract different crowds, and every community has its own slang, humour, and expectations. What works for one group might not work for another, so it’s worth spending extra time here on each platform to get a feel of the environment.
Questions To Ask Before You Write:
- What do the audience care about? (Trends, problems, goals, etc)
- How do they communicate? (Casual, professional, playful, or serious?)
- What kind of content does the audience get involved with most? (Lists, questions, memes, videos?)
- Are they looking for quick tips, entertainment, advice, or connection?
I recommend that you keep notes on the types of comments and reactions you see in posts that do well. Watching audience behaviour is a great way to tweak your own copy and ads so they feel like it’s coming from inside the group, and personal to them (my article on writing to someone as ‘YOU’ will help you here) and not just landing in it.
Over time, you’ll start to pick up on subtle shifts in what your audience likes or doesn’t like, and can tailor your ads and message in a way that reaches them – and gets you results.
Step 2: Focus On the Platform
Every social media platform works a bit differently. The writing style that goes viral on Twitter might crash on Facebook or Instagram. Understanding what works (and what doesn’t) can save you a ton of time, along with a bit of pride. So, Take the time to check out each platform’s top posts to get a better idea.
If I can give you one top tip it is to focus on one platform only. Learn about it. Learn about its audience. Really observe. Learn the metrics and then go all in.
If you flip flop from one platform to the next you will dilute your efforts, and ultimately your results.
Some ideas to consider about each platform (I have no experience of TikTok so I can’t comment here) but, pick the platform where your I.C.P. is. (Ideal Customer Profile)
Platform Basics:
- Instagram: Good for Brand building. Short, attention grabbing lines and easy to read captions work. Also, Emojis and hashtags help. (but go easy on them or Insta will penalise you.
- Twitter/X: Keep it even shorter and punchier. Use direct language and jump into conversations. To grow on X you need to be a response/reply person. Also with Algorithm changes X rewards more long form content and helpful replies rather than the old days of just responding ‘Cool’ or ‘Love it’ etc
- Facebook: Slightly longer posts can work, but you still need a strong hook. End with a question or call to action. Facebook (as Meta) is big on Ads, but before you sign an up to an Ad account I would build your audience up first.
- LinkedIn: More professional, but stories and personality matter too. Lead with what matters to your audience’s work life. See this as a more ‘Networking’ platform. If that is where your audience is (usually professional backgrounds) then target here.
Spend a few minutes looking at your feed and noting which posts get the most likes and comments. Try to spot patterns in their copywriting style and structure. Sometimes it’s all about the timing, other times it’s the specific wording or use of visuals that makes a post stand out.
Step 3: Nail The Hook
The first line of your post is the most important. It needs to make people stick around. If the hook doesn’t work, the rest of the words probably won’t get seen. So, crafting a great hook is an essential copywriting skill for social media.
Ways To Write Great Hooks:
- Ask a question your audience relates to (“Ever get stuck staring at a blank screen?”)
- Make a bold or surprising statement (“You’re wasting half your ad budget.”)
- Share a quick story (“Last week, my post reached 10X more people, just by changing this one thing.”)
- Start with numbers or facts (“74% of people scroll past ads, unless this happens.”)
Try writing a single post with three or four different openings and see which one you’d want to click. Sometimes, the hook wont come to you right away, so write it after you’ve finished the rest of your post.
Testing your hooks over time shows which style appeals most to your audience.
Step 4: Keep It Short And Skimmable
People usually swipe fast on social media. Big chunks of text are hard to read, especially on mobile phones. Here’s how to keep posts light and easy to skim:
- Break text into short lines or paragraphs (1-2 sentences each is fine)
- Use emojis and bullet points for lists (but don’t overdo these)
- Bold words or phrases to highlight key ideas (if the platform allows it)
- Get to the point, and remove anything that doesn’t add value. Ie: NO fluff.
As a tip, I often read my post back out loud. If it sounds like I’m rambling, I chop it down. Less is usually more on social feeds, because clear and quick posts get the best results.
Don’t hesitate to trim your writing for maximum clarity.
Step 5: Use Calls To Action (CTAs)
CTAs tell your reader exactly what to do next. Without one, they might read and just keep scrolling. Depending on your goals with your copy, you might want more likes, comments, shares, or clicks.
Here are a few CTAs you can use:
- “Drop a comment if this sounds familiar.”
- “Save this post for later.”
- “Tap the link in bio to find out more.”
- “Share this with a friend who needs to see it.”
For better results, keep your CTA clear and only use one per post. People like to be told what to do, just keep it friendly and straightforward.
Use action words and make the next step obvious.
Step 6: Let Your Personality Shine
I bet that the posts you remember most aren’t formal. They sounded like a real person is talking to you. Adding your personality helps you connect and makes your writing feel more trustworthy and relatable.
People love authenticity, especially in an online world filled with robotic and AI posts.
Some tips:
- Use the words you’d actually say when talking to a friend
- Don’t be afraid to make jokes, share how you feel, or admit mistakes
- Mix in stories or anecdotes from your own experience (Stories sell)
If you’re writing for yours (or another) brand, you can still sound human. You can have a consistent brand voice that’s friendly, honest, and fun. People get involved more with brands that feel authentic—even large companies are finding ways to sound more down-to-earth.
Common Social Media Copywriting Mistakes
Trying To Sound Too Formal
Social platforms are casual. If you sound stiff or robotic, or AI generated, you’ll lose audience interest fast. Read your writing out loud and ask yourself, “Would I actually say this to someone I know?”
Writing the way you talk is one of the quickest ways to step up your copy.
Overusing Hashtags Or Emojis
Hashtags and emojis are useful, but if you use too many, it just looks spammy. Stick to a few targeted hashtags and only use emojis that match your tone. Not only can overdoing it make your message hard to read,
but the platforms may penalise you if you flood your posts with them.
Not Editing Enough
Typos and awkward phrasing happen, especially when you’re rushing. Give your writing a quick edit, or, even better, run it by a friend if you can. Even a five-minute once-over can make a big difference in how polished your post feels.
How To Practice (And Get Better Fast)
- Rewrite headlines from successful posts in your own words
- Try A/B testing: change the first line or CTA of your post and see which version gets more engagement
- Challenge yourself with 10-minute timed writing sprints, focusing just on writing hooks or calls to action
- Save posts you love and break them down: what did they do that worked? Can you spot a pattern?
The more you post and pay attention to what works, the better you’ll get. It’s a game. Social media copywriting is like building a muscle; you’ll see progress quickly if you keep at it.
Don’t shy away from experimenting—sometimes a new idea can surprise you with great results.
Common questions: The FAQs
How do I write copy for a new audience?
Start by joining their conversations. Read posts, comments, and replies to get a sense of what matters to them. Adapt your style, but keep your own voice. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions in your posts to encourage feedback from the community.
Remember, by its nature social media is – social. The platforms want people engaging. It keeps people on the platform longer and thus helps the platform with its own goals of selling Ads.
Do I need a big ‘words’ to write good copy?
Not at all. Simple, straightforward words win on social media because people move fast and want to get the message quickly. Focus on being clear and honest, not using words just to sound important.
What if I’m not seeing engagement?
- Try changing your hook or asking different questions
- Test different posting times. This is important in knowing your audience. For example night shift workers will miss if you post mid morning.
- Switch up your CTA or add visuals
Improvement comes with tweaking, testing, and paying attention to your audience’s signals. Remember, even small adjustments can give a boost to your engagement over time.
Your Next Steps:
Just start.
Your Copywriting Game Plan
- Pick one tip from this guide and use it in your next post
- Pay attention to engagement, what works, what flops?
- Practice writing a few hooks and CTAs to keep ready for future posts
With regular practice and a few tweaks, you’ll be writing copy that gets more likes, shares, and comments in no time, helping you to build the audience and target market you want for your business.
Social media evolves constantly, Algorithms change, Platforms have updates, Purges (of BOTs) etc, so staying flexible and keeping an eye on trends can help you remain relevant.
Look for new features, pay attention to top posts in your niche, and don’t hesitate to experiment.
The more you stick with it, the more natural your copywriting will feel, making your social accounts stand out in the crowd.
Thanks for reading. You can join my FREE weekly email series of tips and hints to help you with your content, writing Ads, copy, etc, and get your FREE Downloadable E-Book on ‘How to Write Content for Your Business’ which will cover things like:
- The 4 Types of Content You Need
- Templates You can Use
- The 10 Minute Content Creation Formula