Steps to Writing Effective Social Media Articles

Steps to Writing Effective Social Media Articles

Writing Effective Social Media Articles

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Writing effective social media articles isn't complex. Once you've mastered a couple of tips, it becomes fun rather than a hustle. However, it's vital that we first understand that writing in itself is an art that very few people have mastered. Despite this, anyone with the passion and interest in becoming an established writer can be one. Irrespective of the genre, certain aspects must be adhered to for your article to attain the required standards.

Before you can post articles on any social media sites, there are specific issues that must be dealt with for your article to have the intended effect. Getting an audience or having a successful online marketing campaign all boils down to the quality of your article. Content is essential in any social media article. A forecast by PQ media showed that global content marketing revenues in 2016 were at $28.1 billion a growth from the previous year by 14%, while the 2017 to 2021 period could also see a similar double-digit increase.

So how does one write an effective social media article? It’s quite simple once you’ve mastered tips for good writing. This article will highlight steps that can help you out:

Step 1: Identify Your Niche

What's your area of expertise or in what field does your article fall? This is an aspect that one needs to comprehend before they can write anything thoroughly. Although it's not always that you will write on a topic that you have an understanding of, ensure that you identify a field you will be comfortable writing and are knowledgeable in!

Social media articles can be categorized into different niches, how you would write a blog would vary considerably from a Facebook post or any other posts for that matter. Therefore, know your niche for you to write compelling pieces.

Step 2: Find an Appealing Topic and Title

An article is just as good as its title. Before you choose a catchy and attractive title, you need to first have a topic. What is your piece based on? How relevant is your topic and how does it relate to your audience? These are all things that you’ll need to know if you are to write a useful article.

Audiences will only take time to read on topics that are fun and relevant for them. Areas that help them become individuals or add value to them, of course, other than being entertaining. Therefore, exercise caution when picking a theme and give it an attractive title, it will determine the content of your article and importantly the quality of the content!

Step 3: Research Your Content

Read! Read! Read!

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Yes, you may be knowledgeable on a topic, but still, you’ll need to read far and wide to keep updated and write effective articles for your audience. In almost every field, there are new advancements realized each year. Therefore, always be on the-know to deliver relevant information. 87% of B2B buyers prefer reading content that looks to transform the industry and is relevant.

Another important issue is giving precise and factual information. Audiences on social media platforms value credibility and one way of doing so is by posting correct information. Remember that the internet is flooded with fake and misleading information; readers are wary of such. Research and read as much as you can to deliver quality content.

Step 4: Be Original and Unique

Writing can be quite tasking at times, and certain individuals can opt to rush and copy-paste material from other sites hurriedly. This is wrong and an offense that can cost you your followers and career. Effective social media articles are original and unique. This is why you need to research articles before writing. It’s excellent for developing your content while keeping it original. Importantly, when it comes to being original and unique, give your article your own voice. Let your social media article echo your opinion and ideas. Audiences are more receptive to such articles and lose interest immediately that they note that your article is a copy-paste. Should you find yourself stuck, it’s no cause for alarm. You can access essay writing services to help you perfect your skills, bring out your creativity and work on your originality.

Step 5: Divide your Article into 3 Sections

Writing an effective social media article necessitates that you acknowledge 3 important aspects. This is vital in your writing process in that it prevents you from making pieces all about you. Yes, it should have your voice, promotes you, your services and products while at the same time focused on your audience, which is, listening to their opinions and answering their queries. Thirdly, spend some time talking about what’s happening in the industry, sharing content from other credible writers like you.

Step 6: Keep It Short and Simple

Time is a scarce resource that most of the people don’t have the luxury of spending as they wish. The same applies to both writers and readers alike. When you put the issue of time into consideration, you’ll always ensure to keep your articles brief and straight to the point. There’s no harm in writing short articles although, for blogs, it’s necessary to have long articles from time to time. When writing tweets and Facebook posts, short is always best, but make sure to include all the necessary information.

Step 7: Have Headings and Sub-headings

Include headings and sub-headings in your writing

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Dividing your article into sections, having headings and sub-heading, makes it easy for readers to go through your article. This is especially useful for readers who just want to skim through the article quickly. Headings and sub-headings also give structure and flow to your article. Give each idea its paragraph.

Step 8: Make Your Article Shareable

The goal of writing an article is to communicate to your audience. There are quite a number of social media platforms that you can have your articles posted on. Let your articles be shareable on platforms such as Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. It’s also necessary to work on packaging your article in media preferred by your audience such as infographics, eBooks, audio, power points, and videos among others.

Step 9: Edit Your Article before Posting

Effective social media articles need to attain certain standards, which implies that the content needs to be in the right context, have flow, be free of spelling and grammar errors. After you’re done writing, take some time to thoroughly proofread your article ensuring that it attains a high level of quality.

Step 10: Appeal to Your Audience

Your audience is at the center of your articles, and it’s therefore pertinent that you appeal to them. Having your readers in mind while writing focuses your ideas to what’s important and motivates you to write valuable content. Understanding what your audience loves and what works for them will guide you in writing effective social media articles. As of 2016, over 40% of the world's population had access to the internet; this shows you how much you can gain when you attract even a small percentage of the 40%.

Conclusion

Work on creating compelling social media articles

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Becoming a master when it comes to writing social media articles takes lots of practice. Practice with descriptive and narrative essay examples among others. However, following the identified 10 steps will go a long way in guiding you to produce effective social media articles.

Author's Bio:

Kevin is a professional educator and a private tutor with over 8 years of experience. He is also a content writer for various blogs about higher education, entertainment, social media & blogging.  During his off time, Kevin enjoys traveling and cooking. Feel free to connect with him on Twitter, Linkedin & Google+.

Guest article by Kevin Nelson