%% ID: 13204911 Updated: 2022-01-28 %% ![](https://readwise-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/static/images/article4.6bc1851654a0.png) # About Title: [[Other/Obsidian Starter Vault(Second Brain)/Readwise/Articles/Writing for Social Media- 7 Tips and Tools]] Author: [[blog.hootsuite.com]] Category: #articles Number of Highlights: ==33== Last Highlighted: *2021-12-28* Readwise URL: https://readwise.io/bookreview/13204911 Source URL: https://blog.hootsuite.com/writing-for-social-media/ # Highlights 7 writing tips for social media …and for any kind of persuasive writing. ^278319248 --- Suggestion: let loose, try some (or all) of these, and repeat them for a few of your posts. Build those new writing-muscles. ^278319249 --- 1. Barf it out ^278319250 --- just keep your fingers typing, looking at the keyboard not the screen, so your brain engages. forget about sentence structure, spelling, punctuation… just keep your fingers moving and p[ower through any blockages. ^278319251 --- just typw. editing will come later ^278319252 --- It’s never write the first time. but push stuff that’s in your head onto the page, then mnake your 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 edits…. LATER. ^278319253 --- Whenever, I’m ‘stuck’, for any kind of writing… I just type. Every time, something useful appears before my writing-eyes-and-brain. ^278319254 --- Punch the so-called “writer’s block” right in the gut. It’s bunk. ^278319255 --- 2. Write to an 8th grader ^278319256 --- Not because they aren’t smart. Because it forces you to write clearly. And to ditch the jargon and terms that eyeballs just gloss over. ^278319257 --- Like many others. Better to do the heavy lifting for the reader. Because they certainly won’t. They’ll stop and leave, versus stay and scroll. ^278319258 --- Do the work. Say something real. Practice on your kid, mom, or any outsider to tell your important and useful message. Your readers will appreciate it. It makes good business sense. ^278319259 --- Words that paint a picture for how the reader’s life will improve, that’s the ticket. ^278319260 --- 3. Write to the reader ^278319261 --- Make them the hero. ^278319262 --- Because no one cares about what you (or I) do. Readers only care what they can get from what you (or I) do. ^278319263 --- write with a purpose to raise your signal, lessen your noise ^278319264 --- What action do you want the reader to take? Click the buy, call, or contact us button? Or maybe you just want them to feel a certain way. Empathy? Bliss? Informed? ^278319265 --- keep your mind on the target while you write. ^278319266 --- 4. Write with a purpose ^278319267 --- write that purpose at the top of your draft piece. ^278319268 --- 5. Write to make the reader feel successful ^278319269 --- Lead your reader down the page by breaking up your message. ^278319270 --- Short paragraphs. Short sentences. Transition lines. Bullets. Some bolded items, too. Like this one… ^278319271 --- Allowing your readers to skim and scan your message is nice. ^278319272 --- What are you doing to help your readers scroll down the page ^278319273 --- 6. Write with a hyper-focus ^278319274 --- By defining and going after a small section or piece of your post, document or whatever you’re writing. Right now. Say, in the 15 minutes before your next meeting. ^278319275 --- Progress made. Feels good. ^278319276 --- Define a small portion to write (I’m doing this right now for this single section) Set a tomato timer, that you can hear going tick-tock-tick-tock Barf it out (like we talked about above) Make your edits Finí Go to your meeting ^278319277 --- 7. Use pictures to enhance the words ^278319278 --- pictures enhance the words. ^278319279 --- 7 writing tools for social media ^278319280