Want the secret to writing engaging, relevant, all-around awesome social media content?
Use both sides of your brain.
We know, using your whole brain to write great content seems fairly obvious, but the truth is, we don’t always leverage both sides. Left-brained individuals tend to think very logically, focusing on the facts, while right-brained thinkers might approach content with a more creative eye, concentrating on storytelling and emotions.
Each side of the brain brings a valuable, unique perspective to your writing, which is why they’re both so important to utilize. As a content creator, you have to know how to think strategically, while also having the skills to write creatively so your content resonates with your audience and secures engagement.
Here are a few ways you can access both sides of your brain to create kick-ass social media content:
LEFT BRAIN
Evaluate your current content strategy to reach your goals.
Before you start writing for social, ask yourself this: What does social media success look like to me? Is it increased brand awareness? Thought leadership? Once you’ve answered that, ask yourself if your current strategy is leading your brand to that idea of success. If not, it’s time to take a closer look at your strategy.
Set measurable goals and identify key performance indicators, or KPIs, for your brand’s social content strategy that will allow you to track progress. For instance, if your goal is to boost engagement, look at KPIs including likes, shares and comments, whereas if your goal is to increase brand awareness, keep track of metrics like reach and impressions.
Rely on themes to vary your content.
Themes can help you not only organize your content, but create content that’s relevant to your brand. One theme is seasons, or time of year, which could present certain challenges to your target audience and give you an opportunity to provide value. For example, a building owner might worry about his or her roof getting damaged from winter storms, so we can share relevant articles, videos, infographics, etc., that provide helpful solutions.
Industry events are another easy-to-utilize theme. Develop content around upcoming or live events you know your audience might be interested in, or attending, like a conference or a trade show.
RIGHT BRAIN
Listen to yourself to capture new ideas.
Your left brain can be a major roadblock when it comes to listening to yourself. The analytical part of your brain inherently filters your thoughts, telling you that what you’re thinking isn’t good enough, but it’s those un-edited thoughts that can lead you to some really great ideas. One of the ways we get to those unique thoughts is through modified improvisational theatre exercises, including:
- Free association – verbal:
- This is an improv staple. We just shift it a little for writers. Place the topic you’d like to write about at the head of your copy deck and start listing words that pop into your mind based on that prompt. Ignore your inner editor and allow the words to flow freely onto the page. Eventually an interesting word will come up that you may not have expected. That association makes an incredibly interesting starting point for your content. Then, see where it takes you!
- Free association – visual:
- Do the same as above, but use a key image relevant to your topic. Start by writing what you see, but as those random phrases start popping into your head — WRITE THOSE DOWN. (That’s actually the good stuff.) Then go from there!
Through this freeform way of thinking, you will quickly reveal unexpected discoveries that can set you off in a fresh direction. This creative perspective allows you to write engaging content that will resonate with your audience.
Play the part to reach your audience.
Great communication starts with fully understanding who you’re writing for. Put yourself in the shoes of your audience, or as we like to say, wear the hat. You can’t write relevant copy if you’re not thinking about what’s important to your audience. Let’s say you need to write social media copy geared toward roofing contractors. Before you even start writing, embody a roofing contractor. How do they walk? How do they talk? Playing the part can put you in the right mindset for writing content that would relate to the reader. Nobody says it better than Susan Weinschank, PhD, Psychology Today:
“The communication between your body posture and your feelings also goes the other way. You can change the way you feel based on how you hold your body. You can change the brain chemistry, and the actions you take or don’t take.”
Interested in learning more about content creation? Then we have great news — we’ll be leading a workshop on how to fast track your social media content at the Social Media Strategies Summit in New York City on October 15. This interactive session will delve into unique and proven ways to access both sides of your content brain, and there’s still time to register! In fact, you can get 20% off when you use code CBD20. Register here.