Doing Well With Social Networking Means Creating Solid Content

Doing well with social media means doing well with content. And doing well with content means doing well with writing. Your Fan Page, your website, your profiles, your blog. All require high-quality content.

Here are some important tips to bear in mind when you are writing for the Social Web.

• Headlines are King; it is the first thing people see so grab their attention with a captivating headline
• People don’t read, they scan
  • First the headline
  • Then the subheads
    • Pull reader through copy with subhead
    • Combination of headlines and subheads tell the whole story
    • Use plenty of white space
    • Black text on white or off-white background is easiest to read
  • Emphasize the most important concepts first:
    • Headline
    • Opening paragraph with conclusions first
    • Less important ideas follow
  • Break up web copy into readable, bite-size chunks
  • Keep paragraphs short
  • Present one idea per paragraph
  • Use clear, uncomplicated language
    • Short words
    • Simple sentences
  • Use bullets to summarize content
  • Highlight key ideas with bold, italic or underlining
  • Use boxes to set off testimonials, stories or case histories
  • Avoid corporate speak
  • Stand out in the crowd with a unique writing voice