Social Media Terms

It is not quite the Wild West, but the world of social media is indeed a whole different world. Below are a few common terms that will help in understanding the work we do on your behalf.

Mentions

Mentions are instances when a business or other user has been mentioned, discussed, or acknowledged via tagging on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Social media mentions are a solid measure of how a business’s social media activities impact the brand visibility, reach, and recognition. A user’s influence or brand image is believed to increase in direct proportion to the number of social media mentions by other users and accounts.
Source: SocialPilot

Hashtags

A hashtag is a keyword or phrase preceded by the hash symbol (#), written within a post or comment to highlight it and facilitate a search for it. Essentially, by including hash marks in your post; it can be indexed by the social network so that it can be discoverable to everyone, even if they’re not your followers or fans.
Source: WixBlog.

Social Media Tips

Source: Sprout Social

Lead with a Hook

Staying on-brand doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, your copy should entice your audience to keep reading. Don’t be afraid to say something spicy or outlandish—as long as it’s relevant to the things your audience cares about. Just beware crossing the line into clickbait territory, and stay authentic to your brand voice.

Use Active Voice

Passive voice clouds the meaning of your copy. Use an active voice to craft concise and actionable social content.

For example, take this sentence: “Diligent customer service professionals can’t be replaced by robots.” Now, let’s transform it with an active voice: “No robot can replace a diligent customer service professional.” The verdict? Active voice is clearer and will grab your audience’s attention.

Write with Accessibility in Mind

Social media copywriting with accessibility in mind creates an inclusive experience. Make sure accessibility is part of your overall strategy, and apply it to your social content—from copy to images to videos.

Here are a few best practices to keep in mind to make your social copy accessible, especially for those using a screen reader:

• Make hashtags easier to read by using CamelCase, i.e. capitalize the first letter of each word in a hashtag. It should be #TeamSprout rather than #teamsprout.
• Avoid all caps. Using all caps might make screen readers interpret the word as an acronym, disrupting the content experience.
• Spell out acronyms the first time you mention them to avoid confusion.
• Write in pain language. Avoid jargon and overly complicated words to make your content more accessible for those new to your industry, non-native speakers or people with cognitive disabilities.
• Avoid run-on sentences. Keep your copy short and concise.
• Present the most important information first. This is helpful for accessibility, and for writing more engaging copy.
• Include @ mentions and emojis at the end of your post.
• Use special characters in moderation. Screen readers know to not read all special characters aloud, like ampersands. But too many special characters in your text can result in a confusing experience.