Writing for the (Social Media) Medium
October 4, 2011 by Jenni
When I “like” a company … I really like a company – which is why, often times, I’m a fan on Facebook and a follower on Twitter. My feeling is that if they take the time to engage on both platforms, I want to support them as much as I can. But when an organization’s Facebook feed is a mirror image of its Twitter – or vice versa – it makes me rethink my social media loyalty. Maybe it’s the social media nerd enthusiast in me … or perhaps it’s just the PR professional. Let me explain.
As professional communicators, we’re taught to “write for the medium.” Tone, style and format change drastically from one context to the next, so the same should be true for social media. You wouldn’t take web copy and just drop it into a client’s letterhead and call it a press release – so how can a tweet double as a Facebook post?
@’s and #’s mean nothing to a non-Twitter savvy Facebook user … and tweets with more than 140 characters that require a click-through to see the rest? No thanks. This is social media 101 – but all the talk about “integration across platforms” has been misunderstood as a shortcut, rather than an opportunity for brand consistency. (And I’m not alone in this notion – a recent study found that Facebook pages that automatically push tweets receive an average of 70% fewer likes and comments.)
Sure, there’s something to be said for a company that, in theory, wants to engage on both platforms, but simply doesn’t have the manpower or time. But for them, I share a quote that’s more ingrained in me than “write for the medium” – and that is “it is better to be master of one thing than mediocre at many things.”
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Jenni is an account executive at Costa DeVault and lover of all things social media. She’ll like your Facebook page and follow you on Twitter … as long as the content is fresh and different.
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'); ?>Tags: Advertising, copywriting, Marketing, PR, Public Relations, Social Media, writing
October 11th, 2011 at 9:42 am
I’ve always gravitated to articles such as yours, Jenni, that explore the ways brands and people write content for their Twitter and Facebook accounts. I’ve always come away with the sense that they’re not using the medium for its maximum potential and that it shows laziness.
Now examine Google+. In my experience thus far, I’m seeing duplicate copy from Facebook and/or Twitter. If I was to share a link with my followers on Twitter, I would write some catchy tweet followed by the link. Since all they have is a short sentence or two to make them click the link, I better make every word count. Facebook allows me the option to display a thumbnail to describe the link with some context. And if I were to post the same thing on G+, I would probably write copy that encourages more engagement. The whole point on G+ is to share, share, share, so it needs to have some legs. If it doesn’t on its own, you have to give it some.
And thanks for bringing to my attention the study that found Facebook pages that push tweets see 70% fewer likes and comments. I would not expect that to be such a large number but I certainly understand.
Great post!