Did you know that becoming a better writer and capturing your followers can be done in the same way for any medium or platform?
For example, what helps you grow your X (formerly Twitter) following can help you structure better blogs and even make better YouTube videos!
With experience studying communication, shooting films, and spending every day experimenting with digital marketing strategies, I learned that communicating clearly for any audience on any platform is done with the same principles that draw them in and keep their attention.
You just need the proper structure to get their attention.
Here is what you’ll learn:
- How to Write Better for X to Grow Your Community
- Expert Tips to Write Better Posts
- Expert Tips to Write Better Blogs
- 7 Ways to Keep Your Readers Engaged With Captivating Hooks
- How to Write Powerful Headlines
Becoming a Better Writer for X
You may have heard that you should use visuals like gifs and images in your posts for higher engagements – but this only works if done correctly.
A perfectly crafted post that goes viral on its own sometimes has no visuals or hashtags since it can spread through keywords by X topic recommendations.
It’s because people on the internet get what’s called “banner blindness” and ignore posts that look like advertisements.
Posts that grow your following quickly and catch people’s attention are personable. They make conversations happen because they’re interactive. X’s algorithm rewards posts that keep people talking.
This means the number 1 tip is to create a conversation on X (much like any other platform).
Start by asking a question and be genuine with your approach. For example, some of our top posts are not valuable, educational content, but are simply personal.
Expert Tips to Writing Better Posts
Write short and scannable: The quicker you can make your point, the faster you will impact your audience. Like TikToks, people want their content fast, which applies to all socials. Studies find posts shorter than 100 characters get a 17% higher engagementrate.
Pareto Principle your content: It’s the 80/20 rule. Selling yourself 20% of the time has 80% of the impact when you spend 80% of your time building trust, providing value, and not hard-selling yourself.
Inspire or ask questions: Simply ask a relevant question to your niche. Growth comes easy when you ask your audience for their opinions. Inspire them too by asking them to interact in the replies.
Example: “Describe *your niche* in 3 words” or “Would you rather ___ or ___”
These are short, clear and make people reply to you, which starts conversations.
Write active and focused: Use action verbs that spark emotions with a tight focus on one idea you want your community to interact with. Focus on only 1-2 hashtags and include them in your text for clarity.
Quote amazing people: When amazing people say some fantastic things, you can share these quotes with your audience since it would speak to them if it speaks to you. Learn how to do quotes on autopilot where you choose the quotes you want.
Write targeted and captivating: Hook your audience with something that catches attention or makes them curious.
Post when your followers are active: Great writing is strategic. See how you can always post at the best times, so your work has a higher impact.
Write with style: Own your social media voice and keep it consistent. Maybe you’re more playful – maybe you’re serious about teaching others. Just keep it the same, so people feel more connected to you.
Use images & GIFs correctly: The key here is to let the visuals interact with the message. Add a photo that adds to the statement or gives it a twist. Don’t post a random picture with your message, or it might look too generic.
Use interactive language: Speak directly by using “you” and speak less about “us.” You want to hear about you, not about me.
Think like your readers: Make audience personas and listen closely to what they talk about and how they feel. Then, if you can speak on their level, your writing will resonate with them.
Sell your CTA: If your Call To Action is to a blog or a landing page, make sure to tease what your audience will learn by sparking curiosity or agitating their problems, so they click your blog link that has the solution to their pain.
Here are some examples of how to learn this kind of copywriting.
Write replies with purpose: Building your community is easy when you put yourself out there. Follow topics on X and keep the convo going. Reply to a post from someone with a bigger following that is getting lots of engagement, and you’ll get noticed by many people. It’s best to add to the post by giving a valuable reply.
Here’s an example:
I got this data from my Engagement Dashboard, which is the easiest way to know how well your posts are working to grow your following.
Next, in your post’s replies, keep asking your followers questions and keep the conversation going which tells X that your post is a hot topic and they’ll show it to more people!
Expert Tips to Writing Better Blogs
Writing a great hook is just like writing a great post. It commands attention and makes the reader think.
So, you need a good hook when writing blogs to spark curiosity, so readers think and keep reading.
What makes a good hook? Your blog introduction should be like any writing piece:
- Capture the reader’s attention
- Tease what will be learned by the end of the blog
- Give a hint of what will be discussed or how the blog will be structured.
The simple method is similar to the “Problem Agitate Solve” copywriting structure seen above.
- Start with a problem that your audience feels.
- Agitate on the problem by visualizing the short-term and long-term pains of not
solving it. - Tease the solution that will be learned in the blog, then deliver.
Like any introduction, your hook should be short and exciting to get your readers curious enough to read your entire blog. My advice is to give them a small tip right away, so they gain some value from the start and want to keep reading.
Create a personal connection with your readers and start your blog by immersing them in a passionate narrative or situation you want them to learn about.
7 Ways to Keep Your Readers Engaged With Captivating Hooks:
- Start with a story explaining how you learned what you’re sharing in your blog.
- Make a desire your audience might not know they have and give them the solution in your blog.
- Ask a question to get them thinking about the problem you resolve in your blog.
- Make a bold/controversial statement that catches attention or sparks feelings.
- Lead with a statistic that proves why your blog is worth reading.
- Start with a quote that speaks to what the blog is explaining.
- Use a metaphor or comparison that your blog makes clear.
How to Write Powerful Headlines
Well-written headlines function the same way as well-written posts. They take from some of the keys of writing better blog hooks, but some formats consistently perform better:
- The ‘How To’ Headline: “How to write killer headlines”
- The List Headline: “The 4 major types of headlines in copywriting”
- The Direct Response Headline: “Sharing helpful posts makes you popular”
- The ‘Reason Why’ Headline: “Why it’s time for the 4-hour workday”
- The ‘Special Guide’ Headline: “The fool-proof guide to writing better for social
media”
Finally, one of the top-performing headlines is number headlines:
Example: “5 best ways to write smarter content every time”
This headline includes a number (5), an adjective (best), a logic (ways), some keywords (write smarter content), and a guarantee (every time) all in one.
Hopefully, breaking down this headline shows you how you can write better for social media to get your audience interested, too.
When you master great headlines, pull people in with better-written hooks and build structure in your content, anything you write has the potential to grow your following when more people stick around to the end.
All you need to do now is measure your engagement analytics, so you know how your writing is actively building your X community!