We’ve received a lot of questions about how to write engaging social media posts.
So I wanted to put together at training on how to produce these epic social posts for you.
If you’re spending more than 30 minutes per day on the content creation element of writing organic posts for social media, then you are probably doing it incorrectly
When I say incorrectly, I don’t mean your posts suck.
I mean that the mental framework you’re using to write engaging social posts may not be correct.
The key to writing compelling organic social media posts is: write stories.
Let’s begin the process of writing a story-driven post for social media.
Write these 3 things down:
1. Identify your market:
Ex: Health coach for high performers and executives.
2. List a problem your market faces:
In physical pain throughout their day. Distracts them from productivity. They can't play with their children like they want to, because they don’t have energy.
3. What can they do to fix this?
They change their diet. They increase exercise. They get better quality sleep.
4. Write down any story you remember (the last thing that happened to you personally that you remember can work just fine.)
- Example 1: This weekend I played in the yard with my kids and my 6 year old wanted me to chase him. After 15 minutes I had to take a break because I couldn’t keep up with him anymore. He looked at me like “What’s wrong with you?” It made me feel old. I told myself enough is enough.
- Example 2: I put on a suit to go to a family function and could barely button the top button of the pants. It made me feel like a loser. I’ve been a personal trainer for the previous 10 years… yet I let things get out of control. Slow death by a thousand cuts. I said I am done with this. I’m upgrading how I eat. Priorities > Willpower.
Note: The example story you write must include a story arc.
- Problem. Shift. Overcome.
Now you have all the raw material you need to write an engaging social media post using a story approach.
Let’s write this post!
Writing the Story:
Start with the raw material you listed above:
PROBLEM: In physical pain DAILY.
LESSON: Priorities > Willpower
STORY: The example you wrote down before: I put on a suit to go to a family function…
“If you wake up every day with a body in pain I’m going to fix it for you in this post…
A few months ago I went into the bedroom to put on a suit for a wedding… For the past 10 years I’ve been a personal trainer helping other people get in shape, get healthy, more energy, etc. etc.
(Which is simpler than people think btw, this stuff is simple if you know the right things to do and not do)
Anyways…
Top button wouldn’t button, I spent 15 minutes and it wasn't going.
And for the first time in the last 10 years, I felt like an IMPOSTER.
Me, the personal trainer, LOST control of my own personal health?
If you really look at it there aren’t a lot of things you need to do to get healthy and in shape and full of energy…
>> Eat the right foods
>> Stay away from the wrong ones
>> Have a good exercise program
>> Have a good SLEEP program
Etc…
But — BUT…
Your issues with health are rarely “not knowing what to do,” because everybody sort of knows.
Your issues are that you don’t know the right things to do FOR YOU and that you’re having issues with something I call the “Willpower Paradox.”
Willpower is a disease…
It will not save you.
If you’re wrestling with doing the stuff you need to do you need to know that you cannot rely on willpower any longer.
The formula I use with clients is EASY and simple.
I’m breaking it down in a free training if ya want it. Comment and I’ll send you to the group.
-Name
I literally wrote this story in about 3 minutes after harvesting the information above.
It’s a good example of a post using The 2-Step Post Strategy for More Messenger Conversations.
Having the problem + lesson + story at the top (before writing the actual story post) gives you clarity on what you want at the end of the post.
One of the greatest copywriters of all time, named Robert Collier, said:
“The number one secret of writing good copy is, before you put pen to paper, knowing what the emotion and outcome you want readers to feel and take at the end of reading the post.”
Do you have clarity about the outcome you want readers to have before you start writing?
If you only have that clarity 50% of the time, then the effectiveness of your copy and marketing is only going to be 50%.
BREAKING DOWN THE STORY:
“If you wake up every day with a body in pain I’m going to fIX it for you in this post…”
^ This is the lead.
“Few months ago I went into the bedroom to put on a suit for a new wedding… For the past 10 years I’ve been a personal trainer helping other people get in shape, get healthy, more energy, etc. etc.”
^If you make it past the lead and this first line above, there is a zero percent chance you will stop reading this social post.
“(Which is simpler than people think btw, this stuff is simple if you know the right things to do and not do)”
^ This is pre-framing. The readers will ask “Well.. what are the right things?”
“Your issues are that you don’t know the right things to do FOR YOU and that you’re having issues with something I call the “Willpower Paradox.”
^ This is Intellectual Property. If someone googles “Willpower Paradox.” they might find you. This is going to box out a mental space in your prospect’s mind that you will own as Intellectual Property.
“Willpower is a disease…”
^ I put this in here for curiosity.
“Comment and I’ll send you to the group.”
^ How many people are going to comment on this training? Everybody!
If they have this pain, they cannot NOT comment on this.
The response rate of this 2-step post will provide enough engagement for you to have several followup conversations. Some of which will lead to strategy session calls and closed clients for you.
- “Priorities > Willpower” is the lesson. You want to embed lessons into your stories.
News Feed Authority
Learn how to land clients like a pro using your own “2-Step” posts (and without ever spending a cent on paid ads) with our premium training: News Feed Authority!
You can use any kind of lesson in any kind of story in any kind of marketing.
One time I was waiting in a traffic jam on the way to the gym. I was pissed because I knew there was another backroad I could have taken.
In that moment I wrote in my Evernote: Isn’t this just like business? When there are 2 ways to get somewhere, and you feel like you’re constantly taking the road jammed by traffic?
Something just like this can become an engaging social media post.
If you can develop your ability to use stories in your marketing, you won’t have to struggle with how to write engaging social media posts ever again.
Pro Tip:
When we’re talking about the problems listed at the top, you should already have a list of all the problems your market experiences.
Then, at any point you can write an engaging social media post from one of the many problems you already have listed.
Read my article on how to identify and attract your dream clients for a better process of learning the problems your market faces, so that you can speak directly to them in your posts.
Another tip is: Work the muscle of storytelling through documenting your life in a journal.
In order to write good stories, you have to be very cognizant of the things happening to you every day.
I have an Evernote folder that I write in every day. I’m constantly documenting my life and adding in new ideas as they come to me.
This is a muscle that gets stronger with more use.
Ready for another example of how to apply this methodology into an engaging social media post?
ANOTHER STORY BREAKDOWN
Let’s start with the raw material needed.
PROBLEM: Their portfolio isn’t good (aKA your photography portfolio sucks)
LESSON: Pick a specialty because every setting requires different technique.
ANY STORY YOU REMEMBER: The other day I was in the grocery store and I saw a guy selling CD’s. I thought, “Do people still sell CD’s?” It doesn’t seem to be working very well. Surely there is a better way.
Here we go:
“One of the biggest problems I had early in my career was, I knew I was good at my craft but my PORTFOLIO didn’t tell that to potential clients.
In short, I felt my work was good, but my portfolio sucked.
Let’s talk about how to build a portfolio that validates your prices rather than causes people to price shop you.
A few days ago I was walking through the market and saw a guy selling CDs in the middle. You could tell he wasn't very good at it because he had a huge pile of CDs and was just begging people to buy stuff from him.
And I thought “do people still even buy CDs?”
The more I thought about it the more I was curious…
A quick google search says yes.. people still buy CDs. Lots of them.
But not from a supermarket.
The problem with most photographers is they’re basically selling their services like this dude is selling CDs at a grocery store.
Poor presentation.
Therefore, Poor demand.
NO way to actually show people WHY they should buy from you instead of hopping on Amazon.com and buying them there.
It hit me that probably the NUMBER 1 reason it took me SO LONG to build my photography business was my presentation.
People saw me as a grocery-store CD sales person instead of a coveted, vibrant, skillful photographer who could capture their moments perfectly forever.
And this changed when I decided to really perfect my portfolio for my perfect clients that I wanted to go after.
I put together a quick guide on how to fine tune your portfolio in a way that will make people WANT to pay you to capture their lives on camera and you don’t need to pay me for it ;)
Just drop a comment below and I’ll send it to you.
-Name
Story Breakdown:
Lead = “One of the biggest problems I had early in my career was, I knew I was good at my craft but my PORTFOLIO didn’t tell that to potential clients.”
Hook = “Poor presentation. Therefore, poor demand.”
Call-to-Action = “Just drop a comment below and I’ll send it to you.”
If someone is in their market, the chances that someone is going to drop a comment is very high.
Here’s the key:
You don’t have to be a pro copywriter to start writing engaging social media posts.
You simply need to be able to help solve a problem for someone through telling a quick story.
It’s okay to be authentically YOU. Nobody can be you better than you. Tell your story!
Take imperfect action DAILY.
Start building authority in the marketplace. You will then build momentum in starting getting clients on social media
That’s it!
Hope this helped when it comes to how to write engaging social media posts.
In your service,
-T
P.S. If you're ready to take your organic game to the next level and start landing clients, check out News Feed Authority.
News Feed Authority
Learn how to land clients like a pro using your own “2-Step” posts (and without ever spending a cent on paid ads) with our premium training: News Feed Authority!
