Posting on social media has transformed itself into an art form. Social media success is a must-have for nonprofits trying to garner more attention for their efforts! Today's blog entry will focus on one of the more overlooked elements of posting on social media: writing social media captions.
A social media caption is a description that accompanies a picture. Writing social media captions is unlike any other type of writing you do daily. You have just a few sentences to summarize your information, excite your audience, and promote social media engagement. While this may initially sound daunting, we are here to help you master writing social media captions.
Below are five tips that will help you caption like a pro!
Show your excitement! If you're not excited about your fundraising events, your guests won't be either! Excitement is infectious! Don't be afraid to use emojis to convey your enthusiasm. Let's face it, we all love emojis, whether you want to admit it or not!
Establish your voice and be consistent. Be consistent in the way you present your messages. Decide if you want to speak in the third person (by using your organization's name) or in the first person (by using "we"). Decide if you want to be formal or informal. Once you make these decisions, stick with them for the long run to maintain consistency.
Keep it short and sweet. Think about all the times you scroll through social media. We rarely stop to read those long, descriptive paragraphs. Sum up your captions in a sentence or two. For example, if you promote a fundraising event, cover the who, where, what, and when. Include a line that will excite your audience but doesn't dive deep into too much information. You can provide a link to your website for more detailed information.
Adapt to your social media platform. Not every social media platform has the same vibe. For example, LinkedIn is a more formal environment in comparison to Instagram. While it's essential to maintain your excitement across the board, you may need to vary your wording depending on the platform. Don't copy and paste across the board.
5. Your audience is key. Keep in mind what type of audience generally reads your posts. For example, you should moderate your emoji usage if you have an older audience. That doesn't mean you shouldn't use them. But don't go crazy with them! The same goes for popular abbreviations—only abbreviate things your audience might understand.
Just like anything else, writing social media captions takes practice. Take notice of the posts that receive the most attention. These are your blueprints to build on. Contact us today if your nonprofit needs extra help with social media audience engagement and fundraising event marketing. Our team is ready to help!