This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Everybody Writes" by Ann Handley. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here.
What tone should you use in social media posts? Should you take a stand on social issues?
In Everybody Writes, Ann Handley offers a comprehensive guide to improving your writing and reaching your audience. When it comes to writing for social media, she discusses how to keep your brand voice consistent while adapting your tone.
Keep reading for Handley’s tips as well as some advice about commenting on social causes.
Writing for Social Media
Handley emphasizes that the business content you create will vary depending on the format and your intention as a writer. The writing you’ll use in emails to bosses and colleagues will have different rules than writing an email to your customers, writing for social media, or writing a script for a video.
Handley recommends keeping your brand voice consistent. However, your tone may need to shift to match what you’re writing. If you’ve established a cheeky and irreverent brand voice on your website, for example, you would still want to avoid cracking jokes when responding to a customer complaint. If you have a laid-back and easygoing voice on your social media, you should still include a strong call to action in an email newsletter.
Writing for social media requires a new and different type of writing, writes Handley. The point of social media is connection, so you’ll want to take on a tone that’s inviting and friendly, even if your voice on your website or in your emails is more formal and detached. Use your social media profile to establish your public image and connect with your customers in a personalized way.
(Shortform note: In addition to personalized interaction, social media lets companies reach customers on a potentially massive scale. This makes social media a great opportunity for brands, but it does come with certain risks. The scale of social media can cause just a few bad posts to damage your brand’s reputation, and posting sensitive information about your company’s inner workings or practices can lead to information breaches or endangering employee safety.)
Commenting on Social Causes
According to Handley, research suggests that consumers respond well to brands that take a stand on social issues. However, you should always approach these topics with awareness and sensitivity—otherwise, you may accidentally harm your brand if readers don’t interpret your post the way you intended, or if your brand doesn’t work toward solving those issues in practice.
| Unexpected Viral Responses to Burger King’s Tweet A well-intentioned post about a social cause can have devastating effects if it’s not executed properly—which can happen if, for example, your audience reacts in a way that supports the opposite of your intended message. In 2021, Burger King received massive backlash in response to a tweet they posted on International Women’s Day that said “Women belong in the kitchen.” Though they posted follow-up comments on the tweet explaining that they were trying to draw attention to the lack of female representation in the culinary industry, the first tweet is the one that got the most engagement. This created an environment in which many commenters felt comfortable posting misogynistic comments in unironic support of Burger King’s tone-deaf message. Before posting, consider whether your message may be misinterpreted or hijacked by people looking to offend. |
———End of Preview———
Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Ann Handley's "Everybody Writes" at Shortform.
Here's what you'll find in our full Everybody Writes summary:
- Why there is no such thing as a bad writer
- A guide to improving your writing and reaching your audience
- How to adapt your writing to different formats while maintaining your voice
