How to Write a Social Media Post in 5 Minutes

People ask me how to write a social media post all the time. As if there’s some secret to creating amazing content that instantly converts your followers into clients and shoots your engagement through the roof.

I’m sorry to tell you, there isn’t a magic formula.

But there is a way to make writing social media captions less painful. And that’s through careful planning.

Most of us (I’m including myself in this, because I’ve been there) sit down to post on social media and stare at our screens not knowing what to write. It’s tragic, because we have so much to offer.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you take the time to plan out what you’re going to say ahead of time, before you log into Facebook or Instagram and stare at the blinking cursor, you’re more likely to create something that will truly resonate with your audience.

So I’m going to walk you through the steps I take to plan and write my social media posts in 5 minutes.

Refer to Your Brainstorm

I’ve already shared a post on how to brainstorm 50 topics in 15 minutes, and I recommend starting there.

Pick the topic you want to write about, and ask yourself why it’s important for your audience to hear about it.

Decide on the Takeaway

A social media caption should have one solid takeaway that people get from reading it. One thing they learn, one thing that inspires them, or one thing you want them to take action on right away.

Decide what you want the takeaway of your topic to be, and then use the next steps to get your point across.

Pick a Format

I’m a firm believer that there are 5 types of content you should be sharing on social media: educational, personal, transformational, motivational, and promotional.

For each social media post, pick one of the five types and stick to it. It will make writing individual posts so much easier. I did a Facebook LIVE on this topic explaining the different types and what they should include, which you can watch here.

Relate to it Personally

All social posts perform better when they include a personal element within them. This doesn’t mean all posts should be personal, it just means you should include something within them that you’ve experienced yourself.

This could be how you struggled with this at first, how you feel when you see others struggling with it, etc.

Write the Way You Would Talk to Your Best Friend

People don’t respond well to formal writing on social media. They want to know there’s a real person behind the phone of the person or brand they’re following.

Forget about your college writing classes and type your post the way you would say it to your best friend. Use slang if that’s your thing, use emojis if it’s how you communicate, and be the real you. It does so much more to connect with people.

Tell it Like a Good Story

We all love stories. It’s why we go to the movies and read books or watch TV. We can get lost in the stories we hear.

That’s why every post you write should be in a story format.

Don’t stress, you don’t have to come up with characters. I just mean you have a beginning, a middle, and an end.

At the beginning, you introduce the struggle. In the middle, you offer the solution. At the end, you share the results they can expect.

Don’t Overthink It

How to write a social media post is not something that comes to us naturally. It’s a learned behavior. Which means it takes practice.

With every post you share, you’ll learn a little bit more about what works well and what doesn’t. You just have to start, and keep going. If you let your thoughts take control and tell you you’re not good at writing captions, it will become your truth.

So just do it. Even if it’s bad at first.

Something is better than nothing.

You Can Learn How to Write a Social Media Post in 5 Minutes

All it takes is a little practice. And sticking with it.

As long as you follow the tips I’ve outlined above and don’t give up, you’re going to get faster and faster at writing social captions. It might even become fun!