Social Media Copy

Writing for the Scroll

🔄 Quick Recall: In the previous lesson, we designed email sequences with welcome, nurture, and conversion emails—each with a hook, value, and single CTA. Social media follows similar principles but with radically different constraints.

Social media copy lives in the most competitive attention environment on earth. You’re not just competing with other businesses—you’re competing with friends’ photos, breaking news, memes, and the infinite scroll.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll write platform-specific social media copy that stops the scroll and drives engagement.

The Universal Hook

Across all platforms, the first line does all the heavy lifting. On most platforms, posts get truncated after 1-2 lines with a “see more” link.

Your first line must:

• Create curiosity (“The biggest mistake I see in marketing…”)
• Promise value (“3 tools that saved me 10 hours last week”)
• Challenge an assumption (“Cold email isn’t dead. You’re just doing it wrong.”)
• Share a surprising result (“We increased signups 340% with one change.”)

Hook formulas that work everywhere:

1. Bold claim: “Most marketing advice is wrong. Here’s why.”
2. Specific result: “I went from 0 to 10,000 followers in 90 days. Here’s the playbook.”
3. Relatable problem: “Spending hours on reports nobody reads? Same.”
4. Counterintuitive insight: “The best way to sell more is to sell less.”
5. Direct address: “If you’re a freelancer making under $100K, read this.”

Platform-Specific Strategies

LinkedIn

Audience mindset: Professional growth, industry insights, career development Character limit: ~3,000 characters (but truncated at ~210 on mobile) Format that works: Short paragraphs (1-2 sentences each), lots of white space, storytelling with professional lessons

Structure:

[Hook — one compelling line]

[Short story or observation — 3-5 short paragraphs]

[Key takeaway or framework]

[Engagement CTA: question or invite to share]

[3-5 relevant hashtags]

✅ Quick Check: Why does LinkedIn copy use single-sentence paragraphs with line breaks between them?

Tips:

• Open with a personal story, then extract a professional lesson
• Use line breaks aggressively—dense paragraphs die on LinkedIn
• End with a question to drive comments
• Hashtags: 3-5, relevant, placed at the end

Twitter/X

Audience mindset: Quick takes, real-time commentary, concise insights Character limit: 280 characters (threads for longer content) Format that works: Punchy single tweets, threads for depth

Single tweet formula:

[Observation or insight in 1-2 sentences] + [Implication or action]

Thread formula:

Tweet 1: [Hook — the promise of the thread]
Tweets 2-8: [One point per tweet, each standing alone]
Final tweet: [Summary + CTA (follow, retweet, bookmark)]

Tips:

• Every tweet in a thread should work independently
• Use numbers and lists—they’re highly scannable
• Reply to your own tweets to add context
• Avoid links in the main tweet (kills reach)—put links in the first reply

Instagram

Audience mindset: Visual inspiration, lifestyle, behind-the-scenes Character limit: 2,200 characters (truncated at ~125) Format that works: Visual-first with caption as supporting copy

Caption structure:

[Hook — first line visible before truncation]

[Story or context — 2-3 short paragraphs]

[CTA — save, comment, share]

[Hashtags — 10-20 in the comments or at the end]

Tips:

• The image/video stops the scroll; the caption deepens engagement
• “Save this” as a CTA drives algorithmic reach
• Carousel posts get more engagement—each slide needs standalone copy
• Reels captions should be very brief (the video carries the message)

TikTok

Audience mindset: Entertainment, education, authentic content Character limit: 4,000 characters (but shorter is better) Format that works: Hook in first 3 seconds of video; caption supports

Caption formula:

[Hook that makes people watch] + [context or teaser] + [3-5 hashtags]

Tips:

• The video IS the copy—write a script, not just a caption
• First 3 seconds determine if people watch or scroll
• Use text overlays on the video for key points
• Trending sounds and formats increase discoverability

Social Media Copywriting Principles

The 80/20 Value Rule

80% of posts should provide value (teach, entertain, inspire). 20% should promote. Audiences unfollow accounts that only sell.

Value posts: Tips, frameworks, stories, insights, entertainment Promo posts: Product launches, offers, testimonials, case studies

Formatting for Mobile

Most social media is consumed on phones. Format accordingly:

• Short paragraphs (1-2 sentences)
• Line breaks between paragraphs
• Bullet points and numbered lists
• Emojis as visual markers (sparingly)
• No walls of text

The Engagement CTA

Social media CTAs are usually softer than landing page CTAs:

• “Save this for later” (bookmark)
• “Share with someone who needs this” (share)
• “What’s your experience? Drop it below” (comment)
• “Follow for more [topic] tips” (follow)
• “Link in bio” (traffic)

Hashtag Strategy

Using AI for Social Media Copy

Try this prompt:

“Write 5 LinkedIn post hooks about [topic]. Each should be a single compelling opening line that creates curiosity. Target audience: [audience]. Include a variety of formats: bold claim, specific result, relatable problem, counterintuitive insight, and direct address.”

AI can generate dozens of variations quickly. Your job: pick the strongest hooks, add your authentic voice, and customize for the specific platform.

Try It Yourself

Take one insight or tip from your professional experience. Write it for three platforms:

1. LinkedIn: Full story format with professional takeaway
2. Twitter/X: Single punchy tweet (under 280 characters)
3. Instagram: Caption with hook, brief story, and engagement CTA

Notice how the same message changes shape for each platform.

Key Takeaways

• The first line (hook) does 80% of the work—it must stop the scroll
• Each platform has different audience expectations, formats, and best practices
• LinkedIn: professional storytelling with white space. Twitter/X: concise and punchy. Instagram: visual-first. TikTok: video-first
• 80% value, 20% promotion—audiences unfollow constant sellers
• Format for mobile: short paragraphs, line breaks, bullet points
• Engagement CTAs (save, comment, share) outperform hard sells on social

Up Next

In Lesson 7: A/B Testing Copy, you’ll learn to systematically improve your copy by testing variations and letting data—not opinions—decide what works.