How to Write Posts People Read: Structures and Edits for Business Accounts

Three things to decide before writing

Most of the reasons a post isn't read have little to do with the writing itself; they come from the preparation before you start. If you begin with a vague "we have to post something today," you end up with a generic post that could be for anyone. Jot down these three things, one line each, before you start, and the core of your post won't wobble.

First is the reader. Narrow it down until you can picture a face: "a dual-income family in their 30s who lives nearby," or "a purchasing manager in the same industry." Second is the one thing you want to tell them. Is it a new product's release date, a tip on using it, or the maker's craft? Choose one. Third is what you want them to do after reading. Whether you want them to visit, save it to look back on, or tell someone changes the last sentence.

If you have two or more things to say, split them into separate posts. Cramming them into one makes neither memorable. Since the split ones can go out on other days, you also get more material. How to decide post themes is explained in more detail in how to set content pillars.

Stop the reader with the first line

On a timeline, a post catches the eye for a moment as it flows past. Whether the reader stops is decided almost entirely by the first line. On networks like Instagram and Facebook where the body is folded partway, whether they tap to see more also depends on the first few lines.

What to put on the first line

What works is something specific that makes the reader feel "that's about me." "Rainy days only: we bake one extra batch of bread" lets people picture the scene better than "Announcing our new menu." Put in the first line elements only this post has, such as a number, a season, a place or the words of a problem.

Starting with a greeting or preamble, on the other hand, hides the real content behind the fold. "Hello, this is so-and-so shop. Thank you as always" feels warm to regulars who read every post, but for someone seeing you for the first time it's a reason to skip. If you want a greeting, put it at the end.

Don't open the same way every time

Fixed openings like "[Announcement]" or "Today's recommendation" are easy for the writer, but to the reader they look like "the usual post again." On X, repeating very similar text is more likely to be treated as spam, and similar posts are less likely to be shown side by side. The reason is explained in what makes a post show up in X's recommendations. The basic approach is to choose the opening from that day's content.

Build the body as fact, reason, next step

Once the first line has stopped the reader, the body answers their questions. When unsure, put things in the order fact, reason, next step, and even a short post holds together.

For a builder, for example, the fact might be "This week we inspected under the floor of a 40-year-old house," the reason "At this time of year moisture builds up, and we often find damage to the foundation," and the next step "We put together photos of where we look during an inspection, so save this if you're curious." The trick is to include one thing the company actually did, saw or counted, not generalities you can find anywhere.

Include one piece of firsthand information

Firsthand information means facts you saw or heard directly. It can be small: how long prep takes, a question customers often ask, something you got wrong and fixed, the number of parts you handle. Anyone can write generalities, but only that company can write firsthand information. It's also specific stories like these that readers want to pass on to someone.

Think of sales pitches as a proportion

It's an official account, so of course you announce products and services. But if every post is a sales pitch, the reason to follow you fades. A proportion that's easy to sustain is useful tips, behind-the-scenes stories and customer voices, with announcements now and then in between. Even for announcement posts, writing specifically "what's new" and "who it suits" makes them feel less like ads.

Word choice and readability

Add a word of explanation for technical terms

Words that are everyday inside your industry may not reach customers. For terms like "installation," "lot" or "cut and color," briefly rephrase them where they first appear, or find a way to say it without them. If readers snag partway, that's where they close the screen.

Use line breaks and symbols for readability

Most people read on a smartphone, so a line break every two or three sentences makes it easier to read. But a blank line after every sentence or decorating with too many emoji and symbols makes the eye wander. Keep emoji to adding a feeling or a scene. On X, an emoji counts as 2 characters, so take particular care when you want to fit within 280. How each network counts is summarized in character limits and how each network counts.

Don't hype and don't beg

Hyping words like "today only" or "you'll never lose out," and requests such as "please like and repost," may gather reactions in the short term but wear away trust in the account. In X's recommendation system, a likely "Not interested" or mute tap lowers the score a great deal. Including something people want to pass on without being asked reaches further over time.

Adjust tone for each network

Even for the same content, the right length and tone differ by network. Using the same text everywhere makes it stick out somewhere.

On X and Threads, where text is the star, the strength of the first line directly decides how it's read. On Instagram, the photo catches the eye first, so don't repeat in the text what the photo shows; write information outside the photo. Facebook Pages and LinkedIn are places where longer text gets read than on other networks, but even so, make sure the content is clear in the first few lines.

The character of each network is also covered in the pages that compare which network to start with.

Six points to review before posting

When you've finished writing, reread it once before posting. Check these six points.

1. Does the first line contain a specific word only this post has?
2. Is what you want to say narrowed to one thing?
3. Does it include one piece of firsthand information?
4. Are any technical terms or internal expressions left in?
5. Does it start or end the same way as recent posts?
6. Are facts such as typos, dates, prices and opening hours correct?

The sixth, fact checking, is especially noticeable if you fix it after posting. For information that leads to inquiries, such as whether the date and weekday match, whether a price includes tax, and whether a reservation is required, check by reading aloud. If several people run the account, having someone else read it is the surest way. How to set up approval is in how to set up an approval workflow.

When writing with SNS TOWN

In SNS TOWN, a machine takes over part of this review before posting. Every post goes through a check right before it goes out, which finds URLs in the body, @ mentions, two or more hashtags, requests for likes or reposts, writing that assumes a thread, and text very similar to recent posts. For X accounts, a post that hits these is stopped, and on other networks they're shown as warnings. Stock phrases such as "Did you enjoy this?" are also flagged. What the check covers is explained in pre-post check.

When writing from a blank page is hard, you can use AI drafts. It reads the facts and tone-of-voice rules you wrote in your company profile and key messages to prepare a draft, so you can start editing from text that already contains firsthand information. If you save frequently used phrases and closing notices in Templates, you won't have to type them each time. See Have the AI write a draft for how to use it, with screenshots.

Frequently asked questions