Nothing happens by accident in great social media copywriting. Every reaction, every emotion you experience is intentional — all drive you toward a specific action.
How do we know this? Because at Eventbrite, we believe in the power of social media marketing for events so deeply that we’ve spent hundreds of hours analyzing what works. Plus, we’ve created tailored tools and strategies to help event organizers worldwide elevate their social promotion.
In this article, we reveal what the experts have to say about the best social media copywriting tips and tricks for event promotion.
Skip ahead for tips on copywriting for social media platforms
What is social media copywriting?
5 tips on writing for social media
Copywriting for social media platforms: Everything you need to know
What is social media copywriting?
Social media copywriting involves stringing words, phrases, and ideas into a particular order to convey a message and convince a targeted group of people to take action.
What is that action, you ask? It might encourage people to buy tickets to your event, follow your social media account, or opt-in to your email list — depending on your goal. When discussing social media copywriting, we aren’t just referring to great Instagram captions or Facebook descriptions.
It also refers to:
- Crafting attention-grabbing headlines
- Using hashtags and keywords strategically
- Pairing your message with engaging visual content
Then, you need to tailor your writing, tone, and message to align with the best practices of different social media platforms.
Copywriting is a skill that takes a lot of time and practice to master. You need to learn how to use every single word strategically — and do so in a way that stops users in their tracks long enough to read your message.
Trust us, that’s no easy task with users diminishing attention spans.
5 tips on writing for social media
There’s a big difference between social media copywriting designed to make meaningful connections with your target audience and copy that shows you’re only interested in making a quick buck.
Can you guess which one leads to real results?
Here are five tips to help you write compelling social copy that captures attention, builds true human connection, and drives action.
1. Focus on empathy
Alex Cattoni, owner of Copy Posse and well-known copywriter, believes that great copywriting is “…having a simple conversation” and ensuring that “…your customer genuinely feels heard and seen.”
This level of connection, where you’re talking to your audience as a member of your community rather than people to be ‘sold,’ is the secret to building long-lasting relationships with your social media followers and creating authentic content.
How to focus on empathy in your social media copywriting:
- Write in the way you would talk to your bestie: Use a relaxed, conversational tone, integrate inclusive language, like ‘we’ and ‘us,’ and add emojis where they feel natural.
- Build a story: Craft your social media posts like a narrative. For example, tell attendees, ‘We didn’t think we’d make it through this festival season,’ build tension throughout your post, and end with a satisfying resolution, such as, ‘But thanks to your incredible support, we’re thrilled to say it was our best season yet!’
Zaria Parvez, Senior Global Media Manager at Duolingo uses the concept of empathetic storytelling perfectly in her LinkedIn post about her childhood ‘challenge’ of being a ‘troublemaker.’
How to use Zaria’s strategy in your event posts:
- Use a recurring motif: Zaria uses the term ‘troublemaker’ to guide her readers through a growth journey. You can do the same by weaving a theme throughout your copy. For instance, if you’re hosting a nightclub event, use the phrase ‘if not now, when?’ to emphasize the importance of ‘living in the moment.’
- Use personal experiences: Zaria taps into familiar feelings of childhood isolation and insecurity to make her copy feel more human. Apply this same concept by sharing a photo and a quick story of your first event next to a photo of a recent event you hosted.
Once you’ve nailed the empathetic tone and message, the next step is to think of a strong hook that grabs attention.
2. Lead with a strong hook
The ‘hook’ is the first one to two sentences that catch your reader’s attention — and, according to copywriting legends like Kevin Rogers and Laura Belgray, it’s the most important part of your content.
A great hook doesn’t just stop a scroller in their tracks; it quickly reveals the value readers will get from your post.
In social media copywriting, the ‘hook’ can also refer to the text you use within your image.
For example, Brock11Johnson posted a hand-drawn image with the line, “I fired my designer to show you that you don’t need fancy graphics.” This hook was meant to get people talking and position him as a thought leader in content creation — and it worked at both. More than 21 people jumped into the comments, agreeing with him, disagreeing with him, or sharing their own thoughts on the subject.
Strong hook ideas:
- Ask a question: Tap into the needs or desires of your target audience with a thought-provoking question. For example, an event organizer, like Bright Next Academy, that hosts events on the ‘future and ethics of AI,’ could use the hook, ‘Would the world actually look any different if AI took over?’ to get potential attendees talking.
- Create urgency: Tap into their sense of FOMO and make the opportunity feel exclusive by highlighting a time-sensitive opportunity — and then add specific data to make it more convincing. For example, explain, “Our last event sold 200 tickets in just 24 hours. We’ve never sold out this quickly, and we’re really worried we’re going to run out of spots in the next few hours…”.
- Be controversial: Don’t be afraid to make a bold statement that challenges the norm to stir up engagement. For instance, if you’re an event organizer, like Counter Culture Media, you might use a hook like, “Sunday night is the best night to party. No exceptions” as a segue to talk about your Sunday night event.
In the ‘Copy Chief Radio’ podcast, Kevin and Laura discuss how a great hook can get users on your side by relating to an experience or problem they’re facing. Laura demonstrates this in her recent tweet, where she creatively addresses the idea of AI taking over writers’ jobs in a funny and insightful way.
Here’s how you can apply the same approach in your event copywriting:
- Make an outlandish statement: Take a common phrase, change it up, and then turn it into the hook of your post. For instance, if you’re hosting a mid-week event, put a spin on the classic “thank God it’s Friday,” and instead say, “Everybody knows that Tuesday is the new Friday for nightclub events…”
- Keep it short: Make sure your hook doesn’t drag on past the initial preview. Aim to finish your hook before users reach the ‘see more’ button, not after.
One of the most important elements of copywriting is pinpointing what your audience connects with and how to drive action.
How do you figure this out? By letting data guide you on what’s working and what’s not.
3. Use performance metrics to find out what’s working
Since many factors make up a social post — like the image, color, structure, and hashtags — it can be tough to determine if your copywriting is effective on its own. That’s why we recommend using A/B split testing: Test one element of your writing or design at a time, and see which one performs better.
So let’s say you’re an event organizer like Eclectic Events. You could use two different copywriting styles across your posts and compare their performance or run an A/B split test on the opening hook, the call-to-action, or the entire post to see which version delivers better results.
Which performance metrics Eclectic Events could use to determine success:
- Number of users who took action: Look at how many people took the ‘desired action,’ such as visiting your event registration page, following your account, or buying tickets.
- Likes and comments: Track how many likes and comments each post gets to help you understand if your audience stops to interact with your posts or just scroll by.
- Shares and follows: Check the number of shares your posts have within a set amount of time and how many new followers you gain.
Instead of trying to make sense of the data, you can partner with us — Eventbrite. We help you set up unique tracking pixels for each post and give you real-time updates on your campaign through detailed traffic and conversion reports.
Track your social media performance
4. Repackage your content across platforms
When you’re putting an event together, you’re not just creating an amazing experience; you’re also building a portfolio of content that you can then use to craft engaging social media posts.
We talked to Ross Simmonds, author of the Amazon best-seller, Create Once, Distribute Forever, and he shared this insight:
“Events are one of the most powerful ways to capture content worth repurposing. If you run a conference, the keynotes can become blog posts and webinars. If you host a party, the videos can become pre-roll and ads. If you launch a marathon, you can capture images worth sharing for years. Host the event once and repurpose forever.”
Distribution ideas:
- Facebook to Instagram: Take note from Stereo Live Houston, and put your event poster on Facebook to sell tickets directly from your page, and then reshare it on Instagram with relevant hashtags and a catchy hook to promote it to a wider audience through a paid ad.
- LinkedIn to Twitter: Use your conference notes or event highlights to create a LinkedIn carousel post, then turn each slide into individual tweets that roll out over one to two weeks.
- Instagram to Snapchat: Post a live event photo on Instagram with a caption that captures the vibe, and encourage followers to share their experiences. Then, create a series of Snaps to highlight different moments of people having fun at your event.
Once you’ve built the beginning and middle of your copy, it’s time to move on to the final chapter: the call to action.
5. Build a story that ends with a relevant ‘call to action’
If the ‘hook’ is the start of your story, the ‘call to action’ (CTA) is the grand finale.
Think of your CTA as the final nudge. If your copy has done its job right, your audience should be interested in taking the next step. Your CTA just needs to give them that last push from thinking about it to actually doing it.
A great way to get this right is by using cognitive biases to guide your approach. Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts that influence how we make decisions. For example, the ‘scarcity principle’ plays on our fear of missing out (FOMO). When you create a sense of urgency, like saying, ‘Only a few tickets left!’ or ‘24-hour discount — don’t miss out!’, you make people feel they need to act fast before it’s too late.
How to write a great CTA:
- Use active voice: Use active voice instead of passive voice to create a sense of urgency and drive immediate action. For example, instead of saying, ‘Tickets can be purchased here,’ say, ‘Grab your tickets now.’
- Be specific and direct: Make the action explicitly clear to your audience and ensure the process is as easy as possible to follow. For example, avoid vague CTAs like ‘join us,’ and instead be more precise, such as ‘register for our conference today by clicking on the link below.’
A great example of a specific and direct CTA is the one Katelyn Bourgoin used in a tweet about signing up for her weekly newsletter. The CTA feels natural but also effectively guides you on what to do next. You aren’t left guessing about what to do, plus you get a taste of the style and content you can expect in her newsletter.
This is how you can use Katelyn’s strategy in your event campaign:
- Layer it: Start with a line that highlights the urgency or benefit, then add a short, direct CTA. For instance, if you’re selling concert tickets, say, ‘Only the first 50 ticket buyers will receive a 50% discount,’ and then follow it with a straightforward, ‘Get them here’ and a link to your ticket page.
- Leave them wanting more: Create a sense of anticipation by adding small ‘nods’ to your target audience. For example, for a music concert, you might say, ‘Grab your tickets now and join us in the heart of the mosh pit.’
So now that you’ve nailed down the copywriting, let’s explore how to approach social media and make the most of it across different platforms.
Copywriting for social media platforms: Everything you need to know
If there’s one thing top marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuk wants you to know, it’s this: Not all social media platforms are the same.
For instance, you could copy a LinkedIn post into your Instagram post’s description, but will it perform well? We doubt it. Let’s explore how you can really connect with your audience by ‘hanging out’ with them in the way they engage on each specific platform.
6. Facebook (Meta)
When it comes to Facebook, photo posts are where it’s at, with an 0.10% engagement rate, just ahead of video content at 0.08%. Facebook users are on the lookout for news and event updates and love sharing content that feels genuine and relevant to their interests.
So keep your Facebook copy straightforward. Posts don’t have to be long — 80 to 200 characters can be enough to make an impact. The key is to build a sense of community around your event by using your copy to position yourself as a trustworthy source.
What to keep in mind:
- Character limit: Facebook posts can be up to 63,206 characters, but the limit varies for paid ads. For example, if you’re writing copy for an image ad, you’re limited to 80 characters for the body text and 27 characters for the headline.
- Leading demographic: Although the largest group of Facebook users is Gen Z and millennials, with 25–34-year-olds, making up 24.2% of the user base, recent data shows that Facebook and YouTube are the only two platforms that are widely used across all age groups.
Victory North’s post about their upcoming Flipturn event is a great example of effective Facebook copywriting. They use a short, attention-grabbing hook, then follow up with simple language to announce the news of their event. Plus, they rely on the image to convey key details, like the date and venue, making it easy for their audience to get all the essential information at a glance.
7. TikTok
TikTok has made short-form video content cool again. TikTok has 1,582 million users, with most people using the app as a search engine and for entertainment. More users are turning to TikTok to find recommendations for fun things to do in their local area and to get the opinions of ‘regular people’ on the platform.
So when it comes to TikTok copywriting, you want to keep it light and fun. Talk like you would if you were texting your friend about an event you really want them to go to, and don’t be afraid to add a bit of personality and short-hand slang here and there.
What to keep in mind:
- Character limit: The upload character limit for TikTok captions is 2,200 characters. But if you’re running a TikTok ad, you’ll need to keep the description between 1–100 letters, and make sure to include any special characters or emojis.
- Leading demographic: TikTok is definitely aimed at a younger audience, with 18–34-year-olds making up the bulk of its user base.
For TikTok, we recommend creating a catchy hook and putting this in your video. Then, use the description to highlight the key details, include your URL link, and add a clear call to action.
8. Instagram
Instagram is all about visuals and inspiration. It’s where people come to discover trends, brands, and events. So when writing your copy, focus on creating some serious FOMO and excitement.
Make sure your images are vibrant and attention-grabbing. Then, go in with snappy and engaging text that piques curiosity and nudges your audience to act fast.
What to keep in mind:
- Character limit: Instagram allows you to use up to 2,200 characters in your caption. However, this limit also includes hashtags. We recommend aiming for about one to two paragraphs at the most, but know that three to four lines can work just as well.
- Leading demographic: Unlike Facebook, Instagram’s user base is predominantly 18–34-year-olds, with over 61% falling into this age group. So make sure to tailor your tone and content to resonate with Gen Z and young millennials.
For example, Toasted Life uses 66 words and 345 characters on their Instagram post with just one branded hashtag; it’s simple but effective. They kick things off with a fun, catchy line, ‘Let’s make this the best summer yet!’ and add a bit of flair by using exclamation points and casual slang like ‘hittin,’ that Gen Z’ers would use over text or direct message.
9. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a bit different to the fun, casual vibe of TikTok or Instagram. It’s all about work talk, corporate networking, and industry updates. So sharing valuable insights and building your authority on LinkedIn is key for connecting with your audience.
What does this look like? Offer tangible value to your reader through stats, data, and quotes that show your expertise and offer utility. But it doesn’t mean your content has to be dry and boring.
In fact, posts that play around with unusual graphic styles and creative hooks tend to do really well. Formats like polls, PDFs, and albums get the most engagement. So when you’re writing for LinkedIn, yes, keep it professional, but also focus on creating a strong hook. Share personal experiences and insights, and add a fresh twist with unique wording or visuals.
What to keep in mind:
- Character limit: LinkedIn allows up to 3,000 characters per post, but if you’re running a LinkedIn document ad (sponsored content), you’ll only have 255 characters to work with, including 150 characters for the introductory text and 70 characters for an optimal headline.
- Leading demographic: In the US, Millennials make up 47% of LinkedIn users, followed by Gen Z at 29%. This means you’re reaching younger, career-focused individuals who are keen on staying updated with industry news and networking opportunities.
One of the best LinkedIn posts we’ve seen was from Navah Hopkins when she talked about her presentation at MozCon. She adds value for her audience by including a list of key takeaways, uses white space to make the post easy to scan, and strikes the perfect balance between professional and relatable.
10. Snapchat
Snapchat is mostly used to share memories with friends, but they also follow brands and can be engaged with effectively. Snapchat ads are similar to TikTok’s, but while TikTok allows you to include a caption underneath your video, Snapchat just relies on visuals.
So when crafting Snapchat content, you have to think about integrating an eye-catching visual with your message in a short video that captures attention — very quickly.
What to keep in mind:
- Character limit: On Snapchat, you can use up to 32 characters for your brand name and 34 characters for your headline. This limit doesn’t cover text that’s already part of your visuals—just the additional text you add. So, if you need more words, get creative. Use hand-drawn text, overlays, or upload photos with your copywriting included.
- Leading demographic: Snapchat claims that the app reaches ‘…90% of the 13–24-year-old population and 75% of the 13–34-year-old population in 25+ countries’. So when you’re targeting users on Snapchat, you’re speaking to a younger crowd that’s new to the event scene and is more into trends and quick, engaging content rather than in-depth details.
For Snapchat, think of it less like a full-on ad and more like a catchy slogan you want to stick in their minds—a snappy tagline that stands out. Keep it punchy and aim for six to eight words. For instance, if you’re an event organizer like Curly Girl Collective, you might showcase a photo compilation of fabulous curly hairstyles from your event and use a tagline like, ‘Never tame the mane.’
11. X (Twitter)
X/Twitter is the land of quick news, strong opinions, and random thoughts. With just 280 characters, your tweet needs to be ‘newsworthy’ enough to stop a scroll. Think of it like writing a tiny press release. Take your Instagram post and distill it into a punchy 5-7-word hook that grabs attention. For your CTA, keep it short and sweet with just two to three words.
Unlike LinkedIn, where you focus on detailed information and authority, the idea on X is to pique interest quickly and get people to click through to find out more about your event.
What to keep in mind:
- Character limit: On X (formerly Twitter), you’ve got just 280 characters for a standard post, which drops to 252 if you include a link. If you have an X Premium subscription, you can go bigger and post up 25,000 characters. Just keep in mind that hashtags, polls, and media still count toward that limit.
- Leading demographic: Millennials are the top users of X, making 36.6% of the platform’s audience worldwide as of April 2024. They’re closely followed by Gen Z, who represent 34.2%. In contrast, older age groups, like 35-49-year-olds and 50+, show significantly less interest in X, collectively making up just 26.7% of the user base.
Sounds of Brazil nailed the concept of being playful and eye-catching with their tweet about the Taylor Dance Party. They kick things off with a cheeky ‘swifties’ nod, use 11 words to succinctly explain the value of their event and get potential attendees interested, and then wrap it all up with a soft CTA, ‘Meet us in the afterglow’ (that’s also a TayTay lyric).
The whole thing is just *chef’s kiss*.
Cut through the noise with great social media copywriting
So now you have the power to write great social media posts, what’s the next step? Putting it all into action.
As they say, with great writing power comes great responsibility. And it’s true. You have a responsibility to your event community, to us, and to yourself to create impactful social media ads that are engaging and go beyond the basics.
Yes, it’s a lot of pressure, but we know you can do it — especially because you don’t have to do it alone. At Eventbrite, we’re here to support event organizers just like you. By partnering with us, you can leverage data insights, enhance your writing speed, and access the social media marketing tools you need right at your fingertips.
