Getting Started: How to write a great post

Most of us have had this experience. You’ve got a question or a great idea you’d like to share online. You lovingly write this post and share it on your social media or online community platform in anticipation of the praise, adulation, scintillating discussion, and feelings of well being.

But then, nothing happens. Crickets.

Writing a post that’s likely to get responses from others can be a bit like trying to peer into a crystal ball to divine the future. It’s impossible to predict how others will respond to what you post.

However, you can keep some of these content suggestions in mind to give you a better chance to get a good response from others.

• Use a descriptive title that for your post that is both accurate and creative
• Add an image or a video
• Mention others who you think will be likely to respond (using the @ feature)
• Ask questions that are open-ended (rather than yes-no)
• If you want a response, you should ask for it

Follow these formatting suggestions for a better response:

• Post in the category most likely to get a response
• Add tags that are appropriate to your topic, making it easier to find your post in search
• Proofread your work to ensure that it’s understandable
• Use formatting (like emphasized text or bullets) for emphasis of big ideas and readability
• Avoid long chunks of text since most of us prefer to skim

You can go even further by making sure your post matches the tone of the community and the subject matter. Does your post elicit an emotion? Does it create curiosity? Does it uplift and inspire?

These qualities often result in more engaged responses from others in the community.