How to explain what you do on social media in one post

Key takeaways

To explain what your business does on social media, use one sentence: we help a named customer with a named problem, by doing a specific thing, in a stated place. Put it in your bio, expand it in one pinned post, and repeat it in plain words until you are tired of it.

• 1 sentence should cover who, what problem, how and where.
• A stranger should understand it in about 5 seconds.
• Pin one post that expands the sentence with proof.
• Repeat it monthly. New visitors have not seen it before.

Why do visitors need it spelled out?

Visitors need it spelled out because most arrive from a single post with no context. They check the profile for a few seconds to decide whether you are relevant. If the bio says 'Passionate about solutions' and the top posts are a team lunch and a quote, they leave none the wiser.

• How to create social media content that attracts the right customers

What is the one-sentence formula?

The formula is: we help [customer] with [problem] by [what you do] in [place or market]. It forces four decisions that vague descriptions avoid. If you cannot fill in the customer or the problem, that is the thing to resolve before writing any more content.

• 'We help landlords in Bristol pass electrical inspections first time.'
• 'We run payroll for care providers with 20 to 200 staff.'
• 'We build extensions for families in South Manchester.'

• Ideal customer profile for social media: define yours
• Write a website value proposition visitors understand in five seconds

What should the pinned post contain?

The pinned post should contain the sentence, three examples of typical work, one piece of proof, a signal of scale or starting price, and how to enquire. A carousel suits this well. It is the post a new visitor reads first, so review it every quarter.

• The one-sentence explanation.
• Three typical jobs or customers.
• One result, review or accreditation.
• Typical scale or starting price.
• One next step.

• Carousel posts: the format that pre-qualifies buyers

How do you explain a complicated service simply?

Describe the result, not the method. A customer does not buy 'managed IT services'. They buy 'staff who can log in every morning and someone who answers when they cannot'. Start with the result, then name the service for those who know the term.

• Plain English on social media: drop the jargon, win buyers
• Use your customers' own words in social media content

What if you offer several services?

Lead with the one you most want to be known for and list the rest briefly. A sentence trying to cover seven services describes none of them. The pinned post and highlights can show the range. The first impression should be one clear thing.

• Niche vs broad social media content: which wins buyers?

How do you test whether it is clear?

Show the profile to someone outside your industry for five seconds, then ask what you do, for whom and where. If they cannot answer all three, rewrite. It is a crude test and a reliable one, and it costs nothing.

• How to write a social media bio that attracts buyers

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see with UK business-to-business firms: the profile describes values and culture, and nowhere states the service in words a buyer would search for. Adding one plain sentence to the bio and one pinned explainer is often the quickest improvement available.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Clarity checklist

Check your profile against these.

• The sentence names customer, problem, method and place.
• It is in the bio.
• A pinned post expands it with proof.
• It passes the five-second test.
• It is repeated in a post at least monthly.

Next step

Write the sentence now, using the formula. Put it in your bio and show the profile to one person outside your trade.