Rewrite LinkedIn's New Post Placeholders

The Task:
Please write a placeholder for an update input field for a business-related social network such as LinkedIn

My process

Writing a placeholder for a business social network challenged me as it really restricted my creative ability. The existing placeholder already seemed perfect to me, so it was hard coming up with a new one. I almost finalized one that I really liked before realizing it was too similar to Facebook's. As a UX Writer, I need to make sure the copy doesn't seem like a total rip-off of another popular social media platform.

The original placeholder on Linkedin

I replaced "Start a post" with a simple "Share your thoughts here" without sounding too casual or too formal; just the right balance.

The next step was to write a placeholder for the "Create a post" pop-up after clicking on
'Start a post'

The default reads as, "What do you want to talk about?"

I wanted this placeholder to be a follow-up of "Share your thoughts here", so it felt appropriate to ask the user next what they'd like to share.

The updated placeholder using best UX practices

The default placeholder on LinkedIn

After several iterations, I ended up on "What do you want to share today, Saad?". Addressing the user by name also makes the copy seem more personalized and reinforces the idea that the question is directed toward the user.

Although it may not seem that significant of a change, it can nevertheless create a positive impact and is a chance to show off the brand's voice.


Conclusion?

It is important to note that this is exactly where user research and testing help fill in the gaps. You can never rely on assumptions and personal preferences alone. To achieve the best copy it is important to keep on iterating until you find the sweet spot by making use of user testing methods and finding what works best for your brand.

Research, research, write, test, rewrite, research, test, rewrite.....and so on.