Instagram captions are dynamic. They can be funny, clever, or downright emotional. Captions are the first thing people read when they see your post on Instagram and they’re what will get an audience to click on it for more.
The caption is the best way to bring some extra attention to your posts that may have otherwise been ignored or overlooked! Here’s how you can write better Instagram captions today.
Write a Killer First Line
Hit ‘em with the best first line you’ve got! What does your audience want? How can you solve their problem?
You can ask a question, write an intriguing statement, or give them a knock-your-socks-off statistic.
Grab their attention and give them the information they seek.
Include A Call To Action
Include a call-to-action in every post to increase engagement.
Yes, every post, and it can be as simple as “Double-tap if you agree.” The best CTA is a specific question like, “What’s your favorite chocolate?”
If you are sending the reader to your bio link, but you have more than one link to share – consider creating a link on Linktree or another third-party link creator.
Brand Voice
Use your brand voice to tell a story just as you speak. Don’t be formal. Be fun! (Grammar be damned!)
One way to do that is to add emojis! 😁
Most importantly, be authentic and tell stories that connect with your audience. You can write a short story or you can spin a longer narrative.
Post Formatting
For longer pieces of copy on Instagram, add paragraphs and line breaks so you don’t have one long block of text. A lot of text that isn’t properly formatted will send your audience scrolling.
A free tool we use (and love!) is Instagram Caption Maker.
Niche Hashtags
Use hashtags for potential new followers to find you and connect. Focus on niche hashtags where you’ll find more engaged users instead of hashtags with millions of posts where you can get lost.
On September 27, 2021, Creators released a post on Instagram that helped define new best practices for using tags:
Make sure to follow Creators and stay active on their profile so you can stay up to date, too.
Choose 2 to 3 Themes for Posts
To keep your audience engaged and coming back for more, choose two to three topics to post about consistently. Your audience will know what to expect from you and return for more of the same.
A great way to create well-written copy for Instagram is to carve out time to write a month’s worth or more of posts.
If you narrow down two to three repeatable themes or topics for your posts, it’s easy to write in batches. Focus on one topic, write four to five posts on that topic, and Mondays, for instance, are done.
Then move on to topic two. Get in the zone and write!
Tagging Accounts
According to Hubspot, around 60% of posts tag other users. Tagging other Instagram accounts can increase reach for your account.
When someone is tagged they receive a notification and can comment or share your post, which will appear in the tagged account’s followers’ feeds.
But remember, when you tag others, it should make sense for the post. Randomly tagging accounts are considered spamming.
Cross-promote!
This is a big one that we have been using for our clients. Send your followers to like you on your other social channels and ask those followers to check out your Instagram feed.
That’s a pretty simple post but you can still get creative with it. You’ll be surprised by how many people follow what you ask them to do.
The takeaway…
Captions are one of the best ways to engage with your followers. A good caption can make or break an Instagram post, so it’s worth dedicating some time and effort to writing them.
