Author
Marilyn Cowley
Because Instagram is a visual platform, most users tend to put all of their focus on the photo or video they’re posting, and then forget to put effort into their caption. It is true that an eye-catching visual will entice your followers to stop scrolling, but it’s important not to let your caption fall on the backburner of your post. Your caption is an opportunity to engage your followers and provide them with value. Keep reading for the tips and tricks we apply when writing Instagram captions for our clients!
1. Create an Attention-Grabbing Opening Line
Fun Fact: People spend an average of only 3-4 seconds on an Instagram post before continuing to scroll- we have short attention spans! Because of this, you want to catch your followers’ attention right off the bat with an engaging opening line.
If you’re launching a new product, make it loud and clear. If you’re doing a giveaway, announce it boldly. Make sure the first line of your caption will lure in your follower to read on and learn more about the exciting thing you’re promoting.
Tip: Make the first line of your caption stand out by using all capital letters, fun emojis, and even hashtags.
2. Don’t Make Your Captions Too Long
Like I said before, people are only spending a few seconds MAX looking at your post. Because your followers are most likely not going to sit and read a novel about your company, it’s important to keep your captions short and sweet but packed with value.
If you do have a large chunk of information that is necessary to share in one post, make sure you are splitting up your captions with line breaks. This will help you avoid clutter and make it easier for your readers to digest the information you are giving them. Because Instagram does not always support line breaks, we recommend an app like “Space” that allows you to copy and paste your caption onto Instagram with line breaks.
Long caption: “Guys, we’re so excited to announce the launch of our brand new product!”
Short caption: “🔊NEW PRODUCT ALERT🔊”
3. Know Your Brand Voice
When writing Instagram captions, your brand’s voice and tone should always be kept at the forefront. Whether your brand’s personality is informative, humorous, quirky, or bold, it should be portrayed in everything you do on social media- including your captions, responses to your followers, and even your visuals. Your brand voice is what’s going to convert followers into die-hard fans, so make sure you keep it consistent.
3. Include a Call-to-Action (CTA)
Majority (if not all) of your posts should include a Call-to-Action. In case you are not familiar with CTAs, “Head to the link in my bio!” or “Share your thoughts in the comments!” are two common examples. A CTA encourages your followers to engage with your post by liking, commenting, sharing, etc. and also creates an opportunity to generate traffic to your website, newsletter, online store, or anywhere else that you would like to send your followers.
In addition, the Instagram algorithm places an emphasis on engaging content, so asking your followers to engage with your posts will help you move up the algorithm ranking.
Next time you post something on Instagram, remember these simple tips when creating your caption! When you combine these caption tools with a striking photo, you’ve officially mastered the game of Instagram. Have any other tips you implement when writing your captions? Let us know in the comments!
