How do I write good Instagram captions?

From being authentic to establishing a tone and style, here are answers to the question, “What’s your best tip for writing an Instagram caption?”

Be Relatable
Unleash the Inner Influencer in You
Be Authentic and Honest
Always Lead With a Hook
Keep It Short and Sweet
Establish a Tone and Style
Focus On the First Sentence
Use ChatGPT to Improve Readability
Include a Call-to-action
Match the Picture You Have Posted
Include a Call-to-action (CTA):
Consider the Timing

Be Relatable

It’s so important to be relatable in your Instagram caption. Followers want something they can connect to, so your content should match accordingly.

For example, speak to Sunday Scaries in your Instagram caption, or a meme for a long weekend. Your audience is more likely to interact with your content and share it with friends.

Karim Hachem, VP of Ecommerce,La Blanca

Unleash the Inner Influencer in You

Your first sentence matters, both in content and form. This is a significantly strong hook for a user’s browsing behavior, so you should successfully appeal to their emotions and intellect without losing your key message.

As you continue, the body should provide value and demonstrate the relatability and benefits of your offering. Also, don’t forget to share your own tone, personality, and even a bit of your vulnerability. Influence begins with inspiration, and the journey of users undeniably begins with the real factor before they subscribe to your ideas. It is also critical that you stay conscious of the length or number of characters.

Note that when browsing, users only see part of your first sentence. In the same way, when you or your followers share it on Stories, a similar limit applies.

Tristan Harris, Demand Generation Senior Marketing Manager,Thrive Agency

Be Authentic and Honest

When it comes to Instagram captions, being authentic means being true to ourselves and our brand, and not pretending to be someone or something we’re not. It can be done by writing captions that reflect our personality, values, and message as a brand, making it more likely to connect with our audience on a deeper level.

People can sense when something is inauthentic, and they’re more likely to disengage if they feel like we’re not being genuine.

For example, I will share personal experiences, behind-the-scenes looks, or pictures that are not edited or polished, and write captions that capture my thoughts as they are, instead of trying to be smart or posh as a way to build trust and show that I am human.

Georgi Todorov, Founder,ThriveMyWay

Always Lead With a Hook

A good Instagram caption should provide context, add personality, educate your audience, and inspire them to take action. The trick here is to make the most out of your first sentence. Since Instagram hides the rest of your caption behind “more,” it is essential to include all the details in the beginning.

Adding exciting hooks before the line breaks, i.e., before “more,” leads to better engagement on your post. Make sure the first sentence is compelling enough or asks a question. Remember to include a call to action at the start of your caption.

Madhurima Halder, Content Manager,Recruit CRM

Keep It Short and Sweet

When crafting an Instagram caption, it’s important to be concise and direct. Instead of writing a long-winded caption, focus on the post’s main message. Doing so will grab your followers’ attention, and they’ll be more likely to engage with your post.

To make your caption more effective, use descriptive and strong language to give your followers a clear idea of what the photo is about, and try to include a call-to-action, such as asking a question or encouraging them to tag a friend.

Timing is also an important factor to consider. Try to post your caption at a time when most of your followers are active on Instagram.

Amy Adlerstein, Senior Retention Marketing Manager,Canvas People

Establish a Tone and Style

To make sure you are crafting captions that captivate readers, my one best tip would be that just as each brand has its own style and tone, so should your Instagram captions. Create guidelines for yourself that will guide you when writing effective captions – this could include “always use humor” or “always end with a call-to-action.”

Experiment with different styles until you find the one that resonates best with your audience. By establishing rules like these, you’ll ensure that all of your content connects back to who you are as a brand.

Kate Wojewoda-Celinska, Marketing Manager,Spacelift

Focus On the First Sentence

Focus on the first sentence of your caption. There are thousands of Instagram posts out there, so what are you going to say that will catch the attention of the reader? Are you telling a story? Are you starting with a fact?

Whatever it may be, make sure it catches the eye of the reader to continue reading.

Randee Machina, Director of Marketing, Simpli Pleasures

Use ChatGPT to Improve Readability

One of the best tips for writing an Instagram caption is to use ChatGPT to improve readability. ChatGPT is a powerful language model that can help craft engaging, concise, and easy-to-understand captions.

Using this tool, you can ensure that your captions are free of grammar errors and written in a way that is easy for your followers to read and understand. ChatGPT can also suggest relevant emojis, hashtags, and calls to action that can make your captions more effective in terms of engagement and reach.

Overall, using ChatGPT can help you boost the readability and effectiveness of your Instagram captions, making them more likely to be seen and engaged with by your followers.

Burak Özdemir, Founder,Online Alarm Kur

Include a Call-to-action

Including a call-to-action in the captions of your photos is the best way to increase engagement on Instagram. Use action verbs to encourage users to do something specific instead of just casually scrolling by. For example, you could say something like, “Share your thoughts in the comments,” “Double-tap if you find this interesting,” or “Tag two friends who would find this helpful.”

A call-to-action in an Instagram caption increases a post’s share potential and inspires engagement from your audience.

Nick Allen, Founder and CEO,SportsLingo

Match the Picture You Have Posted

Before you write a post, you should know what you will say. You wouldn’t want to post random or weird things on Instagram. Include some interesting words or phrases that may make your post look better.

It is always good to write a caption in a way that matches the picture you have posted. Also, a caption should check the post length as well. You must ensure that you write something manageable for the image. People are busy, and since we live in a world where everything happens instantly, we read and take action similarly.

Keep your Instagram caption short, consequential, and directly to the point. To make it even more appealing, add a personal touch by dropping in a quote, a joke, or a witty word.

Joe Acosta, Digital Marketing Manager,BBQ Galore

Include a Call-to-action (CTA):

I think it is important to include a call-to-action (CTA) in the caption. The CTA could be asking a question, encouraging engagement, or directing the audience to a link.

For example, you could ask a question like “What do you think of our new product? Leave a comment below!” or encourage engagement by saying “Double tap if you agree!” or “Tag a friend who would love this!” and direct them to your website or a landing page that gives more information about the product or service.

Joanne King, Company Director, ICMP

Consider the Timing

I think it is important to consider the timing when writing the caption. A well-timed caption can take advantage of current events or holidays to increase engagement.

For example, if it’s Christmas time, you could post a photo of your product with a caption that reads “The perfect gift for Christmas!” or if there is a big event happening in your industry, you can create a caption that ties in with the event and makes it relevant to your audience.

This will help increase engagement and make your post more interesting.

Dean Lee, Head of Marketing, Sealions

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FAQs

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How do I write good Instagram captions? - Terkel (2023)