If you think that jaw-dropping photos are the only thing that helps you get social media engagement – you’re wrong. Though often underrated, Instagram captions can be a powerful tool that can make or break your post. Read on for easy-to-follow tips that will help you get Instagram caption ideas in no time.
The Importance of Writing Effective Instagram Captions
Good Instagram captions have the ability to add even more context to the post – which could make a big difference increasing engagement, bio visits, or click-throughs.
Copywriting is an art, and it plays such a huge role in the social media space. Any good Instagram strategy takes the copy written for Instagram captions seriously – it puts time and effort to cram as much value and persuasiveness in those 2200 characters as it possibly can.
If you’re not taking the time to perfect your post from copy to image, you could be missing out on major opportunities to build a strong community, raise brand awareness, engagement. and reach.
It’s no secret that the Instagram algorithm favors posts that get engagement. If your posts get plenty of interactions, the Instagram algorithm will give your post a higher priority in the feed, assuming that others will also find it either useful or entertaining. As a result, high-quality posts will then appear on more feeds – which means more engagement!
If this post gets enough engagement, the algorithm will also place it in the Explore feed. If this happens, you’ve hit the jackpot! But of course, it’s important to note that without engaging Instagram captions – your post won’t stand a chance.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. Some viral posts may have no caption at all. However, if you’re a business that wants to develop a solid Instagram strategy – you cover all of your bases and create A+ images AND Instagram captions.
Instagram manager at EliteAssignmentHelp, Olya Jensen sums up the importance of learning how to write Instagram captions best. She explains, “With good Instagram captions and call-to-actions, you can inspire your followers to comment on your posts, click on your bio link and so on. This then helps drive even more engagement.”
So, while creating beautiful images for your Instagram profile is really important, more engagement actually means better Instagram captions which can persuade people to do even more than only like your post.
How to Write a Caption on an Instagram Photo
Now that you know why Instagram captions are important, let’s get into the how.
When coming up with Instagram caption ideas you need to first outline what you wish to accomplish with your post. First, draft a copy that adds context to the image. Then, ensure that your writing aligns with your brand. Feel free to take a look at your most engaging Instagram posts to draw some inspiration.
Remember, an Instagram caption can be as long or as short as you need it to be – you have a whopping 2,200 character limit to work with.
Your caption can be brief, thought-provoking, humorous, or even can tell a story. The more creative you are – the better your post will perform.
Take your time when creating your Instagram captions. Everything you write needs to provide value to your audience. Always keep this mind, even if it sounds a bit abstract and even at sometimes impossible.
Social media manager, Sarah Stanley at Academized emphasizes, “One of the biggest mistakes you can make with your Instagram captions is writing them on the go. You should think of your caption as equally as important as your image.”
To avoid this mistake, try working on posts that will be scheduled so you can take as much time as you need to create engaging Instagram captions.
11 Tips on How to Write the Perfect Instagram Caption
1. Practice, Practice, Practice
Write at least three drafts of your Instagram caption. This will give you a chance to edit, proofread and compare your drafts side-by-side to see which one has the most impact.
Your first draft will rarely be chosen as the best option, which is exactly why you need to give yourself plenty of time to write several.
2. Keep it Short
3. Put the Most Important Information First
Make sure you include the most critical information at the very front of your Instagram caption – this is the part that people will see. That’s why the first few words your audience sees need to be compelling and relevant. If they aren’t hooked in from the start you’ll miss out on engagement.
To peak interest, you can start your Instagram caption off with a question, use emojis, or even spark curiosity with an interesting statement. Think outside of the box, even placing a call-to-action at the very beginning of the text could work.
3. Put the Most Important Information First
To peak interest, you can start your Instagram caption off with a question, use emojis, or even spark curiosity with an interesting statement. Think outside of the box, even placing a call-to-action at the very beginning of the text could work.
4. Use Call-to-Actions
5. Use Emojis
6. Use Hashtags in Your Instagram Captions
7. Ask Questions
8. Share Your Feelings About a Trending Event
Another way to get the conversation going is by using your Instagram captions to share your feelings about trending events, such as a new movie release, viral post, or music festival.
Giving your opinion is a great conversation starter, and will surely get your audience to respond!
9. Use Quotes and Mention Other Pages
10. Focus on Storytelling
You can use your Instagram captions to tell your followers something about yourself. Why have you started working in this line of work? What gave you the idea for the product or service you are offering? Has something interesting happened in your company recently?
Don’t hesitate to tell your followers about it!
11. Be Human
Relatable Instagram hashtags are a sure way to boost your engagement. Why? They help you show the human side of your business and spark a conversation with your followers.
To start a discussion in the comments, share something you and your audience have in common – for example, how you feel about Mondays or how you like to spend your weekends. A flurry of comments is guaranteed!
How to Use Hashtags in Your Instagram Captions
Though Instagram hashtags are not mandatory, they are popular and extremely useful. They can help you get more followers, connect with customers, and build relationships with audiences outside of your own community.
When adding hashtags to your Instagram captions, you don’t have to limit yourself to putting them on the end of the copy. Instead, you can place them within your #Instagram caption to make the text stand out more.
Instagram hashtags also enable audiences to find your posts. For example, a beauty blogger could upload a picture with a new organic shampoo and use hashtags like #healthyhair, #organiccosmetics and so on. So if people are searching that hashtag, there’s a good chance they will come across this post.
To be successful, though, you need to be strategic. That means you should be selective about the hashtags you choose – and avoid generic ones that are overly used such as #friendship #love. To be discovered by your unique audiences you need to familiarize yourself with hashtags they use or search for.
Use top hashtags that have a community behind them to increase your odds of being found. The best way to do that is to see what hashtags your audience is using, as well as your competitors and industry leaders. The more niche your hashtags are – the more you increase your chances of the right audience seeing your content.
Tools to Help You Write the Best Instagram Captions
- Via Writing and Writing Populist are grammar resources which can help you refresh your grammar knowledge.
- Simplegrad and State Of Writing are blogs with useful suggestions on social media writing and outline best Instagram copy best-practices.
- My Writing Way and LetsGoAndLearn are writing guides which can help you get started with your Instagram captions if you are a beginner.
Best Instagram Caption Examples
The Takeaway
Instagram captions take your content to the next level. Remember not to rush when you are drafting your copy and always measure the effectiveness of your efforts so you can use objective benchmarks to understand what works. When you combine a great image with a great Instagram caption, your content is sure to go far.
Want to learn from best performing Instagram posts in your industry? Take our free content inspiration tool for a spin here.
