4 Tips For Writing Better Instagram Captions
So, what comes first? The photo or the caption? If you ask us, it can go either way. With our years of social media agency experience, we’ve learned that your captions should never just be an afterthought. While Instagram is primarily a photo and video sharing app, your captions are the perfect opportunity to engage your audience, build personal connections, and ultimately grow your success on the app.
Today on our social media blog, we’re sharing 3 tried and true tips for writing better Instagram captions that we’ve learned over the years. We’ve managed over 100 Instagram accounts, so we’ve seen what works and what doesn’t! If you start prioritizing your captions, you’ll start to be rewarded with engagement and growth! So, let’s get into it.
Tip #1: Tell a story.
Some of the best Instagram captions are written in a storytelling format. Your story can be either directly or indirectly related to the photo it’s shared with. For example, if you’re sharing a photo from a real wedding, try telling a story about the day. Did something go wrong? How did you fix it? Or, was there a special element that the couple incorporated that you loved? If you’d prefer to be less direct, try telling a story about what inspired you to become a wedding planner/florist/photographer. Both options will help your audience get to know you better and feel more connected to you as a person!
Another added benefit of storytelling captions is that they tend to keep followers on your post for longer than they might be with a shorter caption. They’ll need to spend time reading what you’ve shared and absorbing the story, rather than just double-tapping and moving on. Time spent on your post is an important indicator to Instagram that the content you’re sharing is engaging and worth pushing out to more of your followers.
Tip #2: Include a call-to-action.
You’ve likely heard this Instagram caption tip before, but it bears repeating! You should be including a call to action (or CTA) in almost all of your Instagram captions. Here are a few of our favorites!
What’s your favorite ___? Let us know in the comments!
Tag someone in the comments who would love this post, too!
Double tap if you love ___ as much as we do!
Visit our website/the link in our bio to see more!
Get in touch with our team today for more info on ___!
While these may seem like overkill, these CTAs can help take the guesswork out of engaging for your followers. Within a few seconds, they know exactly what you’re asking them to do and why. We recommend mixing up your CTAs on each post (and making them relevant to what you’re sharing) to ensure that they don’t become repetitive. What are your favorite call-to-actions? Let us know in the comments! ;)
Tip #3: Start with your strongest piece of copy.
Instagram typically shortens captions and only shows the first few words when users are scrolling the feed, so it’s important to start strong! You want to hook in the viewer in that first sentence so that they’re inclined to click “see more” and read the rest of your caption. Try starting with a question or something that will pique their interest like “You’ll never believe…”. Get creative here!
Start paying attention to caption structure of the posts that make YOU click to see more. Chances are, similar content can work for you, too.
Tip #4: Have fun with emojis!
Last but not least, we always love using emojis in our Instagram captions. They add a fun element to a (sometimes boring) medium, and are a great way to grab your audience’s attention. In order to keep your emoji use professional and on-brand, we recommend choosing a handful of emojis that fit your aesthetic and sticking within that group.
Now, go get writing! We hope this helps you write better Instagram captions to go along with your photos and videos on the platform. For more helpful Instagram content, don’t miss our recent post on how to plan a better Instagram feed.
If you’re looking for help managing your account - caption-writing included - get in touch with our team today! We offer full Instagram management options that can help take the entire process off your plate. With years of experience under our belts, you can rest assured that your account is in the best of hands. We can’t wait to work with you!