Have you got writer’s block?
Captions seem simple, but you’d be surprised by just how many people get stuck writing them.
There’s no getting around it: social media is a visual experience. However, just because videos and images reign supreme on social, you shouldn’t neglect text, especially your captions.
A well-written, purposeful caption is incredibly useful for adding context, driving sales, and engaging with your audience.
So, let’s look at how you can write better social media captions in 2024!
TLDR; Everything to know about writing social media captions
Write a killer opening line
Capture the attention of your audience right away with your opening line. An engaging first line will entice followers to read the full caption and spend more time on the post. Front-load all the essential information.
Your first line should be able to create curiosity with something punchy and, most importantly, visible without having to click for “more”. This line should capture the user’s attention or trigger an emotional response.
Use call-to-actions
Including a call-to-action (CTA) is a staple of most marketing efforts, and your social media captions are no exception. However, only some posts require a CTA. If you ask your followers to take action too often, you might come across as desperate and drive them away.
You could encourage your followers to visit your website, click a link in your bio, read your latest blog post or tag a friend in the comments.
An example is “Do you love [insert your product]? Read all about its newest features via the link in our bio.”
As Instagram doesn’t allow users to click on a URL within a caption, ensure you never use website links in your captions. They look cluttered and are pointless. Use “link in bio” or “head to our website” instead.
On other social media platforms, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, you could include a URL at the bottom of the caption so users can easily click through to your website.
Use meaningful hashtags, especially on Instagram
Hashtags are not dead! Hashtags are a great way to gain more visibility and increase followers on Instagram. They allow you to connect with a specific community, a community that has an interest in your content and so can create long-term relationships.
Whilst Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags, overloading your post with hashtags can also have a detrimental effect on the algorithm, so choose wisely.
To avoid clutter in your Instagram caption, save most hashtags for the first comment.
Do your research on which hashtags have an engaging community behind them and are relatable to your audience simultaneously. Being discoverable to gain new followers can be as simple as having the right hashtags. Many people search hashtags for inspiration, so allow yourself to be presented in front of them.
Add line breaks for long captions
Keep it clean. Just like posting aesthetically pleasing images, the aesthetic of your caption is equally as essential, and this is not to overwhelm or stress out your audience.
There is so much content out there, and when you are trying to beat the scroll, having one large paragraph makes it scary for people to stay and read the entire caption. So, make it easy for your audience to digest.
If you have quite a bit of information that you would like to get across to your audience, then format the caption so it is digestible and adding line breaks can help with that. When writing social media captions, put line breaks and give the reader white space.
Embrace your inner storyteller
While nobody is expecting you to write a novel in your caption, people love stories. More importantly, people love stories they can connect with.
Try telling these kinds of stories:
- Share your origin story. How did your business start?
- Let your audience take a look behind the scenes.
- Don’t be afraid to share stories of your failures.
- Allow your followers to share their stories.
Pack your stories with personality. Allow your followers to connect with you on a human level.
Give your followers some value
Everything you do on social media should add value for your audience. It doesn’t mean you have to be constantly giving things away for free. (Although, people love free stuff).
Adding value can be as simple as telling a joke, sharing some helpful information, or even demonstrating how your products work.
Make the value you’re adding easy to digest. You don’t want your followers to feel they must work for the value. When writing social media captions, think about how you can add value for free.
Try and get some conversations going
The beauty of starting conversations on social media is that they don’t have to be directly related to your brand or products. An engaged audience is a good audience.
Here are a few examples of conversation-starting captions:
- “What product can’t you live without right now? Let us know in the comments!”
- “Tag someone who would love [insert your product].”
- “Got weekend plans? Let us know what you’re getting up to this weekend.”
Remember: unless you’re running a comments-based poll, try and avoid “yes” and “no” questions. You’re aiming for repeat comments here, so shoot for open-ended questions. Don’t be afraid to jump into the comments section and reply to a few of the best answers.
Things to keep in mind when writing captions
What is the purpose of your caption?
Before you sit down behind your keyboard to write your caption, ask yourself one simple question: What do I want this caption to achieve?
Whether you want your followers to take action, leave a comment, like, or share, there must be a purpose behind every caption you write on social media. After all, what’s the point of doing anything without purpose?
Here are a few questions to keep in mind when writing social media captions:
- What action do you want your audience to take after reading your post?
- Do you even want your audience to take action?
- Are you trying to make a connection with your followers?
- Are you selling something?
- Is your caption supporting your post or the other way around?
- Should this caption be fun, professional, filled with personality, or pragmatic?
Is your brand voice consistent?
Staying on brand is vital to connecting with the right audience. Your captions should be able to form part of the brand voice and mirror the personality of your brand.
It’s essential to be consistent with all the content that you put out, whether your brand voice is authoritative, cheeky, informative or informal and relatable.
Is your level of expertise consistent?
Having focal themes and consistency throughout your content can educate your audience that you are a reliable source for specific information.
You don’t necessarily have to have one theme, as that can sometimes limit the number of followers you could potentially connect with. So, think about what the purpose of your account is, what your values are and what you want to share with your audience.
Many choose around 2-3 themes to write about consistently that reflect the brand and its values.
Have you planned out your captions?
It’s worthwhile to make a plan and write several drafts first and maybe even read it out loud to hear if it is consistent with your brand voice. If those creative juices are flowing, set some time aside and write your captions in batches; that way, you can strategise the consistency of your themes, too.
Don’t let writing a good social media caption be an afterthought. It could be the defining thing that increases your following or triggers a purchase. It can sometimes seem a little daunting, but with practice comes perfection!
Have you taken into account the copy on your Instagram Stories?
Adding an effective caption to your Instagram Stories is another way to capture your viewer’s attention. Keep these captions short, as Stories are designed to be flicked through and are only displayed for a few seconds unless the user decides to pause the screen.
Real-life examples of Instagram captions we love
Allbirds’s consist brand voice and themes
Allbirds is excellent at using a consistent theme and a brand voice across their captions and visual content. The content reflects the brand and is centred around products, nature and creativity.
Rottnest Island Authority’s value-adding and call-to-actions.
The Instagram account for Rottnest Island in Western Australia provides plenty of value to followers. In the example below, the caption tells you handy information about a walking trail and ends with a call to action to head to their website to download the map.
Are you looking for more help writing your social media captions?
We have an epic guide to help you engage your followers with catchy captions. Grab your copy for only $19 👇
A great social media caption can make or break your content. If you want people to start engaging with your brand online, pay attention to your captions.
Captions may feel like a bit of an afterthought, but they’re actually incredibly useful for adding context, driving sales, and engaging with your audience.
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