The holy grail of social media is the Instagram algorithm. Most people think that the algorithm rewards perfect Instagram posts that are nice to look at, engaging, and resonate with your audience. Yes, your creativity matters. But, the importance of a good Instagram caption should not be overlooked.
Is there really a winning formula to grab the attention of your target audience when you write your Instagram captions? Follow these tips below for how to write captions that boost engagement and interaction with your Instagram posts.
1. Don’t post the first draft.
Have you ever noticed that you’re better at telling a story after you’ve already told it once or twice? Put that in the perspective of social media. You should test out a few options before you automatically post.
This process will improve interactions that occur on a user’s Instagram feed. Drafting a few creative captions before posting can ensure that your followers get the best option.
Make sure that your captions encapsulate a consistent brand voice and brand personality if you are creating social media marketing copy.
2. Put the most important things in front.
You’re gonna want to get to the point and grab attention. Fast. No one likes lengthy captions.
Only the first few lines of an Instagram caption are visible, so don’t waste that precious space. Include your call to action in the first line and write compelling captions that engage your audience right away!
If there is more information your audience needs to know, you can always direct followers to a link in your Instagram bio.
3. Write in your own voice.
Users don’t come to your Instagram account to hear somebody else’s words.
The folks at Jasper found out that 86% of Instagram users say authenticity is important when deciding what brands to support.
Does your Instagram caption speak in your brand voice? Do you feel more confident when you talk instead of write? Voice-to-text is a great way to capture “you.”
Your Instagram followers want to see genuine content on their feed. Tap into this when thinking about aspects such as caption length, relevant hashtags, clickable links, post ideas, your Instagram bio, and many other ways that Instagram accounts can foster brand loyalty.
4. Include a call to action.
You are on Instagram to engage with your audience. You’ll likely miss out on that interaction if you don’t include a clear call to action.
What does a clear call to action look like? Shopify has some great suggestions, especially when it comes to increasing engagement. Include phrases like “Click the link in the caption or see the link in bio,” “Tag a friend who needs this,” or even ask your followers to leave a comment or answer the prompt in the caption.
Encourage users to interact in the comments section for long-term engagement from your followers and to build an overall community associated with your brand.
5. Use hashtags.
Instagram hashtags make your posts easier to discover when users search. Just a few words can increase your visibility on the Explore page!
It is good to use a blend of your own branded hashtags and content-related hashtags.
A carefully thought-out caption should never forget a hashtag.
Bonus: Post Ideas
Writing effective Instagram captions is great, but what if you don’t know what to post? Idea Engine’s Discover tool is the AI tool for content creators that streamlines your creative process across all your active social platforms.
Sign up today for the 7-day FREE trial and gain access to unlimited ideas with Discover, start measuring your growth with the Audience tool, and join an interactive community of thriving content creators!
