When you sit down to write captions for Instagram, it can feel daunting. Not to mention the ever-changing algorithm! However, there are some tried-and-true writing techniques that remain constant over time. They’ll help you create engaging captions for Instagram that will have your audience coming back for more. Let’s dive in!
Start with Researching Your Audience
It’s important to understand who you’re talking to, because Instagram is a wonderful platform for having conversations. Find someone who specializes in something similar to you: if you’re a life coach, check out other life coaches on Instagram. Take a look at who is following those coaches. Their followers are likely to fall within the bounds of your ideal client.
When you understand your ideal client, you can write engaging captions for Instagram that will attract them to your account.
Connect Through Emotion
Humans are emotional beings, and the most engaging captions are those that make us feel something. A great way to create an emotional connection through your captions is to share stories from your other satisfied clients or customers. Your audience can easily relate to those people and imagine that they will experience the same satisfaction working with you.
Keep Things Positive
No one wants to go to a social media account that feels like an internet troll runs it. It’s important to take a stand when something important is going on in the world – or when someone in your industry has been caught doing something unethical – but the most engaging captions have a positive vibe to them.
Try offering a solution to a problem you see in your industry, or share an organization that’s helping to right a global wrong and help your followers understand how they can take part in making the world a better place.
Follow This Template
Here’s a simple template for creating engaging captions for Instagram.
- Start with the “hook.” This is something that grabs attention. For instance, if you’re posting a client feature, your hook could be something as simple as ‘Client Feature’!
- Use emojis! They convey emotion and draw the eye, as in the hook above.
- The body of the caption should educate, enlighten, or entertain your audience. Using the above Client Feature example, use the body of the caption to chat about why they came to you, what work you did together, and the outcome.
- Include a CTA (Call to Action). Your CTA can be as simple as an invitation to tag you in a post or as direct as an invitation to buy your new product.
Vary The Length of Your Captions
While many people enjoy long captions, a concise, easy-to-read caption can be just as engaging as the long, more blog-like ones. Keep your paragraphs to just two or three sentences, no matter how long your caption is. Break them up into bullets with emojis or numbers to increase readability.
Need Help?
If you’re ready to create more engaging captions for Instagram and other social media platforms, download this free guide: 31 Caption Prompts to Create Your Social Media Posts in Less Time. Inside, you’ll find engaging caption prompts for Self Care & Mindfulness, Women Supporting Women, Healing & Intuition, Coaching & Mindset, Nature, Relationships, and other content ideas!
