Okay, okay…I admit it. Maybe reading this article won’t turn your Insta captions from duds to studs overnight. And they might not *quite* be the best Instagram captions anyone’s ever seen, but! They will be pretty dang enticing to engage with. And I bet by implementing some of the techniques I’m outlining below, you will boost engagement on your next post.
That’s the name of the game when it comes to Instagram. Because as you may have heard already: if content is King, engagement is Queen. If you can pair great, valuable content with enticing and engaging Instagram captions, you’ll rule the Instagram algorithm.
Ready to rule? Implement some of the techniques below to up your caption game and take your posts to the next level.
When crafting the perfect Instagram captions, think on both the micro and macro levels about the message you’re conveying. On the macro level, the point of an Instagram caption is to convey a certain message or story and encourage engagement from the reader, ultimately to drive traffic or sales on your website.
So, what does the micro level look like? This means analyzing your sentences, words and even emojis and hashtags to make sure you are conveying the strongest, most persuasive caption possible.
Emotionally charged and peculiar words pique readers’ interest, drawing them into your post. Compelling, well-written copy keeps them reading – try telling a story with each post, in a way that furthers the brand in its entirety. Also, numbers and emojis stand out in captions and work well at capturing a reader’s attention at a glance. For example, you might stop scrolling to read a post featuring the cry laughing emoji to find out what in the hell is so funny.
This is exactly why “clickbait” headlines are so effective. They use words and language to pique your interest, so you’ll investigate further. They work on your emotions. And before you know it, you’re in a deep trance, reading another stupid clickbait article on a spam-esque website once again.
Both short-form and long-form copy work well when executed effectively. If you’re going to write long copy, make sure it is compelling and authentic in its entirety. It should keep readers highly engaged, otherwise it will be off-putting for many. Long captions are great for telling stories and captivating your audience on a personal level. Ultimately, you know your audience best, so you be the judge on the length of your post copy.
Keep in mind that the maximum character limit for Instagram captions is 2,200 characters. And according to SproutSocial, the ideal Instagram caption length is between 138-150 characters. The average person’s attention span is only about 8 seconds until they move on to something else, so aim for a nice mix of short and long post copy.
In addition to creating compelling copy for your post and making it stand out among the rest, engage your audience in your captions. Ask them questions, encourage them to vote on something or tag a friend in the comments section. Start a dialogue with your audience in each caption and watch your posts gain more traction.
This is what Instagram likes to see and wants more of: authentic, engaging posts that encourage personal interactions. The aim of the game is to get as much engagement as you can on your photos, in order to rank in the top for a given hashtag. Engagement leads to more exposure and exposure is key for growing your brand.
Every niche is different.
For example, a healthy foodie instagrammer posts different content than a photographer. Both of these people also convey different messages in their posts. They speak to their audience differently. A photographer uses language specific to his niche and which is easily understood by his niche, while a healthy foodie instagrammer uses language easily understood by other foodies.
However, if a healthy foodie instagrammer were to use language specific to a photography niche, other foodies would be left scratching their heads. Most of their audience would have a hard time understanding the post. This confusion would lead to less interaction on the post. This healthy foodie instagrammer would suddenly be seen as an outsider or less of an expert in their niche.
Make your language relatable, easily understood and use words/phrases specific to your niche. Make sure its content your audience can connect and identify with, that comes off as being authentic. Position yourself as an expert or someone worthy of trust in a particular niche through the language you use and how you convey your message to others. Make your captions emotional. This is how you will maximize your reach.
Finding the voice that best matches your brand and keeping this consistent in posts builds your brand’s reputation. Viewers will know what to expect and it will keep them engaged. Your brand’s voice should align with your target audience and makes sense for the niche you’re in (unless you are going for shock value. The fun of Wendy’s twitter are the unexpected, sassy comebacks from cute red-haired Wendy). Sticking to a particular voice will help craft your brand’s identity and make it easier to write captions and copy that engages your audience. Make things fun, be creative and you’ll naturally generate more buzz from your posts because your audience will have more fun, too.
As I mentioned above, you have about 8 seconds to catch someone’s attention and convince them to keep on reading. Your “above-the-fold” copy on your posts is where the most important information you want to convey should go. This information should appear in the first 125 characters of your caption, which is what appears in a viewer’s feed as they scroll. Include buzzwords and phrases, emotionally-charged and peculiar words, questions or calls-to-action. These first 125 characters are your teaser text and can make or break your post.
For example, if you’re running a giveaway on your Instagram, the word GIVEAWAY should appear and stand out in those first 125 characters to grab your audience’s attention immediately. This will make them read through the whole post to learn more details on entering your giveaway. Pair it with an exploding emoji or glitter emoji to make the word really stand out. If you don’t include the word GIVEAWAY at the beginning of your post, you will not engage the most people possible. Unless it’s conveyed somewhere in the graphic and really stands out, most people will scroll on by.
What’s the best way to make your audience feel valued? Encourage engagement and make them feel listened to, make them feel validated and part of a community. If your audience feels valued, they will engage with your posts more, plain and simple. If your audience feels that by commenting on your posts, they are contributing to a larger community they are a part of, they will engage with your posts more.
The best way to create engaging Instagram captions is to stop and ask yourself if this post helps to further build your brand’s community. Is your content authentic? Is your audience passionate about this topic? Are you passionate about it? Does it bring people together? By framing your copy in this way, you can start to build a community around your brand and create more engaging Instagram post copy.
