Your Instagram captions are as beautiful as the pictures you post. Your target audience may scroll past if you don’t. Do not ignore this tiny but powerful component of a social media post. A good Instagram caption can lead to more Instagram followers, more site traffic and more sales.
Instagram Caption Format: What you need to know
Instagram captions are limited to 2,200 characters. Wait, long captions will be truncated to 125 characters on mobile. This means the first few words of your caption need to either draw in your audience or clearly convey your message.
This is how a truncated Instagram description looks. The caption will be read by mobile scrollers in the first image.
This is the second way desktop users see it or when they click “Read More.”
It is important to note that organic Instagram posts do not have clickable links. It’s not worth adding links because your followers will need to copy and paste them into a web tab before visiting. They probably won’t! Most accounts will tell you to “Click on the link in our biography,” but if your product is a specific one and you link only takes users to your homepage, it’s unlikely that you’ll make any sales.
Create a Linktree Account to improve your Instagram captions. You can customize a link tree by using a bio link. This allows you to link your blog, store, promotional items, events and other profiles.
Last but not least, a final point on accessibility and inclusion: If you choose pretty fonts (that aren’t recognized), multicolored writings, emojis and symbols in abundance, it can make life hard for people with disabilities. Text-to-speech software (also known as screen reader software) reads captions out loud for visually impaired users. It won’t make any sense to fill your caption with emojis.
This caption, for example:
Celebrate with Let’s Go Get Some!
You can read it as: Let’s get some food in a shallow pan and a bottle with popped cork to celebrate the drooling partying face.
You can see the description of each emoji by holding your mouse over it. This is not to say that you cannot use emojis when creating captions for Instagram. It’s better to use them at the end and not replace words.
It’s a good way to re-energize your creativity or overcome writer’s blocks by checking out other brands or competitors in your niche. You can also spend time scrolling through the captions for your favorite brands. What makes you click? What pops?
Take a look at these great Instagram captions to see how you can steal their style.
1. Use hashtags and emojis that are trending
St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17! On social media, that means using green emojis such as Irish four-leaf clover clovers to bring some Irish luck. Chime, a banking app, kept its caption simple and on-trend with a lucky four-leaf clover. Here’s how it worked out:
It’s also important to use hashtags that are trending if you wish for your posts to be seen by more people. #Irish is the most popular hashtag with 8,524,238 postings, followed by #StPatricksDay at 7,704,114.
Write captions for Instagram photos
Include days that you know are popular on social media, such as St Patrick’s Day. It is also important to use hashtags and emojis. Agorapulse allows you to schedule content months in advance, so that you’re sure it will be there. Your caption will be more engaging if you use the right emojis, a short but sassy description and the appropriate emojis.
2. First sentence nail it
Instagram hides captions after 125 characters. You need to maximize your first sentence in your Instagram captions. Remember these things when writing Instagram captions:
How to get the discount can be found in Read More. The Read More can explain how to get a discount. Big announcements should include the main message at the beginning of the sentence, then elaborate on it further below. Ask a question or make an bold statement. Stories should entice scrollers to click Read More. This can be done by creating intrigue or teasing what’s coming. For Instagram Reels and stories that are fast moving and mobile optimized, less is more.
Write captions for Instagram photos
Waterstone’s is a great place to get some inspiration for one-liners and a good buying game. They first tagged Margaret Atwood, and then provided a direct link to their book. You can see the author’s name in the first line, which creates excitement and leaves you wondering what will be included.
The caption then continues with other great authors. A full description is also included, as well as a CTA to shop.
Related Read: Your Instagram guides for 2023
3. Remember your CTA
CTAs (calls to action) give your Instagram captions purpose and meaning, but they are often misunderstood. CTAs are not for everyone. We understand that. A CTA does not have to be about selling or making a purchase. You’re simply asking readers to do something.
Non-sales CTAs include:
Share your thoughts below! How are you celebrating the day? Tag a friend that needs to know this. Repost to spread the love.
Aldi UK’s cute Instagram caption encourages its fans to click on the bio link to get the recipe. Raspberry Bread and Butter Pudding? Yes, please!
You can also use CTAs that are more aggressive in their approach. These are better suited to retailers who have physical products to offer, as opposed to business accounts that provide services.
CTAs that drive sales include:
Browse our new summer collection. Click the link in our biography! Don’t miss the last ones! Remember that important FOMO!
Add emojis to your CTA at the start or the end. This softens hard selling and makes it more interesting.
hbspt.forms.create({ region: “na1”, portalId: “8477337”, formId: “c1169f44-6642-4295-b300-2817a6cde56d”>
Write captions for Instagram photos
Accessorize has a great non-salesy CTA. This is a great method to increase engagement, comments and account visibility. This is a great way to promote the products that they offer. Even as I write this, I want to comment on hair slides, earrings and purse! The caption “We’ll Start” instantly transforms the Instagram post into an engaging conversation, or game that you could play with your friends. It is important to write Instagram captions in a way that makes them seem human, and not robotic.
4. Tag influencers, customers and other stakeholders
Tags are great for Instagram captions. You can use hashtags or directly tag accounts, locations, and products. You can repost stories and posts by happy customers, employees, or ambassadors. Tags are effective because they open your post up to a wider audience and show that you’re using social media listening.
Boots, the UK Walgreens, did a joint tweet with @indiyahhp to build hype and anticipation for what’s next. Indiyah’s one million followers adds weight to Boots UK’s 1 million.
Write captions for Instagram photos
Tag businesses that compliment your own to improve your Instagram caption game. Extra points if the tag is for a good cause or charity!
Starbucks has tagged Dress for Success in honor of International Women’s Day, Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. I give top marks to the CTA for getting involved in this initiative.
You can use up to 30 hashtags in your Instagram caption. However, this can make it look spammy. Use hashtags that are relevant to your post or those that are trending. I tend to use only a few hashtags in my Instagram posts.
5. Humor is a great way to create Instagram captions
Humor is not for everyone. Nevertheless, appealing to the emotions of your audience will increase your brand’s engagement. Staying on the lighter side will create a positive vibe for your brand.
Checklist for humorous captions
Is it too dangerous?
I don’t usually post risky captions because I trust my gut. It’s not worth alienating or upsetting your audience for 15 minutes of Instagram fame. Will Smith’s slap memes were a good example. I warned our clients not to jump on this trend, because it was dark. When in doubt, seek a second or even third opinion.
Is this a complex joke?
Will your fans understand the joke? Is it a joke that only brand employees or marketers would get? If it’s complicated, expect radio silence.
Does it match the brand?
Is this something your brand would normally do or is it a bit off-brand? Before you post, consult your tone-of-voice documentation and keep in mind who your audience.
Burger King’s “Women Belong in the Kitchen” tweet was a joke. The tweet was a huge hit, but the response was overwhelmingly negative. It will go down in social history as an attempt at poor humor.
Write captions for Instagram photos
Wendy’s, a sassy brand, adds sarcasm to this sporting caption. Wendy’s has a reputation for mocking other brands, roasting their fans and being sarcastic towards competitors. This is their voice and style and it works well for them. Although it may not work for everyone’s taste, you should remember that the captions and posts of these people are carefully planned.
Be funny, but don’t forget the other rules. It’s important to create great content, and check your Instagram captions carefully for grammar and spelling. Even if you have a more edgy brand, curse words in Instagram captions are not acceptable.
Your Instagram Captions Checklist
Here are some tips for creating Instagram captions that will grab your audience’s attention.
You can monitor keywords, phrases and competitors on the Agorapulse dashboard! Remember to write with a purpose. What do you hope your fans will do? Don’t give too many instructions or ask too many questions. Keep it simple. It is important to be able see the image in order to create a caption. You can work ahead by creating an evergreen library of images that you can caption, schedule and upload to your Agorapulse dashboard. Get a second opinion. You can use Agorapulse to assign posts for a second or third opinion. This is also a good way to ensure compliance if you work in finance. If everyone is uncertain, then do not post. This is a good sign. Monitor the success of your Instagram post. It’s a crucial step that is often overlooked. It only takes seconds to create an Instagram report that will show your most popular Instagram posts. You can use this information to create more successful content in the months ahead.
Sometimes I think I post way too many pictures of my cat Pie. My popular content report shows otherwise
In conclusion
A compelling social media caption can turn attention into action. Instagram is full of beautiful images. But how many have inspired you to leave a comment, click on a link, or buy something?
Agorapulse allows you to create amazing Instagram captions and schedule your posts. Schedule a FREE demo today!
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.affiliatemarketingbuzz.com/lets-create-a-video-for-your-brand/
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