Instagram Writing Strategies
Compelling visuals may be what Instagram is all about, but an effective Instagram caption will push the engagement, getting you more Likes and comments. And engagement is key.
The Instagram algorithm displays posts in a user’s feeds “based on the likelihood [that person] will be interested in the content.” That means that a photo or video with lots of comments and Likes has a better chance of appearing at or near the top of your followers’ home streams.
What makes a good Instagram caption?
A great Instagram caption will add context, show off your or your project personality, entertain the audience, and prompt your followers to take action. Captions can be up to 2,200 characters in length, include emoji, and up to 30 hashtags.
Of course that doesn’t mean your captions should be hashtag-ridden essays with lots of distracting emoji. As with any piece of good web copy, your Instagram caption should be attention-grabbing and easy to read.
It should also speak to the content and your audience.
11 tips for crafting the perfect Instagram caption
1. Know your audience
Who of 700 million monthly active users are your potential followers?
The better you know your audience, the easier it is to engage them
Because you can’t possibly know everybody, building audience personas can be useful. These archetypes outline basic details about your target followers, their goals, and their pain points.
Questions you need to ask yourself to determine who your potential followers are.
- How old are they? Where do they live? What sorts of jobs do they have? What do they do outside of work?
Once you know who you’re speaking to, you can answer questions such as:
- Will my audience understand this reference?
- Are emojis and netspeak appropriate to use here? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- Do I need to add more context to this photo?
Answer those, and you’re well on your way to satisfying tip number two.
2. Identify your project voice
Ask yourself: what are the qualities and values I want my project to embody?
Make a list and use it to shape your voice. You might also try jotting down a few adjectives that describe your project and use those to refine the voice.
You might also try jotting down a few adjectives that describe your work and use those to refine the voice. “Bold,” “curious,” and “authoritative” might make sense for a travel account, for example.
In general, Instagram users don’t expect a formal or serious tone. Of course it depends on audience, but you should strive to keep things light, use humor where appropriate, and show your personality.
3. Consider length
Remember that most people scroll through their Instagram feeds at a brisk pace. If there’s any doubt as to how long your caption should be, keep it brief. Give context where you need to, but if the post speaks for itself, let it.
That said, if there’s an interesting story to tell behind the photo, then share it. National Geographic’s Instagram account is one of the best at the longer-form caption. As impressive as the magazine’s visuals are, the accompanying text always adds value.
4. Place the most important words at the beginning of your caption
Captions are cut off in users’ feeds after a few lines of text, so you need to convey your key point or call to action right away. Put any @mentions and hashtags (more on those later) at the end.
Also, leading with the most important words is simply good writing practice. Hook the reader in and give her a reason to tap more.
5. Edit and rewrite
Take your time and don’t be afraid to go through several drafts, especially if your captions are more than a few lines long. Great copy — whether it be humorous or inspirational — always comes on the rewrite.
Make sure every word supports the content and message you’re trying to convey. Cut out words that are clearly unnecessary to keep it as concise as possible.
6. Use hashtags, but use them wisely
Instagram posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6 percent more engagement than those with no hashtags, according to a study by Simply Measured. So use them when they are relevant to your post and target audience — but don’t use so many that they crowd your copy and make it difficult to read.
if you don’t want to clutter your captions, there are two ways to “hide” your hashtags:
- Separate your hashtags from the rest of your caption by burying them beneath periods and line breaks. Once you’ve finished composing your caption, tap the 123 key. Select return and then enter a period, dash, or asterisk. Repeat those steps at least five times. Because Instagram caps off captions after three lines, the hashtags won’t be viewable to users unless they tap the more option.
- Don’t put hashtags in your captions at all. Instead, include them in the comment section below your post. Once other people leave a few comments, the hashtags won’t be viewable unless the option to See all is selected.
7. Pose a question
One of the easiest ways to get more comments on your photo is by using the caption to pose a question to your followers.
It could be a yes or no question, a skill-testing question, or an open-ended question.
You could also use the caption to solicit your audience for tips or recommendations.
8. Give a shout-out with an @mention
Does your post feature another Instagram user? Include their handle in the caption so your followers can check out their profile too. By mentioning another user in the caption, you’ll likely compel that user — and possibly some of his followers — to also engage with your content.
9. Encourage engagement with a call to action
Want to drive engagement? Ask for it by inviting people to leave a comment, tag their friends, or weigh in with an opinion.
10. Don’t be afraid to use emoji
Are emoji appropriate to use within an Instagram caption? 💯
The animated icons can help draw the reader’s eye in and are a great way to add a bit of personality to your caption.
11. Try using quotes
Not the clichéd inspirational variety, but ones that are specific to the post. Maybe it’s a quote from the person who captured the photo.
Examples
The storyteller caption
As we noted in tip number three, if your post calls for context then by all means take advantage of Instagram’s generous character count.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find any brand or publisher on Instagram who consistently publishes more impactful captions than Humans of New York, which of course are always stories from the subjects of the images.
The minimalist caption
We’ve already stated it in this post, but it bears repeating: if your content is attention-grabbing and speaks for itself, a short — or even no caption — is best.
Adapted from:
