Instagram is a great social media platform to promote your brand. With over 1 billion users and 95 million posts per day, it is the perfect place to reach and grow your audience. However, an interesting and engaging Instagram post doesn’t just consist of a pretty picture. It is like a puzzle and you need all the pieces to fall into place for it to work well for you.
To succeed on Instagram, you must have more than just a pretty picture. While a picture is worth a thousand words, a good Instagram caption is key to encouraging users to take actions like leaving a comment, taking a mooch on over to your website or purchasing your product or service.
HERE ARE 8 TIPS TO WRITE GOOD INSTAGRAM CAPTIONS FOR YOUR BRAND:
- HOW TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN YOUR BRAND VOICE
- USE INSTAGRAM CAPTIONS TO TELL A STORY
- INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION (CTA) IN CAPTIONS
- USE EMOJIS & HASHTAGS IN INSTAGRAM CAPTIONS
- TEAM UP WITH LIKE-MINDED ACCOUNTS
- KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING IN COMMENTS
- DON’T BE AFRAID TO EXPERIMENT
WHY ARE GOOD INSTAGRAM CAPTIONS IMPORTANT?
Pictures are great, but a good Instagram caption is where you will engage with and inspire your followers. Instagram has an algorithm that rewards posts with a high amount of engagement. (This includes likes, comments, saves and shares). If you create engaging Instagram posts, they are more likely to be boosted to the top of the feed and may end up on the coveted Explore page.
A good Instagram caption will enhance your Instagram post. The Instagram caption section is a fantastic place to provide additional information or create a Call to Action (CTA) for your followers. By providing additional information with your picture, your followers are more likely to like and share your posts, allowing you to reach new followers and promote your brand.
DEVELOP & MAINTAIN YOUR BRAND VOICE
Your Instagram feed reflects you and your brand – Think of it as an extension of your blog or website. On your Instagram (and other social media platforms), you will want to maintain a consistent brand voice. Whether it is using certain words, hashtags, or emojis, you want your followers to know that it’s your post without even looking at your username.
While you can’t write a novel in the Instagram caption section, you do have 2200 characters to work with. Use this space to let your personality and your brand shine. If you’re looking for a fun tone, include emojis and popular hashtags. If you want to draw a serious crowd, simply write a couple of sentences and leave the emojis out. No matter which route you take, make sure your brand voice is consistent on every post.
USE INSTAGRAM CAPTIONS TO TELL A STORY
The Instagram caption section is a great place to tell your story, especially if the meaning behind your picture isn’t crystal clear. Use the space to briefly tell your followers about your new blog post or product. While telling your story, keep in mind that Instagram will only show the first couple of lines of your text. To reel in your followers, put the most important words first and make them want to hit the “more” button to finish reading your caption.
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INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION (CTA)
Instagram captions can offer multiple different calls to action (CTA) from your followers. If you’re promoting your latest blog post, ask your followers to click the link in your Instagram bio. (Unfortunately, direct links do not work in Instagram captions.) You can also ask your followers to tag a friend, ask a question, double tap to like or buy a product.
CTAs are a great way to promote your brand on and off Instagram. For the biggest results, you will want to put the CTA in the beginning of your caption. As mentioned earlier, Instagram will shorten your captions and only a couple of lines of text will show while your followers are scrolling their feed. Call out to your followers in the first few words and watch them flock to your site!
USE EMOJIS & HASHTAGS IN INSTAGRAM CAPTIONS
Emojis aren’t just for the young kids. Emojis can be eye-catching when followers are mindlessly scrolling through their feeds. You can use emojis to highlight the CTA in your post or to enhance certain words. Using the hands emojis to point to words are a great way to feature certain areas of your caption. Depending on your voice, you may even choose to replace entire words with emojis or use a string of emojis at the beginning of your caption to captivate your followers. You can also become known for the emojis you use so pick a couple you love an use them over and over.
Hashtags are another fantastic element to use in your Instagram caption. They are a great way to connect with your current followers and to attract new ones. You may to choose to disperse hashtags throughout your caption or put them all at the end.
Hashtags are great because they act like little links, drawing people into your Instagram post. You don’t want to use any old hashtag, though. Use relevant hashtags that will draw the right crowd to your account.
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TEAM UP WITH LIKE-MINDED ACCOUNTS
You can also use your Instagram caption section as a place to team up with accounts like yours. Team up with other businesses in a similar niche and tag each other in some of your captions. Doing this will allow your account to be introduced to their followers and vice versa. If you’re teaming up with a large group, personalize a hashtag to use in your captions. Remember: there is power in numbers!
KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING
Once your caption has ended, it doesn’t mean that the conversation should end. Use your Instagram caption as a starting point for a new discussion. Ask questions in your captions, inviting your followers to answer in the comments below. People love to answer questions and give their opinions. You’ll never know what topic your caption will spark! Plus, questions and answers lead to more engagement, allowing your posts to reach more people and possibly be featured on the Explore page.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO EXPERIMENT
Now that you know how to write good Instagram captions, don’t be afraid to experiment. Try different techniques until you find the most powerful one for your audience. See how your followers react to different lengths of captions. Do you notice a higher amount of engagement on shorter posts versus longer posts? Do your followers react differently to captions with emojis? Observe what gets more attention and duplicate that formula on future Instagram captions.
Need help coming up with good Instagram captions? Grab my FREE GUIDE and start creating good Instagram captions today!
SUMMARY
Instagram is a great platform to boost your brand and promote your blog. By combining great images and powerful captions, you’ll deliver a one-two punch to your followers. Great captions engage your followers and urge them to act. Instagram allows 2200 characters in each caption. Utilize this space to help your brand soar!
