“A picture is worth a thousand words”. It is a common, day-to-day phrase that all of us have heard. But when it comes to a social media network, especially an influential one like Instagram, sometimes pictures fail to convey the meaning of those figurative thousand words. Sometimes, words perform the magic which a picture was supposed to do.
Photos alone cannot always fulfil the objective of conveying what you want to. Having an amazing caption attached to your photo is critical as it provides context to your photo.
But what should you exactly write? What kind of words should you use? How do you engage your audience with what you have written?
And yes, there is no one better than our team of social media marketing experts to handle these domains. Give us a try.
Go on. Continue reading.
How do you write an alluring caption?
So, let’s get straight into it. Just like you need specific ingredients to bake a decadent cake, you require the same to write appealing captions.
#1: Essential information takes first place.
Remember, only the first 125 characters of your content gets displayed on the viewer’s screen and then, the “more” option appears on the screen. The trick is to capture the attention of the reader before they scroll down and move to another post.
You could entice your viewers by issuing an intriguing statement, displaying concrete, attention-capturing stats or triggering an emotional response.
For example, setting a story-like tone to the caption proves tempting for the viewer. The result is, the viewer clicks on “more” to read the complete caption. This acts as a boost to your brand’s growth rate.
Hence, ensure that the space of 125 characters encompasses the most important information that you want the readers to know.
#2: The structure of your caption.
The way you write your caption speaks a lot about what you want to convey. It could be a one-liner, an emoji or a micro-blog. The only issue with one liners is that sometimes, the message does not get aptly conveyed.
Thus, you have to ensure that the complete information gets relayed, with context to the photo. That’s what your focus should be.
Formatting is key. A big chunk of text is difficult and it becomes boring to continue reading. If you are planning on keeping a long caption, make sure you break it into paragraphs, keep it organized and systematic. Insert extra spacing so that it becomes easier to read and aids in increasing CTA activity.
As a marketer, you need to ensure that your content matches with the requirements and expectations of your viewers.
#3: Tell your story.
Your brand or your company has an origin, some inspiring story which, in turn, could inspire others. You could begin the post with a particular excerpt from your inspirational story. If constructed and written properly, it aids in engaging your audience and motivates them to continue reading.
#4: Make a few drafts first.
It’s always better to make a few drafts before you end up finalizing the version, just so that you can figure out if your content is written the way you want, analyze the length of the caption and bring about necessary changes (if any) before posting it.
#5: Include prompting CTAs.
A CTA directs users on what they should do after reading the post. It’s a great way to engage with your audience by using action verbs to prompt your viewers, instead of just passively scrolling down.
Using action verbs like “double-tap” or “share” encourage users to explore the context of your post. You could also ask the viewers to tag their friends, click on a link to your bio or just comment. This is a great way to interact with your viewers.
You can use your CTAs to divert traffic to your site. Here, Reebok uses a CTA “Tap to Shop” to encourage viewers to buy their products. Having a celebrity endorse their products and maintaining a clean caption with unique hashtags helps to increase engagement with potential buyers.
#6: Use eye-catching emojis.
Using emojis is a great strategy to grab attention and personalize your brand or business. It can be used to break up long texts, effectively decreasing the monotonous vibe of the content. It adds an extra bit of personality too, to your post and makes it more friendly.
The use of the emojis in the above post symbolizes the aspects included in adventure sports, and the viewers who search for this specific domain on Instagram will be directed to this page.
#7: Include relevant hashtags.
Using a large number of hashtags makes your posts look too cluttered and irrelevant. Hence, it’s important to keep in mind that you should use a limited and relevant number.
Here, Elle uses a specific number of emojis and hashtags and therefore, keeps the focus on the product.
You produce an aesthetically sleek look when you add the hashtags in the comment section. But, you have to make sure you do it as soon as your post goes live.
As a marketer, you can follow specific hashtags. If you use specific hashtags in your posts, you will extend the reach of your posts to users who follow those hashtags.
You have to be strategic about using hashtags in your captions. It’s better to use top Instagram hashtags that have an engaging community behind them and are relevant to your audience.
In the above post, the hashtags and handle of the person represent the travel community. And by using these specific hashtags, they are looking to engage with the travel community.
Additionally, you can use hashtags to highlight promotions, events, contests, product launches etc.
#8: Take the help of alluring language.
Using appealing, eye-catching language to write your caption can go a long way. To get a bonus point, you should add an extra pinch of humor. Viewers tend to be more interested in reading a caption, regardless of the length, if the content is humorous and imparts a light-hearted tone.
#9: Ask a question. It matters.
Encourage people to comment on their own experiences. You will be able to extract feedback and improve your strategy regarding the interaction of your audience with your posts.
Questions provide the users with an opportunity to respond to you. You can implement the 5 Ws – What, Where, When, Why and Who to have a one-on-one interaction with your audience.
Additionally, you can either ask for feedback, a yes-or-no question or a getting-to-know one.
#10: Direct people to a link in your bio.
Instagram is potentially a profit-generating platform, if utilized properly. If you want Instagram followers and users to browse your website and become potential clients, providing a link is the best way to ensure they do. In the post, insert a CTA button which leads to your bio. You can use “👉” or “👀” next to the link on your bio to make it more interesting.
Concisely describing the product and directing viewers to the product’s landing page is an additional bonus. The viewer does not have to spend a lot of time going through the details. The product’s details will be easily accessible to them.
By including a detailed description, displaying offers and discounts, the brand is encouraging the viewer to explore the products further. For great tips on Instagram marketing, click here.
#11: Shower some love on your followers and sponsors.
If your followers are actively responding to your posts, or purchasing your products, or actively browsing your website, appreciate their efforts.
Mention or tag them in your posts. Do not forget to tag or give a shout-out to your sponsors as well. It shows that you appreciate their investment in your business and fosters your relationship with them.
Here, Supergoop has conveyed their thanks to one of their sponsors by tagging them in the post. It aids in audience engagement as your brand will get featured too, when they tag you in their posts.
Track, Analyze, Improve.
After creating your posts, it’s extremely important to keep a track of changes in Instagram algorithm. You can take the aid of an analytical tool to gauge the engagement rate.
It will help you to understand where you are going wrong and how you can improve your engagement with the audience.
Many people consider Instagram to be the best social media platform existing in this digital era, and thus, the popularity of the same is clearly visible. Apart from your websites and ads, it is THE platform which will broaden the range of your consumers. Knowing how to utilize its potentials is sometimes tricky, but if you follow these simple steps, it will certainly help you to create a mark in the industry.
If you are a newbie in the industry, we are here to help you out. Check out our services.
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