How to Create Instagram Captions
Running any size brand or business means that your company needs to be fluent in all things digital marketing, especially social media. Social media is the main form in which consumers are informed about new products and services. It’s where consumers are bombarded with ads, it’s where they go to research brands, and it’s where content creators tell them which products and services to buy.
If you’re looking to become your industry’s best content creator, one of the main platforms you will need to focus on is Instagram. With over 1.1 Billion users worldwide, every brand large and small must know how to use Instagram effectively to reach its target audience, engage with consumers, and educate new buyers.
Using Instagram properly for business is not as intuitive as it may seem. That is why many brands choose to work with SEO experts or a London based social media agency. The most common way businesses engage with their audience over Instagram is by posting on the company’s Instagram profile. The most important part of any Instagram post other than the picture is the caption. The caption provides context, can educate the reader and is the main way to convert an Instagram like into a sale. Here is everything you need to know to bring your Instagram caption game to the next level.
1. Captions Should Be On-Brand
With any good digital marketing campaign, there is a brand story that each company conveys to its audience. The best way to build a memorable and impactful brand story is by having consistent messaging throughout your digital marketing content.
No matter the type of Instagram post, whether it be a light-hearted holiday post or an education post, the caption should be on-brand. For instance, if you run a yoga studio, your posts will likely be a mixture of inspiring, relaxing, and friendly. Therefore, a caption that strives away from these themes may be off-putting and can hurt your brand overall.
2. Captions Need to be Memorable
Look, not every Instagram caption needs to be written with the prose of an award-winning piece of literature. However, each caption should be made with the intent to grab the reader’s attention.
There are plenty of ways of making a memorable Instagram caption, and every brand should use a healthy mix of formats in order to engage a broader audience. Captions can be funny, thought-provoking, motivational, educational, or anything that you think will make the user read your caption carefully.
Depending on your region, industry, or other factors, some themes may work better than others. When trying to diversify your Instagram content you can always use the A/B testing method to analyze which methods are best for reaching your target audience.
3. Simple Captions Are the Most Effective
One of the biggest mistakes that brands can make when it comes to their Instagram captions is that they feel the need to put all the information out there at once. While there are some instances when long Instagram captions are useful, most of the time readers will not spend the time to appreciate a long-form post.
While Instagram allows for 2,200 characters per caption (about 390 words), most captions should be less than 100 words. The shorter your caption is, the more impactful each word becomes and the more probable that users will read the entire caption.
4. Include a Call-To-Action
Whether you’re creating an Instagram caption, writing an email, or convincing your friends to join you in Vegas, an effective Call-To-Action (CTA) can be a powerful tool. That is why in every piece of digital marketing you produce, especially in Instagram captions, a strong CTA should be included.
CTAs can be directed at many different things. CTAs are phrases that will motivate your audience to check out your website, enter their email for a give-away campaign, follow your page, or stop by your store. Regardless of the desired outcome, every Instagram caption should have a CTA element that asks your readers to do some sort of action that benefits your brand.
5. Don’t Rush your Instagram Captions
Like any part of digital marketing, your social media activities should be well thought out and deliberate. When content creators rush on their work, not only is it obvious to the user, but you’re essentially leaving money on the table.
Every Instagram post is a chance to gain new followers, boost your engagement, and convey your brand story to the world. Brands can simply not afford to phone it in on an Instagram caption and risk losing momentum and a positive brand image due to poor planning.
Anyone who has dipped their toe in the water of digital marketing knows how exhausting the list of tasks can be. Therefore, planning your social media content is the best way to ensure that your content is always of the highest quality it can be.
6. Go Easy on the Hashtags
Hashtags are like frosting on a cake, they’re always necessary but too much can be overpowering. Hashtags are a great way to reach new audiences and become popular within a niche group, but they require a delicate hand when being used on your Instagram captions.
When there are too many hashtags, posts tend to look like spam, and it can ruin the authenticity of your brand image. At most, Instagram captions should be limited to around 5 per post and should be chosen with a purpose. Trending hashtags can be useful for content creation to gain traction with a new audience but should still be relevant to your content. Further, repeated use of a caption can help build your worth within a specific niche of content.
Taking Your Instagram Captions to the Next Level
Having creative and impactful Instagram captions is a powerful tool for any digital marketing operation. Content creation is one of the most effective ways to grow any business regardless of size or industry. Whether you’re working with the best London social media agency or with your own digital marketing team, perfecting your Instagram captions should be a top priority.
In general, Instagram captions should be succinct messages that help build your brand story. They should be relevant to your brand, memorable, and encourage your users to engage with your business.
