As a business owner, you shouldn’t ignore Instagram anymore. Instagram is one of the most popular social media in the world with more than 700 million monthly active users.
Of course, it is an app focused on photos and graphics, then it’s all about visuals. A good photo can attract the attention of your followers, however, what keeps them for longer is caption copy. That is why you should put some effort into preparing them and for sure – don’t ignore it. Let me show you 8 steps for optimising your Instagram caption copy...
1. Keep it short
There is an optimal length for the Instagram caption. It shouldn’t be too long because people are usually not interested in reading a whole wall of text. Keep in mind that Instagram is about visuals after all.
If your caption is too long, it will be cut off and not seen in the feed. That’s why you should try to focus on the first few sentences to attract your followers’ attention. If your caption is too short, people will think that either the post is not interesting or you're too lazy to come up with anything to say about it.
People will scroll through their feed quickly and if your post and caption don’t stand out, then they won't bother reading it, which means that they won't see what's so great about your company or product. When people are scrolling through their feed, they are also trying to decide whether they want to be notified of any future posts from you, so if they don't see anything interesting in your caption or if it will be too long, they may decide about not being notified next time.
Look at this example. This caption is short and calls to action. This kind of Instagram caption can generate a lot of engagement.
2. Caption’s focus
In the Instagram caption, focus on writing about things related to the photo you posted. No one wants to see unrelated Instagram captions. It's really important to have a captivating caption that ties in with the photo you're posting. When people scroll through their own feed, they might not notice a post just because it doesn't get their attention. A good caption may get people to stop and check out your post, which can lead to more likes and followers.
3. Don't use hashtags...
too much. It's important not to overuse hashtags, which can make your caption feel spammy and disconnected from the photo. But if you can't help yourself from using too many hashtags, it's best to save them for the end of the caption so they don't disrupt what you have written. However, it’s better to use a few hashtags – just a couple with a big and small audience.
Remember that hashtags should be related to your photo. Then, if you post a photo with your product and you’re selling jewellery, don’t use the #trendingclothes hashtag because it’s completely irrelevant.
4. Emojis ????
Emojis are great and can make your caption more attractive. It’s always nice to see some colours and small graphics with text, so it doesn’t look that boring and overwhelming. However, again – you need to be careful with the amount. Don’t overuse emojis because your caption might end up looking a bit spammy.
Look at this great example of a FedEx company. The caption is very short, but it calls to action, looks cozy because of the emojis, and attracts attention.
5. Grammar and correct spelling
If your Instagram caption contains incorrect grammar or spelling, you’re losing your reliability. Brands on Instagram that have grammatical errors in their captions are less reliable and trustworthy. This is because grammatical errors can be interpreted as a lack of attention to detail and care. That makes sense – if someone is not able to pay attention to small things like that, how the product that the person is selling can be good?
This is why it's important to focus on correct writing so that your brand will be perceived as more credible and reliable. You can use free online tools such as Grammarly to correct your texts in an easy way.
6. Be more human (than a robot)
This tip is about the importance of giving people a little peek into your creative process and letting them know that you're human just like them. People know that they're going to have to put in some hard work if they want to be successful, but it can be even more discouraging when you have an artist who seems perfect from the outside.
That’s why you should put your real self in the Instagram caption. People like authenticity, especially in the Internet full of fake.
7. Draft your ideas on different platforms
Writing captions on a different platform can help you keep your mind clear. You can plan your posts without being disturbed by any notifications and comparisons to other posts so that you can write something fresh and different from others. Check how Postfity could help you with making drafts.
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8. Show a sense of humour
If you are looking for a way to stand out on Instagram, use humour in your captions. Funny captions will match the product and make the target audience laugh. This will help to engage with them and communicate the message better.
Humour is not just an option on social media, it is a necessity!
Final thoughts
It’s really important to pay attention to your Instagram caption copy, especially if you’re a business owner selling your products there. I hope that after reading this article you will be more aware of what you should do and how you should write it correctly. It might be worth at least giving these ideas a go.
