How to create Instagram captions that guarantee engagement

May 15, 2019 CONRIC PR

What do you see when you’re scrolling down your Instagram feed? Selfies, pictures of mouthwatering food, inspirational quotes, funny videos? There’s a good chance it’s a combination of all your favorite interests.

What you don’t see as often are posts from small businesses in your area. The sad truth is that many small business owners don’t consider Instagram a valuable asset. But it can play a vital role in any company’s success.

Instagram offers many ways to effectively engage with a target audience. Business owners can strategically fill out their bios, post high-quality photos, use hashtags, and find, follow and interact directly with their ideal customers.

Never undervalue the power of strategic copy when writing Instagram captions. Yes, Instagram marketing is all about the visuals, but you shouldn’t stop after editing a photo to perfection. The caption of your post is your chance to create a voice because effective Instagram captions can help build your brand.

Fuse your brand voice with the platform’s lighthearted tone to connect with more users. Here are a few important caption guidelines to consider:

Check it twice

Before posting the first thing that comes to mind, consider writing several drafts of your caption — each one in a different tone. Consult with not one, but a few of your coworkers to make the caption clever, relevant and attention-grabbing.

“The visibility of your posts in your followers’ feeds will depend on the number of Likes and comments a post has, your relationship with the user posting, and other factors,” according to HubSpot.

So, remember to take your time forming a worthy caption. The most important thing is to craft a well-rounded post that will have a better chance of getting shown to users. The goal is to encourage users to engage with and share your content.

Say what you want to say

It’s important to keep the user’s attention span in mind. Don’t save the good stuff for last. Instagram’s character count is 2,200, but that just works as a formality, since the platform will hide lengthy captions after about three lines of text with a “more” button.

This shouldn’t discourage users from writing long, but it should serve as a reminder to frontload the captions with the most important content. It’s better to leave the hashtags, @mentions or any other inessential information for the end.

#Hashtag

Business owners who understand the power of technology know that hashtags can increase the size of their audience on Instagram, encourage users to talk about their brand and make their content more searchable.

Using more than one hashtag gives users multiple opportunities to land on your page, but be smart! Don’t just casually add a ton of hashtags. Add three or four trending hashtags at the end of your caption.

Read more: 3 hashtag strategies to increase your audience on Instagram

Tell them what to do 

Your Instagram caption should invite people to engage with the post. The best way to increase your engagement on social media is to include some sort of call to action. Tell the user exactly what you want them to do.

For example, you might say, “Tell us what your favorite food is in the comments,” or, “Double-tap if you agree,” or, “Check out our link in the bio.”

Like all great relationships, the best way to get to know someone is by asking questions — invite conversations to happen on your post. Instagram gives business owners the opportunity to understand what their audience really wants and needs. All you have to do is ask!

Example: What’s your favorite vacation spot?

Feedback on your Instagram posts can help you better shape your Instagram strategy and give you ideas for future content.

Make sure it’s a two-way conversation. If users are taking the time to open up and share their thoughts and experiences, be sure to respond. It’s another guaranteed way to boost your engagement and delight your followers.

Need a hand?

If you need help writing engaging content on Instagram or other social media platforms, we’re here for you. Don’t hesitate to contact our skilled marketing team for help to look your best. Call 239-690-9840 or visit www.conricpr.com for more information.

 

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