The Ultimate Guide to Writing Instagram Captions in 2022

Table of Contents

• What Does an Instagram Caption Do For Your Brand?
• Guide to Writing Instagram Captions 
• Key Takeaways 
• Conclusion 
• FAQs 

Instagram is primarily a visual platform packed with lifestyle shots of the rich and famous, endearing pictures of pets, culinary adventures, or beautiful landscapes. Well, not always. You have a priceless business tool in your hands with an Instagram account. With real thought and strategy, you could persuade your reader to like, share, and comment on your post; it could even lead them to visit your website.   

Though Instagram is a visual treat for a user, a post is not complete without a caption to go with it. For example, a woman sipping water wearing gym clothes of a particular brand could look like a candid photograph taken by anybody. Without a caption, the purpose is lost. Thus, you must come up with good Instagram caption ideas. 

Good captions can convert readers into followers. They are a sure-fire way to engage your readers for a longer time. And if your post gets ample engagement, it could end up on the Explore page! According to research by Fohr, the average Instagram caption length has more than doubled since 2016. In 2022, it is predicted that people will use much longer caption lengths – much like a mini-blog. 

Instagram algorithms determine which posts come on a user’s feed. This is based on relevance, and the engagement on that particular post determines relevancy. Here are some tips on how to write Instagram captions. 

What Does an Instagram Caption Do For Your Brand?

• Adds value to the image
• Makes conversation with your reader
• Influences the reader to respond to your post
• Builds a relationship with your reader
• Displays the brand’s tone of voice
• Captures a particular audience

Well-written captions paired with compelling images and videos give you a larger engaged audience. Here is a guide to writing Instagram captions that will help you take your Insta business account to another level.

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Guide to Writing Instagram Captions

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Attractive first liners

An appealing element in the first line of your Instagram caption will ensure that the reader does not move away from your post. If you make sure that the line visible at first look is punchy and captivating, you can stop your scrollers in their tracks. They do not have to click “more” to learn more about your post. You must place the most relevant information at the beginning of your caption. If you can draw in your audience there, then you’ve nailed it.

Length of the caption

According to a Semrush blog, the human attention span is thought to have shrunk from 12 to 8 seconds, which means you need to focus on high-quality short captions. The Instagram team recommends keeping your captions under 125 characters. This will ensure that your entire caption becomes visible in your Instagram feed. 

It has been observed that brand with less than 1 million followers has the most interaction on posts with caption within 50 characters. 

Having said that, long-form content is now gaining more popularity – much like a mini-blog. 

Strategy for creating Instagram captions

• Put the important information first. Keep it short and simple.
• Weave a story.
• Ask your readers some interesting questions.
• It is the age of hashtags. Include them.
• Give structure to the content.
• Always have a call to action.

Establish your brand voice

Establishing your brand voice takes work. Your language, style of posting, tone, everything has to be unique to your brand. Identify with your audience. For this, you need to know your audience very closely and connect with them emotionally. 

Motivate your readers to get involved with your brand. Determine your brand voice. Your brand personality must shine through every post you make. Whatever your brand’s tone, whether humorous, informative, informal, etc., it must be consistent and clear. Your reader will identify your brand from your tone and style. For example, if you have quotes placed below or above your visuals, your readers will begin to look out for your posts and even share them, thus increasing your reach.

Link your imagery with your caption

Add value to your post. Do not just write an Instagram caption, but share information that complements your visual. For example, you could mention how to use your product or where it is available. Also, some kind of engagement will make the reader come back to your page.

Call-to-action

Not everyone who sees your post is following you. Your caption space is where you engage your audience. Here is your opportunity to get them to respond to you. You can build a rapport with your reader by responding to their comment feed, and your followers will be happy that you took the time to respond to them. This will widen the reach of your brand. You can also get insight into your customers’ likes and dislikes, which will consequently shape your Instagram strategy and marketing tactics.

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Some examples of call-to-action words are:

• Tag us in your photos!
• Like us to agree
• Don’t forget to comment below about your favorite (product)
• Visit us at (website) to order right away!

Promote your brand

Contest ideas are a great way to promote your brand. A competition made specifically for your followers will create curiosity around your product. It will give exposure to your brand and generate engagement. Entice your followers to participate in the competition by having attractive giveaways or prizes. The caption can mention entry instructions, prize descriptions, etc. It is good to spend quality time brainstorming ideas and researching previous campaigns. Remember to proofread and edit your content well before sharing.

Use hashtags

If you cannot find the right hashtags to include in your Instagram captions, many internet sites can help you. You can also find them in Instagram’s search field, which gives you a list of hashtags you can use. Hashtags are important to increase engagement. It is still a sure-shot way to get seen by new audiences. Hashtags are best when used at the end of your captions. Use the ones that go with your visual and caption, but make sure they are unique. You can even create a hashtag that will go well with your brand and use them in all your posts. Hashtags will also be shared by other users. Here are some hashtag tips for you:

• Use relevant hashtags. 
• Put hashtags at the bottom of your caption.
• Use not more than five hashtags per caption.

Emojis are the way to go!

Make your posts more personal by adding emojis to your captions. It will augment the copy making it more fun. Lately, more serious brands have also used them. Remember that where emojis are concerned, “less is more.” An emoji can emphasize the words you use. They can be used to highlight or organize a list of things. It is an excellent way to give breaks between texts.

Use mentions

Build your online community by calling out to your customers, friends, well-wishers, or brand collaborators. It draws attention to your Instagram profile. This is a way to build trust among your followers. The others who have been seeing your posts will also respond and engage with your brand. 

For example, you must have heard of influencers. As soon as you use the @mentions (the influencer’s name) in your Instagram captions, a notification is sent to them. When they share the post or comment, your brand pops up in all the feeds the influencer reaches. These are shares you would not have got otherwise. Even though we cannot get influencers to engage with any post, you can tag them using content related to them. This will increase your reach to a great extent.

Match the timing

The caption is done, and hashtags are relevant; you are sure that your content will increase sales and create brand awareness. But are you posting it at the right time? 

Post content when your audience is most likely to see it. Only then will they interact with your post. Every brand caters to a distinctive audience with different behavior patterns on social media. Certain practices are to be followed when posting on Instagram. Posting when your followers are online is key because the Instagram algorithm prioritizes recency. This means that, if all else is equal, a newer post will show up higher on the newsfeed than an older one.

Key Takeaways 

• According to research by Fohr, the average Instagram caption length has more than doubled since 2016. In 2022, it is predicted that people will use much longer caption lengths – much like a mini-blog. 
• Well-written captions paired with compelling images and videos give you a larger engaged audience. 
• You must place the most relevant information at the beginning of your caption. If you can draw in your audience there, then you’ve nailed it.
• According to a Semrush blog, the human attention span is thought to have shrunk from 12 to 8 seconds, which means you need to focus on high-quality short captions. 
• Do not just write an Instagram caption, but share information that complements your visual
• You can build a rapport with your reader by responding to their comment feed, and your followers will be happy that you took the time to respond to them. 
• Make your posts more personal by adding emojis to your captions. It will augment the copy making it more fun. 
• Post content when your audience is most likely to see it. Only then will they interact with your post. 

Conclusion 

Instagram captions are on the upward trend. It has been for a while now. Your success on Instagram depends largely on the captions you provide and subsequent engagements you get for your visual posts. Frequent self-evaluation is extremely important. 

Not everybody can turn on audio at all times. This is where captions save the day. Get the right hashtags, follow your competitors’ posts, educate yourself on what is most popular, and know what is trending. 

Another fundamental strategy is using user-generated content. Create conversations with your readers by asking them to post their pictures using your products, and there, you have a story to tell, proving the credibility of your product! This guide to writing Instagram captions will take you a long way in your journey with the social media platform. 

FAQs