Captions are a great way to tell your Instagram followers what your photo is about. Yet it does more than that.
Did you know that your Instagram captions are a great marketing tool to increase engagement? Find out why you need captions and some tips to create those that have that “wow” factor.
Why Do You Need Instagram Captions?
In the past, you may have relied on “likes” to measure the engagement of your images. But that doesn’t get people talking, does it? To really engage with your followers, you need to start a conversation, and a caption is a great way to do that.
Also, Instagram does not allow users to filter followers to external links. Your caption is the best way to tell them to check your profile page and website information.
Need subtitle support? In general, if you see an engagement rate of between 3% and 6%, you can sit back. You are in good shape. Everything on it is extraordinary. If you fall below the 3% threshold, you may need to rethink your Instagram strategy.
Four Tips for Creating Great Captions
Want to start more conversations and increase the engagement of your followers under your photos? Connect with your audience and rank higher on the platform with these caption tips.
1. Stay Loyal to Your Brand
First, consistency is key when sending messages to the rest of the world. This is true whether you have a business profile and brand or a personal profile for friends and loved ones.
Create a voice that represents the person you want others to see. When you find the right sound, it can also help you attract the right followers.
2. Rewrite Until It’s Correct
As any good writer knows, sometimes the best ideas don’t come out of the first draft. Or the second. Even the third.
Don’t feel pressured to post the first ideas that come to mind. Instead, let these creative energies flow until you get the exact message you want to share.
3. Attract Them With Storytelling
When you think of stories, you may think of long essays, but you can still tell a story in a few simple sentences. Let your viewers know what’s in the photo. Lay them in the picture and let them go behind the scenes.
However, keep in mind that Instagram only allows 2200 characters per caption, and longer captions are cut off on air.
Can you use the maximum characters allowed? Certainly!
But if possible, take the lead with the main part of your message. Give viewers a reason to tap “more” in the first few lines of your caption.
4. Don’t Forget Your CTA
Now that you’ve got your audience’s attention, don’t forget to add a call to action. Your CTA takes followers from just browsing to engagement. What do you want your viewers to do?
You can choose from a variety of CTA options, such as leaving a comment or clicking on your profile link. Instagram only allows users to add an external link, but you can direct people there to complete an action.
If you want people to read a blog post, direct them to your profile page to access the link. The same goes for free downloads and registration pages.
Of course, these are common ways to use a CTA in a caption. But if your goal is to increase engagement, you can try more creative ways. For example, you can have viewers tag your friends in the comments section to see more of you and increase engagement. You can also encourage people to share your stories in their own stories.
Contests and giveaways are also a great way to increase engagement with your audience. Or you can play a game or organize a “challenge” to get your followers more involved. Whatever you decide to do, be sure to use actionable words that encourage the audience to react.
5. Use Emojis
If emojis aren’t part of your brand, you don’t have to use them. But they’re often the perfect way to reflect your current mood or brand personality with a few simple, well-placed images. You don’t have to blast your audience with a page of emoji. Pick a few to highlight the important parts of your caption and have fun with them.
Takeaway About Subtitles
Need to add captions to your photos? Not necessarily. But you also overlook one of the best tools at your disposal to increase audience engagement.
What kind of subtitles do you like to read? Tell us about it in the comments below.
