Written communication has gone through a major metamorphosis over the last couple of decades. Texting, instant messaging, and emailing are increasingly our primary means of communication. Fresh content is essential and social media marketing is a must.
While Facebook is the most popular social network, the Instagram community has grown to 700 million users. As such, more and more writers are adding Instagram posts to their portfolio.
And whether you are trying to promote your book, build your profile, boost sales for your product, or sell some kind of service, there's a one-size-fits-all method to write a perfect Instagram caption.
Keep it Short But Descriptive
It's no secret that Instagram is a network for sharing visual content. Instagrammers would rather scroll images than read long posts here. Moreover, keep in the mind that people have the average attention span of 8 seconds, which means you need to grab their attention with a strong image and a short post.
Although Instagram allows its users to post 400 words, it's better to use 8-16 words to describe your photo.
- Use short sentences. Stick to 8-16 words.
- Simple and clean language. Let people understand your thoughts.
- Add a call-to-action (CTA) to drive engagement. Use action words like start, join, learn, order, etc.
Check our this great post by author K.M. Weiland:
Add a Link
An easy buying process increases the likelihood that followers will purchase your product, so make sure you add a clickable link to your profile.
Instagram doesn't allow users to add links to posts, but you can inform readers about your profile link in your post:
Make Sure There are No Mistakes
Brand reputation plays a significant part in making the final purchase decision.
It takes potential customers very little time to make a quick opinion about your brand and whether they can people trust it. And your knowledge matters.
Misspellings, bad grammar, and typos are a big deal. It's nearly impossible to earn trust if your posts are poorly-written, so you need to pay attention to their grammar and structure, and avoid typos.
Even though you write a short post on Instagram, dedicate time to proofread it. Luckily, there are many useful tools to become a better writer. It's always smart to run your post through some basic ProWritingAid checks before you post. No matter how experienced as a writer you are, you can make mistakes, and it's absolutely normal. However, it's our aim to avoid making them, and we should put much effort into it.
Add a Sense of Urgency
If you want to sell something fast, create a sense of urgency.
When people are not pressed for time, they can focus rationally on the choices and select the best one. However, things change when they need to act fast. A clear deadline makes people think about the offer actively; they don't want to miss out.
Look how Passion Planner did it:
How to add a sense of urgency:
- Tell customers how this product can solve their problems
- Offer something appealing
- Give a deadline
Urgency is an actionable way to sell more and faster.
Use Emojis
If you're texting, you know that emojis are used often these days. People use emojis to replace content. It can be enough to send a smiley to greet someone or say goodbye. They add fun to texts, and writers should know more about this trend.
Use emojis to:
- Add personality to your Instagram caption
- Increase engagement
- Stay on trend
Emojis are popular on Instagram, and you'll benefit from adding them. However, don't overdo them in order not to hurt your brand reputation.
Knowing core principles of writing Instagram posts can help you grow as a professional.
Want to know more? Check out How to Win Instagram If You Are a Writer
Be confident about grammar
Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.