5 Tips for Writing an Engaging Instagram Caption

Captivating captions are essential for capturing your followers' attention. They give context about what you're posting and encourage readers to take action.

From the length you choose, to the emojis you use, we've got 5 tips to help you write more engaging Instagram captions.

When you're competing for attention on the feed, a good first impression is key.

Delivering a punchy, attention-grabbing first line sparks curiousity and encourages followers to read more.

Since Instagram's captions are shortened, only the first 125 characters appear before readers are prompted to "read more". If you can catch their attention in the first line, you've done the hardest part.

Consider the difference between this caption:

"Our products are back in stock on our website. Check out the link in our bio to be the first in line to order!"

and this caption:

"We're back baby! Our website is freshly restocked and ready for you. Check it out at the link in our bio."

Both captions relay the same information, but which one catches your attention?

If you want your followers to engage with your posts, give them a reason to. Odds are, if they're following (or seeing) your page, it's because they're interested in something you're doing.

Incorporating calls to action into your posts is a great way to encourage people to engage with what you're posting. Whether it be asking questions or directing them elsewhere, giving your followers the opportunity for engagement makes sense since they likely want some form of input in whatever activity has captured their attention.

Emojis (within reason) can make your captions eye-catching and fun.

As long as emojis are relevant for the post and match your brand tone, they can be a great way to spice things up and provide a friendlier look and feel to your audience.

Long post? Try breaking it up into paragraphs with spaces or emojis to signal a new line. Not only is this more aesthetically pleasing than a wall of text—it's also easier to read on a mobile device (which is used by about 83% of people to browse through Instagram).

Optimal formatting and length of your posts goes a long way. Nobody (that we know of) wants to go on Instagram to read a big, long block of text. So if it makes sense, lighten the mood and throw an emoji or two into your captions. 😎

Hashtags are no longer a way to increase the reach of your Instagram posts, but they are a way to categorize your posts on a user's explore page.

So, what does this mean? The more time that users spend engaging with your content and your profile, the more times your content will be suggested to users on the platform through the explore page, top posts on hashtag pages, hashtags people follow, and suggested posts on the home feed.

This means that there is more value in the content you post versus the hashtags you include. Spending more time creating relevant, engaging content for your followers instead of conducting hashtag research will end up giving you more value.

Use hashtags that relate to your content. That way, the more engagements you get, the easier it will be for users to find your awesome content under the relevant hashtags.

We helped this chocolate shop increase their Instagram followers by 500% through engaging content.

This tip is not necessarily about your caption, but it is about making your posts more accessible overall for the visually impared.

Instagram offers an "alt text" feature that allows you to include a description of the photo. This description can be used for the visually impared to view content with the use of screen readers. It also appears when an image doesn't load due to a poor internet connection.

Alt text can also benefit the discoverability of your content through the Instagram algorithm. Relevant, keyword-rich alt text increases the chance of your post showing up on the explore page of relevant, targeted users.

Captions are a great way to show off your brand's personality and create a connection with your audience. They can also be used to inspire action, give valuable information, or simply make your followers laugh. No matter what you choose to do with them, remember that it's key to keep your tone consistent with the rest of your branding and always consider your audience. So get creative, have fun, and let us know how you make out with writing successful Instagram captions that engage and delight!