How to Write a killer Instagram Caption

You know how in 3rd grade you learned about story writing. You had a beginning, middle, and end. And you need some introduction or hook, and a plot, and a conclusion? Is it crazy that your IG captions can follow a similar structure? Maybe we did learn something in that public school education!! :)

OFFER DESERT TO YOUR AUDIENCE. They want cake, I’m positive.

Exceptions

There are always exceptions to the rule. Here are some that I run across…

1. Sometimes you’re trying to be witty. Those are short, sweet, and witty statements that are trying to invoke a laugh. In this case, if that’s you’re intention give us the wit!
   

2. I think TikTok changed the rules for us with Reels. The rules are TikTok are that your caption doesn’t need much, and very limited hastags, and it doesn’t need to quite make much sense compared to your TikTok. This might have changed, but I do see that a lot on Reels. Personally, I would still write a caption to give more context to your Reel, but I do think TikTok rules spilled over into Reels.

Caption Outlines

1. The “hook”
   You want to start your captions with something that draws someone in. This is the snippet of text that will be shown to users as they are scrolling. It needs to make sense and be intriguing.

   Our goal with the hook is to get someone to click on our post, or expand our caption to read more! Here are some examples of hooks:

2. The “plot”

   This section is where we want to get into the meat of our point. Sometimes a long 1 paragraph post can be overwhelming to read, you’ll want to consider spacing to give your readers space to pause and to be able to skim the caption. Attention spans are like nano-seconds these days!!

   Our goal is to tell a clear story that conveys the intention of the post, while being digestible.

3. The “call to action”

   Well did you even post if you don’t guide your audience into what actions you need them to take next? It’s kinda like going out to a restaurant. If the waiter never asks if I’m into desert, I probably will never take it. OFFER DESERT TO YOUR AUDIENCE. They want cake, I’m positive.

   There are several types of call to actions. It depends on the intention of your post. Are you pitching an offer? Do you want engagement from this post? Are you trying to be funny, and just want people to give it a like?

   The “call to action” is often last in the order of the caption. But, this is the result you are asking of your audience. I would brainstorm this first. “With this post, where am I leading my audience?”

   Here are some examples:

   • Double-tap if you agree

   • Have you ever {{the thing that relates to your caption}}? Let me know in the comments

   • Let me know in the comments if you agree!

   • Want to know more? Click the link in my bio

   • DM me “ready” if you want a link to {{an offer}}

   • Leave me a {{some type of emoji}} if you agree!

   • Tag a friend who can relate!

Well, what do you say? Are you ready to write some killer IG captions?

Tag me @heysarahemily on Instagram if you’ve found this helpful!