When it comes to captioning social media content, people generally feel one of two ways. Some feel like a caption is merely a small detail when it comes to the ordeal of developing a post and put little to no thought into it. Others could over think about a caption for days. Regardless of where you stand, one thing is for sure; the caption is usually where your target market will find the majority of information they seek.
Crafting the perfect caption is an essential detail to driving engagement and growing your brand via social media. We’ve provided you with a checklist for when you’re composing a caption that informs your audience and leaves them wanting to know more!
☐ Start with the most relevant information. Hook your readers with the most engaging words first. Social media platforms, like Instagram, cut off a caption after the first two lines and offer users the option to click “more” to read the entire caption. If they aren’t hooked, the chances they will choose to read on rather than continue scrolling are slim. Give your audience content that incentivizes them to keep reading.
☐ Pose a question that invites your followers to respond in the comments. Asking your audience’s opinions will help you collect material on their preferences and help you to improve the overall content. Your followers also want to feel heard, and asking them to voice themselves is a sure way to make them feel like their opinions count!
☐ Telling a story in a caption initiates an emotional connection with each user. Storytelling presents background that will entice users to involve themselves with the product or service that you are marketing.
☐ Write in a consistent voice. Whether your voice is more casual and funny or professional and informative, using the same tone across all your posts will help your followers to familiarize themselves with you.
☐ Use a call-to-action to increase engagement by your followers. Some methods include directing users to a link in your bio, inviting users to tag their friends or enter a content established by your brand! Tread lightly with this one though; you don’t want to ask something of your audience every time you post.
☐ Take advantage of cross-platform sharing. Including your brand’s various social media handles further markets the presence you hold and gives users an outlet to engage with the brand.
☐ Craft hashtags at the end of the caption. This will involve your business with more significant conversations and other relative posts. Adding a hashtag has been shown to increase engagement by 12.6%.
