Instagram Captions, and why they matter
It's all about the caption
You may wonder why Instagram captions are all that important? Because isn’t Instagram about pretty pictures? I can tell you that my virgin post on Instagram, 2 years ago, was exactly that. A picture of my statement blue couch with awesome brick wall, no caption, no hashtags. I thought arrogantly the beauty would speak for itself. Want to know what my engagement was on that picture? The number of likes? Comments? Saves? You’re absolutely correct. Not quite zero but a few. Most from bots, the rest from a handful of friends (oh dear…).
A great Instagram caption will stop a scroller in their tracks.
A great Instagram caption will stop a scroller in their tracks. And the longer someone spends reading your caption and engaging with your post, the better your post will rank with the Instagram algorithm. Captions are a powerful tool that can be used to encourage likes, comments, and even visits to your website. And if your post gets enough engagement, it might even end up on the explore page.
In the past, timeliness was important. Posts were added to newsfeeds in chronological order and it was easier to be ‘seen’. Or at least so I’ve been told because that was before my time on the gram.
Thanks to the Instagram algorithm change, the level of engagement your posts receive matters more than chronology. Instagram feeds are ordered to show the moments Instagram thinks we'll care about the most. The visibility of your posts in your followers' feeds depends on the number of likes and comments a post has, your relationship with the user posting, and other factors. How exactly the algorithm works, no one but the developers know. But one thing is certain, engagement is key. And when you post a pretty picture without a (good) caption, you miss the opportunity to create that extra bit of engagement.
What to think about
Important elements to consider, when writing your Instagram caption are:
Your microblogging strategy
Careful consideration to your topic and ensuring you front load the good stuff
Ensuring your caption provides context, adds personality, and inspires your followers to take action
Your hashtag strategy
Your caption tone, language, and look & feel
In my new eResource I am digging into these topics and give all my secrets away into good caption writing. I will also give you some handy tips and point you into the direction of websites and apps you can use to optimise your caption writing. Click here to order your copy.
Happy reading!
