So you’ve captured some amazing content, you open up the Instagram app, you select your photos, click Next, and see the dreaded: Write a caption…
Let me guess. You spend way too long racking your brain, struggling with how to write a caption that’s even half as good as the photos you just took. You are tempted to just pick a fun emoji and maybe throw in a hashtag or two, right? Well we hate to break it to you, but that is NOT going to help you reach your goals. A random and confused caption will not convert viewers to engaged followers, or followers to lifelong customers. We need to provide value to our audience in the caption. So how do we do that? Don’t worry, we have a formula on how to write a caption that stops the scroll.
1- The Hook
You want to make the person who is mindlessly scrolling through their feed to read the first few words of your caption and immediately feel compelled to click more. In order to do this, you must have an attention-grabbing hook.
Some examples of hooks that stop the scroll:
How I did…
How I went from X to Y
How to get X with these # Tips/Steps
3 big mistakes when it comes to…
How I learned…
This is why…
This is going to make some people mad..
I can’t keep this a secret anymore..
Once you’ve got a captivating hook, you want to provide the reader with value.
2- The Body
This is the meat of your caption. This is where you will provide the reader with information. Why should your reader spend the next minute of their life reading this caption? They can easily just scroll onto the next post that might be more valuable or appeal to them more, so make sure your caption falls into at least one of the following categories:
-Relatable. This post is about something the viewer cares about or something that resonates with them. This can be as simple as telling a story (not a boring one though).
-Valuable. The post provides the reader value in some way whether it be educational or informative. It might be a list, resource, or tool that is helpful. It may also be something they want to save and reference again later.
-Inspirational. The post elicits a certain feeling or emotion from the reader. It might even make the person aspire to achieve a certain goal or develop a particular habit.
Now that you’ve provided the reader with valuable information in the body of your caption, you want to direct them on what to do next.
3- Call to Action
This will tell your reader how they can receive even more value from you. You might just want them to engage with your post so they will see more of your content in the future. Or maybe you want them to sign up for a class or tell them about a new product. Whatever it may be, direct them to the right place. Examples include:
Comment below if…
Share this post with a friend that…
Tag someone who…
Click on the link in bio to…
DM us to find…
Shop our newest product at…
Now that you’ve got a great caption, you’re almost ready to post! CLICK HERE for our hashtag starter kit to complete your post.
-Court at The Daily Essentials
