Instagram Captions for Business That Your Customers Will Love

While other social media websites may be catching a lot of headlines these days, few applications have remained as popular for as long as Instagram. Just a few weeks ago, the popular photo-sharing website surpassed two billion subscribers, a shockingly high amount.

It's easy to see why both big and small businesses want to ensure they're maintaining an active and exciting Instagram presence. There are a few places on the web that favor triggering attention.

While everyone knows that Instagram is primarily a photo-based application, a clever business will use every tool on the site to extend its reach. Writing stellar Instagram captions can be just as important as any other element of running an Instagram page.

How can you ensure you're coming up with captions that your target audience will respond to and love? Keep reading and we'll walk you through the basics of crafting the perfect Instagram post caption.

Basics of Instagram Captions

A caption for a photo, video, or any kind of Instagram content can be key to ensuring it connects with viewers. Many times, the words you choose to pair with the images that you post will help to shape viewers' perception of the image itself and your brand as a whole.

It doesn't matter if you're running a small business or simply trying to extend your reach as a social media personality -- captions are going to play a huge role in whatever your goal might be.

They are a big part of learning how to post on Instagram.

There's a lot of room to play when it comes to Instagram captions. The Instagram post size is quite liberal.

At the present moment, the platform allows captions to run for as long as 2,200 characters. That means there's no push to have to be short or brief when it comes to your posting on the app.

In addition, Instagram currently allows you to use up to thirty different hashtags within your captions, giving you the opportunity to connect with all different types of communities on the app.

These limits, of course, are maximum. This is more than what a caption would require, but it's good to know where the limitations are.

Purpose of Instagram Captions

What should your goal be in crafting the perfect caption for an Instagram post? It can be more than one thing at the same time.

The purpose of captions is wide-ranging, but the main goal is often to better catch the attention of someone scrolling by. The longer a viewer stops and reads the caption you've written, the better your post is going to stay in the Instagram algorithm.

You might even be able to end up on the app's overall Explore page.

In addition, a caption is a place for you to share a little personality. What is the voice of your brand? Is it formal and professional, or tossed off and casual? Your caption is a place to get this voice across in a clear and concise way to the average viewer.

It's one of the easiest ways to cement your brand identity in the minds of those you are most hoping to reach. Social media marketing, and Instagram marketing in general, is powerful for this very reason.

It's one of the best ways to grow your business.

Creating a Caption Marketing Strategy

Now that you understand the power and importance of a good caption, it's time to start thinking of what kind of captions might fit your brand as a small business owner.

There are tons of different ways to approach this task, and the right answer will depend entirely on yourself and the enterprise that you've created.

Reading through a few different common caption strategies can get your brain turning and might push you toward the type of work you'd like to create.

Mini-Blog Captions

Feel like you've created some killer content and want to connect even further with your audience? Using your account's captions as a place to write personalized blogs for your viewers is one way to capture the attention of your audience.

The mini-blog caption is a popular choice for Instagram influencers all over the world. Pairing an image with a few short paragraphs helps to create a feeling of true intimacy.

In a way, it's like opening a page of your diary to your viewers. They get to hear your thought process, check in on the on-goings on your business, and feel truly connected with what's happening.

Lengthy captions like these prioritize good storytelling. They allow users to get caught up in the story of your enterprise and, as a result, become more invested in what you have to say or share.

You'll need to take time to craft these types of captions, as creating a natural flow to them can be a challenge. Once you've cracked the writing style of these posts, however, they can be an all-important tool in your Instagram marketing arsenal.

Jazzy, Punchy Comments

Of course, not all brands are going to feel in line with the mini-blog style of caption posting. Depending on your business, it might feel more in line with your brand identity to keep things short and sweet.

It might be more in line with your overall marketing efforts.

If you've crafted a great image to share, or even better, a stunning and eye-catching video, then perhaps that content can speak for itself.

As a result, you may find yourself leaning towards a caption that's a bit sleeker, cooler, and chicer. Exactly how minimalist you'll want to be will be up to you, but there's no wrong answer.

Kylie Jenner, for example, often posts a caption as simple as an emoji or two, allowing the image to speak for itself outside of this minor descriptor.

Instagram captions that are longer than a certain amount of characters also get truncated in the feed, so it's good to think about a punchy phrase even if you plan on writing something longer.

Sometimes, well-worn but familiar phrases can connect with audiences and grab attention. "Good vibes only," "don't quit your daydream," and "this just happened" are examples of short captions that are used often but still tend to land.

Crafting a short joke, a punchy play on words, or a quick but evocative phrase can often do a whole lot of work in very few characters. As always, you'll just want to make sure that whatever you land on fits with the voice of your overall brand.

Quotes and References

Another great caption idea is to lean on the pop culture that already exists in the minds of your viewers.

Using famous and applicable quotes as your captions, or making a reference to a current pop culture touchpoint, can give your audience something familiar to latch onto.

This is a favorite practice of the marketing industry, but that's because it's a tool that works well. Using this idea with an Instagram post template can help to create a stellar final product in no time.

Things To Keep In Mind

It can be exciting to start working on fun captions for your Instagram posts, but there are a number of things to keep in mind when crafting this kind of innovative marketing.

The main thing is to do your research ahead of time on your target audience. If you're crafting content and captions that aren't appealing to the audience you're trying to target, you might be barking up the wrong tree.

Doing a little market research and seeing what kind of content your ideal audience responds to can help you craft better content yourself.

This should also help lead you to hashtags that might be appropriate to include in your posts. Including a handful of hashtags in your posts can help expand your reach and bring new audiences to your page. Just try to use different hashtags from post to post to keep reaching new people.

At the end of the day, remember that your captions are working in conjunction with your Instagram content.

Make sure to put the work in to create the kind of eye-catching visual content that will bring people in first, then come up with the captions to drive the point home.

Crafting a Call to Action

Want to keep the engagement going with your posts? The last thing you'll want to keep in mind is the all-important call to action.

Think about what you want out of the viewers of your content. If you're looking to increase connection and engagement, it can be a smart idea to prompt your audience with a question at the end of your caption.

This will lead to their comment with answers and drive engagement on your post.

Want them to check out the link in your bio, go to watch a video, or purchase a product? Make sure to indicate how and where to go and do these things at the end of your post.

Perhaps you even have a more specific goal, like encouraging recruitment for new positions. That's possible too, you'll just need to craft the proper call to action.

You might not want to deploy this kind of call to action on every single post, but using it when appropriate can help you reach your goals more directly.

Understanding Instagram Marketing

If you're looking to master the art of Instagram captions, you won't need to look any further than the helpful information above. With a little practice, you should be able to increase the reach of your Instagram content with the help of a little savvy captioning.

Need more help creating engaging content for your Instagram account? Check out mojo and see how you can take your social media marketing to the next level.

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