How to Write Winning Social Media Captions

As a social media manager, it’s something I hear all the time:

 

“There’s no ‘magic formula’ for creating a perfect social media post, right?”

 

Good news: There kind of is!

 

While different variables make it hard to predict post performance (I’m looking at you, Instagram algorithm!), there are things you can do to create a post that speaks to your audience, gives them the information they need about your business, and encourages engagement.

 

So, are you ready to up your posting game?

 

Our in-house writer, Sara Brown of Sara Brown Creative, breaks down the anatomy of a winning social media caption.

 

Social Media Captions for Business: Your 5-Step Guide

 

Before you get started, first determine what you’re aiming to achieve and if you’re trying to:

  • Connect with your audience
  • Persuade your audience to take a specific action
  • Share a story about you or your business
  • Educate them about you and your brand
  • Learn more about your audience and what they’re looking for in a product/service

 

With that goal in mind, take the following steps to create your caption:

 

  1. Create Eye-Catching Visuals

 

In a world of information overload, visual content can help you capture your audience’s attention in a way that resonates for more than just a few seconds. In fact, according to Brain Rules research, people will remember 65% of the visual content they see three days later.

 

To capitalize on this, choose a standout photo or put your most important information in a graphic. You can make a video, create a clever Reel, or list the major takeaway points from your caption in a graphic carousel.

 

  1. Grab Your Reader’s Attention Fast

 

When perusing social media, people scroll quickly — really quickly. So tap into the writing tricks you learned back in elementary school and grab their attention from the very first line.

 

Open with a captivating fact, question, bold statement, or just something catchy and fun. Also, leading with the essential information will get your point across quicker, so hook them in from the start, so they’ll tap “More” and read the whole caption.

 

  1. Focus on Format

 

The goal is to write a social media caption that keeps your audience captivated but is still quick and easy to digest. (That’s the name of the game in today’s world, right?) To do this, keep length and format in mind.

 

While some people think you have to keep captions short, long-running posts are okay (and often lead to the most engagement) as long as you break them up with white space, emojis, and chunky text “bites.” In fact, don’t be afraid to break paragraphs out into one sentence at a time for improved readability.

 

  1. Keep it Conversational

 

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: Your brand should look and sound like you. People want to understand what it would be like to work with you, which starts with your tone. When you write in a conversational and casual way, you suddenly become easier to relate to, and people are more likely to engage by commenting, liking, and sharing your posts.

 

And here’s a tip: If you’re not sure how your caption sounds, read it back to yourself aloud. Hearing the words for yourself will help you fine-tune your brand voice to sound more like you.

 

  1. Always Include a CTA

A solid social media caption should incite engagement. Your wording can give people a push to leave a comment, share or like your post, or answer a question, so be as direct as possible through a call to action (CTA).

 

At the end of your post, pose a question to get to know your audience better. Or post a poll with a couple of different responses and ask them to choose which one suits them best. You can also ask them to save, like, or share your post or tag someone who might like it in the comments. All of these actions will drive engagement, increase brand visibility, and start genuine conversations between you and your followers.

 

 

  1. Add Hashtags!

 

You’re this close to completing your optimized post, but don’t forget to add hashtags! Do a little research and pick relevant hashtags to the platform you’re posting on (Facebook doesn’t use hashtags, so keep that in mind), make sense for your brand, are easily searchable, and are being actively used. (Translation: Not stale or outdated.)

Including hashtags at the end of your post will make your post easier to find and, ultimately, get more eyeballs on your post — and the more your numbers will grow.

 

And remember: If you plan your content well, you’ll be able to create posts that you can use on multiple platforms, so you aren’t recreating the wheel every time.

 

Write a blog that answers a question for your customers or create a must-have resource like a checklist or fact sheet, and then share that information as multiple social media posts. Write well once, and you’ll have informative caption content that you can use over and over again!

 

Need help creating a social media strategy or planning content? Visit our services page or reach out today to learn more about what we do and how we can help take your content to the next level.