The Instagram algorithm is hard enough to figure out without the added pressure of figuring out what the heck we want to say in our captions. Writing can seem scary and oftentimes it seems so much easier to post a pretty photo with a short, witty caption that means nothing and move on. But, if you aren’t writing meaningful stories that engage people, you’re losing half of your potential audience out there. In today’s episode, Lindsey and Evie dive deep into their biggest caption pet peeves and why it’s crucial to write Instagram captions that tell stories. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of the difference between filler or fluffy captions that don’t mean anything, and captions that engage and attract your audience. Let’s dive in!

 

Caption Pet Peeves

Short and witty, but doesn’t really say anything

Example: “Did you know that Hawaii is a perfect place? Because that’s a fact that you should know…”

Example: “Bon Iver all day while editing these.”

Example: “Golden hour”

 

Tells your audience about your day but doesn’t go anywhere and makes no point

Example: “Enjoying my last few days in the fall weather before heading down south.” This is great, but give your audience a reason to care. 

Example: “Happy to announce I’m now almost fully booked for 2020 for weddings and couple sessions with only a handful of dates for the late fall. Thanks so much for your support!” 

A little bit of a humble brag, but doesn’t go anywhere. There is no call to action or reason to engage.

 

Call to action that doesn’t give a reason

“Erika and Jason just hit the blog! Go check them out!”

 WHY? If your audience doesn’t know who Erika and Jason are, this doesn’t mean anything to them. Why should your audience go to your blog?

 

One liners that are obvious

Example: “Sandy & Dan were beautiful on their wedding day.” 

WELL DUH. It’s a wedding! If it’s not beautiful there’s probably a problem. 

Example: “I love sunsets on the coast.” 

AGAIN, DUH! So does everyone!

 

Announcing what the photo is and that’s it

Example: “Lovers on a cliff.”

Example: “Fresh 48 sessions!”

Example: “Forever dancing together.” 

These captions are not inviting people into a story or connection and you missing out on an opportunity to relate with your audience. In addition, they are not serving your audience in any way other than putting your own work out there. They are letting the photo do all of the storytelling when you could tell the story in two different ways, via the photo AND your caption. 

 

Why your captions need to tell a story

In today’s society, stories are what really connect us. It’s one of the #1 driving forces in our culture today. People love to feel connected and it’s what draws people in. Stories are why we care about things. We LOVE a good story and we LOVE feeling connected.  

We, as a society, want to be entertained. We want to feel something. We want to know we’re not alone in our struggles. Stories have the power to do ALL of this and more. As business owners we have to keep this in the forefront of our minds when we are writing captions. Storytelling is a marketing strategy that allows your audience to feel connected and like they belong. 

Everything Lindsey and Evie do on their social media focuses on building that connection and one of the largest ways they achieve this is through captions. They invite people in, serving them with value, and making them feel like they belong. 

You might grow a big following from just showing epic photos, but if you want to engage with your following and create connection in your business, captions are absolutely key. 

When you open Instagram to write a caption, ask yourself two things: 

1. Does this caption do the photo justice? Or am I just saying something to say something. 
2. Will reading this caption make someone’s day better? This can mean emotionally better, better because you told a client’s powerful story, or better because they learned something helpful and tangible. Will this caption be fruitful?

Asking yourself these two questions allows your Instagram caption to be far bigger than yourself. It’s serving people in a whole new way. 

 

How to Write Better Captions

Share your client’s story. Talk about them and shared what they have shared with you. Invite people into that story; it is probably more powerful than you think.

Share a personal anecdote to your life. Think about the things in your life that you are going through and the lessons you are learning and use those in captions.  

End your captions with a Call to Action. Ask questions that invite them into the conversation. Your CTA needs to be connected to what you are saying in a way naturally flows and brings people in. 

Serve your ideal client. Speak directly to them and give them the information they are wanting and seeking. Think through what your client is going to need and how you can serve them something of value that shows you are an expert. This builds trust and a relationship with your client well before they are ever needing your service. Use your captions to serve and sell in a way that is authentic.

 

Episode Links

HoneyBook: www.share.honeybook.com/heart

In addition to a FREE 7 day trial, get 50% off your first year of HoneyBook, a $200 value!! 

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Follow along:

www.instagram.com/evierupp

www.instagram.com/mrslindseyroman

www.instagram.com/theheartuniversity