Okay real-talk: How often do you sit down to write captions for your upcoming social media posts and draw a blank? You start writing, but everything coming out of your pen (uhm keyboard) sounds flat, not funny/witty/on brand enough.
Trust me, I've been there. Whenever I struggle writing engaging captions for social media, I go back to my handy basics to help me craft copy that resonates with the target audience.
Today, I want to share some tips from my toolkit with you.
But first, let's take a look at why you should care about writing good, engaging captions.
Why Copy Matters on Social Media
You might think that the graphic is the important part of posting on social media, but here's the thing: your caption matters just as much.
Sure, many people might skim over it, but you always have to keep in mind that you're essentially writing for two readers: your human audience and search engines.
A good caption gives you the ability to share more context with your audience (that can't all go in your graphic or video), as well as making your content searchable.
Yes, even if someone doesn't read your caption about nighttime skincare essentials, they might still find your content by searching for this keyword in the search bar of the social media platform.
Let's take a look at best practices for writing captions for social media.
Consider keywords
As we just discussed, captions make your content searchable. It's essential to use keywords without "keyword stuffing" aka listing a bunch of keywords together.
Do some research first by typing the topic you're posting about into the search bar of your chosen social media platform. Take note of different versions of the same keyword that pop up - these are the search terms people often search for. Pick one and write a caption that focuses on this specific keyword.
Write shorter sentences
People's attention span is short. Writing shorter sentences will allow them to process the information you share better. Keep the information you share precise and to the point, less fluff is usually better.
Use short paragraphs and space them out
Having white space between each paragraph will help readers and allow them to jump ahead and skim your text.
Use emojis to add emotion/personality
Let's face it, reading long black and white text on a small phone screen is anything but fun. Adding emojis can be a fun way to show your brand's personality and break up the letters.
You can also use emojis as bullet points to help draw the readers' eyes (this is a favorite for a reason!).
Write as you would speak to a friend
This ties into the previous point of adding personality and emotion to your text. It can help to read your caption out loud to see whether it sounds authentic. Of course, if you're business is more formal, incorporate formal language and stick to your brand voice.
Add a variety of verbs and adjectives
Nothing is duller than repetitive text, so make it lively (tip: I like to google "synonyms for ___" to find a variety of different ways to say whatever it is I'm trying to say).
Think about what you want to write about and focus on one topic
Don't try to cram too much information into one post. Short and sweet is the name of the game. You can always space out your thoughts over multiple posts. In fact, this can be a good strategy to a) bulk up your content & b) keep people engaged craving more. I'd recommend you mention that it's going to be a 5 part series if you're planning 5 posts on the same topic, that way you create a bit anticipation.
Pay special attention to the first and last sentence
The first sentence is usually the first thing a reader sees and it will determine whether they scroll past your post or continue reading. This is often called "the hook". The last sentence will leave a lasting impression, so make it good! It's always a good idea to use a CTA (Call-to-action) if there's a specific action you want people to take, like to take advantage of a sale.
Conclusion: How to Write Captions for Social Media
Ultimately, there's no secret formula for success on social media.
However, sticking to these tips for writing engaging captions is a great way to write captions people actually want to read and to make your content searchable.
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