You might think captions on your Instagram posts don’t matter that much. Think again! While Instagram is an app that heavily focuses on images and video, captions are the boost your post needs to pop up in organic search results, connect with your audience, and hook people into your content. You need Instagram captions to stop the scroll–and I’ve got the best tips to get you started.
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Why Instagram Captions are Important for Your Instagram Strategy
There are several reasons why Instagram captions should be well thought out for your overall Instagram strategy. Just to name a few…
- Gives your brand a personality.
- Nurtures your audience.
- Hooks people in.
- Boosts likes and engagement.
- Bonus SEO points for using keywords and hashtags.
These reasons alone should motivate you to write good captions for your Instagram posts. But motivation doesn’t give you specific ideas for posts, does it? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. The rest of this post covers short Instagram caption ideas and five specific ideas you can steal from my strategy to use in yours ASAP! Let’s dive in.
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Short Instagram Captions to Stop the Scroll
Here are 15 short caption ideas you could use for your Instagram posts. Most of these would work for nurturing and engaging with your audience. Have you heard of the attract, nurture, sell content strategy? There’s certain type of content to create that falls under each phase–attract, nurture, and sell. This strategy exploded my growth and sales and it will do the same for yours!
- “Share this with someone who…”
- “You’ve got this, mama.”
- “Hustle and heart will get you there.”
- “Chasing dreams, not perfection.”
- “Here’s to creating something beautiful today.”
- “Keep going, you’re almost there.”
- “Own your story. Own your brand.”
- New day, new possibilities.”
- “Breathe and trust the process.”
- “Inhale confidence, exhale doubt.”
- “Let’s do this, together.”
- “Make today magical.”
- “Turning dreams into reality.”
- “Stay true, stay you.”
- “Who’s with me?”
5 Instagram Caption Examples
What do you usually do to brainstorm new Instagram content ideas? If you want fresh ideas for your Instagram captions, try looking at other captions/posts by other influencers in your niche and see which captions stand out to you. How could you take it and make it your own?
Start to notice why you opened a certain email or what post made you stop scrolling and why. What was the hook that drew you in? Make a list of those hooks/captions and use that to create some new content for your account. Here are 5 examples of scroll-stopping Instagram captions to get you started!
#1 I Wish Theory
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“I wish I knew this [enter your niche topic here] earlier…”
I used this hook in the reel cover and it can also be used in the caption! This one works because it automatically makes the viewer wish they had known “this” sooner. Once you hook them in, you can spill all the juicy secrets later in the caption.
No one wants to be left behind or not “in the know” so this caption feeds on that feeling and will make people stop scrolling to make sure they’re not missing out on valuable information too.
#2 Use Irony
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“Don’t film content every day!”
This caption promotes curiosity because you’re saying something that may not sound true the first time you read it. Notice I used this hook in the reel cover, and then in the actual caption I used the phrase, “I’ve never met someone who…”Depending on your niche, you can tweak it but use this same idea.
In my example, the viewer will keep reading to find out when to film content since they thought you were supposed to do it every day. Once you hook them in you can then add value to your post, which for me was talking about batching your content so you can stay ahead of your content creation.
Think about how you can say something that causes your target audience to think twice about what you said and then prove your point immediately after. This post is a great example of “say this, not that” because I could’ve said something like “5 Ways to Batch Content,” but the ironic hook I used will draw way more attention.
#3 Keep it Simple
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“X ideas for [enter your niche topic here]”
This caption works best for a huge list of items that can be said in 1-3 words.
The more niche you are, the better. If you’ve thought of what you want your X ideas to be about, niche it down even more. Remember, you want to talk to ONE person about ONE problem and then give them ONE solution. (Somehow this magical formula relates to so many more people than if you were to broaden it out.)
Example: “X ideas for styling outerwear.” vs. “X ideas for styling puffy vests.”
The more specific you are the more likely you will stop the scroll and people will notice you, remember you, and even buy from you. That’s the goal!
#4 Relate to Your Audience
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“Not sure who needs this, but…”
This caption is a great one if you want to nurture your audience. This opener immediately shows that you’re leveling with your followers and can relate to how they’re feeling. When you can create content that shows you understand how your audience FEELS, that’s where the miracles start to happen.
Once someone is emotionally invested in your content, they trust you more and eventually your products. If you want to sell more, think about your audience more and how you can show them that you know where they stand, what they’re going through, and how you’ve been there and can help them through it.
#5 How to
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“How to get followers that LOVE your content.”
There’s nothing wrong with using a good how-to hook. This caption works well because it’s clear and gets straight to the point. You catch your audience’s attention right away because they will quickly notice if your content will help them or not.
Plus, this caption helps with SEO since “how to” is a keyword people often use when searching for something. The trick is to use another keyword that is more specific to your niche. Using this combo will help more of the right people find your content.
Main Takeaways
- Notice captions/hooks that draw you in and make a list of them. Why did it make you stop scrolling? How can you change it to fit your content?
- 5 scroll-stopping Instagram captions to steal:
- “I wish I knew this earlier…”
- Use irony e.g. “Don’t film content every day!”
- Keep it Simple e.g. “X ideas for [enter niche topic here]”
- “Not sure who needs this, but…”
- “How to…” This one works because it’s clear and gets straight to the point.
Instagram Captions to Stop the Scroll
Get out there and start creating the best scroll-stopping Instagram captions you’ve ever seen! You have the formulas, so now all you have to do is make them your own. If you want more guided help with growing on Instagram, sign up for my subscription, Insta Social Society. You can learn more about it HERE.
If this post helped you and want to learn more tips to up your Instagram strategy game, you’ll love these posts too:
- How to Add Music to Instagram Posts
- The Complete Instagram Image Size Guide
- Quick and Easy Tips to Create Content with B-Roll
- How to Overcome the Fear of Showing Up on Instagram
Make sure you’re following me on Instagram @iammichellegifford and come say hi! I share the best tips and secrets to exploding your business on Instagram and beyond.
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