Instagram captions are hard. We can’t sugarcoat this. Every time I or one of my friends sits down to post a picture there’s a lengthy conversation about “what should I caption it?” If you don’t have to go through this, then you should consider yourself lucky!
Alyce Greer of The Bossy. Type podcast agrees just the same about the troubles of Instagram captions. In her episode called “Instagram Caption Formulas. Here to Save Your Ass.” she details formulas for writing Instagram captions and why we need them. Along with being Instagram-caption-savvy, Alyce is a writer, director, and fashionista who knows how to build a strong brand.
Instagram captions can make or break a post and that’s why they are so important. There is nothing better than seeing a beautiful photo with a “carefully curated caption” right beneath it. Having formulas for Instagram captions can do a lot for us as evidenced by Alyce. I am going to tell you why we need them and how to use them. I learned a lot from this nine-minute episode, and I hope to sum it up nicely for you here!
The formula types that Alyce promotes make it so that as the writer, you don’t have to do a lot of work. She compares these formulas to a recipe, but the cheap kind that you get online rather than the expensive ones from a cookbook. These captions are effective and delicious but take barely any time or effort. So why do we need these formulas?
- They can eliminate stress. It’s the biggest bummer when we have the perfect picture to post and are so excited to do it but then sit down and have nothing to say. This can be stressful, too, especially if you are posting on a deadline.
- Formulas save time! Knowing how your caption will play out makes it so that with the replacement of a few words and some new emojis, your caption is good to go and you can move on with your day.
- They bring variety. Having a set group of captions choices allows you to be sure that one day’s post is not the same as the next. Being able to choose from a library of formulas is likely to give you more options than if you were thinking on your feet.
- Formulas promote consistency for your brand. Despite the variety that it can bring, if you only use a set of five different formulas, you will have defined how your Instagram captions work and you will have built a brand that your audience can expect.
Knowing that formulas can bring us ample benefits, we have to know what they are and how to use them. Alyce’s first step is to create content categories for your brand. For example, if your account is about fashion your categories might be outfit of the day, style tips, product promotion and accessory pairings. Alyce says you can assign one formula to each category, if you want. Otherwise, just switch it up each time.
The next step is brainstorming how you want your captions to look and sound. You have to keep your brand and the content you post in mind. One way to boost brainstorming is to look at the captions of other brands you like or your competitors. Once you have done this; you create your set of formulas and you’re ready to crush it on Instagram.
Formulas can look very different from account to account, but I will outline a couple of examples that Alyse talks about in this episode. A content category for a nutritionist might be ingredients. For each post that highlights an ingredient, your formula could be that you start by naming the ingredient and then putting an emoji next to its name. Then you outline health benefits of the ingredient followed by your favorite way to eat it. Another formula is to caption a post with only one word. For example, a wedding photographer takes pictures that do the talking. These images can be accompanied by one really strong word in the caption. Finally, another caption formula is to tell a story. Every few posts, this can be a really engaging tactic.
Overall, I think Alyse’s idea of caption formulas would work a lot better for a brand than for someone like me who uses Instagram personally. Nonetheless, her tips should not be overlooked because they offer useful and practical information. As I said, captions are HARD, why not take some tips on making them a little easier for yourself!
Ruthie's Writings. 