Your Instagram photos capture attention, and your captions convert.

Instagram captions are a great way to increase engagement and strengthen the story told in your images. Here are six ways to write more powerful Instagram captions.

1. Know your target audience

Knowing your audience is the most important factor to consider when creating Instagram captions. Having a strong idea of your brand’s demographic will shape the way you communicate with them, and what you ask of them.

2. Write less

People are on Instagram to view photos and videos, and when they’re confronted with a long caption, they’ll scroll right by it. It is important to allow your content to speak for itself. Keep your captions short and sweet, with a CTA (call to action) your audience can understand.

3. Keep your key points at the beginning

Having your key points laid out first makes it easier for your audience to digest the meaning of your post.

4. Use hashtags

Hashtags are a great way to categorize your content and expose it to people who are looking for something new. When posting captions, we recommend making a space between your caption and hashtags, for example, a three-dot break in between the two. Use 5- 10 hashtags per post.

Tip: Keep track of which hashtags are used in your most engaged posts to better understand what is working and what isn’t.

5. Give yourself options

You aren’t going to get it right the first time. Write yourself a few drafts, and think to yourself “If I read this on someone else’s post, what would I think?” if the caption doesn’t feel compelling to you, don’t use it. It is important that you like your work before posting it.

6. Encourage engagement

Captions are the best place to encourage engagement. Ask your followers a question, start a discussion or direct them to the shoppable links/ partner tags on your image. Every post should provide value to your audience, so always ask yourself, why am I posting this and what do I want my followers to do?