How many times have you heard, “shorter captions are better for Instagram”?
Yet how weary are you of Sunday Funday, Beach with the babes, Brunch situation, and those trite #pointless lines? In fact, we may even be at a point where most of you believe captions aren’t important at all because photography and video are king. But you’re forgetting something: Storytelling. Reading isn’t dead, so pick your words wisely.
Sure, people might be impressed by your top notch visuals and Instagram (or Snapchat) might be where it’s at, but you can’t keep people coming back unless you tell a story that gives them a reason to return.
If you want to be a successful and viral influencer, you need to pour your energy into becoming a better storyteller, and part of that requires using impactful, meaningful text to tell that story in conjunction with remarkable images or videos. And in this case, telling one kickass story a day is definitely better than making 4 subpar Instagram posts. If you’re not sure what story you want to tell, here are a few questions to answer before you post:
- What do I want to communicate?
- How do I want people to feel?
- Who am I trying to attract?
- How do I get people to want to keep coming back?
Still not convinced? Think about how often you read a caption, title, or summary before clicking on a link or liking a picture. Put this advice to the test and do a little experimenting - post longer narratives that have depth and meaning in your captions versus a one-liner and see where it takes you. Look at the boss’s (@zanitazanita) Instagram herself - there’s substance in every post; it’s not just a pretty pictures despite her genius photographic capabilities. OG bloggers like Song of Style, The Blonde Salad, & Fashion Toast might be able to get away with this, but it wasn’t always that way - they’ve already done the leg work years ago!
And now, it’s your turn!
You Should Also Read:
How to Use Instagram to Build Your Brand
Here’s Why the Instagram Update Isn’t a Problem
How to Get Inspired to Create Content Again
