What Should You Include in Instagram Posts

Instagram has become an essential marketing tool for all businesses, especially in the time of Covid-19 when so many companies have been forced to market, promote and sell their product and services online. However, it is not enough to simply have an Instagram page and post regularly. In fact, many businesses spend hours and hours planning and posting on social media with little to no impact on their bottom line. Why? Because they are not writing good Instagram captions! 
 

If you are spending hours curating that perfect post, and then only garner a few likes or comments on that post, it is safe to say that something is missing. There are tried and true methods that you professionals use to optimize the time spent creating Instagram posts which result in greater lead generation, and we are sharing them here with you today. Here is what you should include in your Instagram posts.  

1. Important Information: 

   Whether you are selling a product or hosting an event, make sure the essential information that your client needs to know is at the front and centre of your post.  

2. Your Story:

    Everybody is being marketed to on Instagram today – and more often then not, just another post selling something is going to get scrolled past instantly. You story is what will sell you, so write it passionately, powerfully and honestly. Then, include this personality in as many of your Instagram posts as you can.  

3. Structured Captions:

    I know this sounds like grammar school, but people (consciously or not) will turn a blind eye to poorly structured captions. First off, we suggest capping your captions at 500 words (though Instagram will allow you to include up to 2,200 characters!). Next, start your post with a powerful caption (the first few sentences will show up, and then the user has to click “more” to access the rest), so make sure the initial writing is impactful. Now, structure breaks between paragraphs – you can create a space by adding emojis or spaces between sentences. Finally, close your caption with a call to action (see below). 

4. Fun Emojis: 

   While we do not recommend overusing emojis in your Instagram posts, adding a few that really show your personality or express your point can truly help bring an otherwise bland post of words to life.  

5. Hashtags: 

   You must always include hashtags in your Instagram posts. Period. We recommend that for a good Instagram caption you only include 1-10 hashtags so not to bombard your readers and take over from the general aesthetic appeal of the post caption itself. Studies confirm that even one hashtag on an Instagram post will boost engagement. Since these hashtags can be searched and can show up in general hashtag searches on Instagram and are thus essential for every single Instagram post you write. 

6. Mentions: 

   When considering what to include in your Instagram posts, mentions are absolutely pivotal to your brand success. If you are talking about a brand, a product or a person, mention them in your Instagram post. If you are trying to target someone, mention them and speak to them directly in your caption. If you are posting a photo that features someone, mention them so they will repost and share with their community too.  Then sit back and watch your Instagram post reach increase dramatically! 

7. Engage: 

   Ask questions, ask for comments, invite readers to events and tag them when they reply, reply to every single message, comment and if you have the time like that you get. Take this even further by commenting on other peoples pages who you want to engage – this will slyly encourage them to check out your page too. You can take this even further by commenting on other peoples pages who you want to engage – this will slyly encourage them to check out your page too. 

8. Call to Action: 

   This is where you can start to confidently engage with your followers. Ask questions, ask for feedback, ask people to share their own brand story, ask yes or no questions, ask for comments, invite readers to events and tag them when they reply, reply to every single message, comment and if you have the time like that you get. Prefer to keep it simple? You can easily say “check the link in our bio” or “double tap if the pic if you love what we are up to” or “drop an emoji to tell us how you feel about this”. Your call to action should not always be asking someone to buy your product, but rather, serves as an opportunity to start exciting dialogue between those in your industry, as well as your clients.  

Are you optimizing your time when it comes to marketing on social media?  

Now is a great time to look back on your past Instagram captions and review whether or not they adhere to the aforementioned Instagram post strategies. Note how your Instagram posts that include a call to action, mention or hashtag may have a higher like and comment count than those that do now. And, from now on, before you press “post” on your Instagram caption, come back to this checklist and make sure you are writing a good Instagram caption! 

Not much of a writer or storyteller? Loathe social media? Contact our team today and we can do the hard work for you, while you can sit back and watch the likes pour in.  

First we will tell your story, then we will get you leads, and finally, we transform your digital footprint. Call now for creative digital marketing strategies that work.