Instagram is a great marketing tool and its continued growth and popularity are putting it at the top of the online marketing list. As we know, Instagram is primarily a visual media designed to create attraction through strong imagery and videos. While the core focus is creating a visual that will stand out and draw the attention of your target audience, we can’t let the captions fall behind. Creating a strong caption on Instagram is just as important.
It’s a common misconception that Instagram followers are only focusing on the visual, ignoring the caption and continuing to scroll. It’s actually quite the opposite. Falling in line with our blog from earlier this week focusing on the power of a good blog title, you can follow the same general guidelines for you social storylines. If the initial graphic is appealing enough they want to know the story behind it. Utilize your caption space to draw them in even further. Enhance the impact of the visual by explaining its purpose. Create a call to action encouraging more follow through, whether linking to your website or boosting likes and shares, provide direction to your audience. Use #hashtags, but not too many. Hashtag your focus and increase your market reach but don’t toss in every hashtag “just because”. Using too many will appear spamming and overwhelm your viewers.
There’s a lot to consider and try out to determine the best approach for your marketing goals and target audience. HubSpot has provided a great article breaking down options for you to consider and implement in your Instagram marketing strategy.
- Write several drafts first.
- Front-load the important stuff.
- Include a call-to-action.
- Limit yourself to four hashtags.
- Meld your brand voice with Instagram’s lighthearted tone.
- Use emojis.
- Cross-promote your other social channels.
- When in doubt, keep it brief.
