How to write the perfect Instagram caption

Give context

The main role of an Instagram caption is to give context to what the photo or video is about. This can be done clearly or more creatively. It depends on your tone of voice and the context. For example, if you are posting a video of your latest product you might want to be quite clear in your caption. Whereas if you are posting a lifestyle or “inspo” image, a more creative caption may work better.

As well as describing the image, you will boost your engagement if you tag relevant people or add a location to your post. It not only will add context, but it will also help your post appear in front of more people.

All in the content

Your Instagram caption doesn’t just have to be descriptive of the image. There are many types of captions that prove popular and drive engagement. You could use a quote, either inspirational or from a customer review. You could pose a question to your followers, be informative about a product or your business. Or you could keep it minimal and open to interpretation with a short phrase.

Whatever type you choose, make sure you don’t sound too salesey! This will completely put customers off. Your followers want to connect with your brand in a relatable, friendly way to show some personality.

Know your audience/tone of voice

A key thing to always keep in mind when writing your caption is your audience. On all social channels, you should have created a tone of voice that your audience can connect with and recognise your brand by.

You should also be listening to what is going on around you, not within your industry, but what your customers are talking about and sharing online. Simply going on twitter and doing a search, clicking on popular hashtags your followers and competitors are using, or clicking on your followers’ profiles are very simple strategies you can use to find new ways to connect with your audience and inspire both your captions and content.

Hashtag? Or not to hashtag?

Last but not least. The hashtag! How many hashtags should you use? What hashtags should you use? Well, it’s simple really, Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post. These can be placed either in the caption or in the comments, it doesn’t really matter in terms of engagement. Although you are allowed to use 30 hashtags, you probably shouldn’t as posts with loads of hashtags can look spammy, especially the use of #likeforlike or #followback as these attract lots of irrelevant traffic and will put people off.

The best advice is to use up to about 4-5 hashtags per post. Make sure they are super relevant to your image and your brand as well as being popular enough that you will gain more impressions. You can use more if you want, if you are going to use more it’s better to post them in the comments as they will most likely remain hidden to most users which will prevent your posts from looking spammy.

Hashtags are a great way for new people to find your page, so don’t be afraid to use them. Just make sure you do your research first to find the best ones to use.

01/09/2021

5 Email Marketing Metrics You Need To Track

The importance of measuring your email marketing campaigns cannot be understated. You need to know how well this strategy is going or whether it is a complete waste of time, money, and resources. In this post, we will look at how to measure your email campaigns properly and how to improve the areas you find to be lacking. As with all marketing campaigns, some companies will do …
Read post
01/08/2020

Our Guide to Conducting a Social Media Audit

It’s always important to keep a check on how your social media channels are doing every now and then, especially if you are hoping to make e-commerce sales. An audit may sound like a long and boring inspection, but at its basic level, it’s simply reviewing your social media e-commerce efforts in a structured way. Think of it as spring cleaning for your social media. What is …
Read post
02/01/2026

When Should Ecommerce Brands Outsource Fulfilment? A Practical Guide for Growing Businesses

Fulfilment is one of the last areas ecommerce brands want to hand over. It feels operational, controllable and familiar. Until growth starts to slow. For many ecommerce businesses, fulfilment becomes the silent constraint that limits scale, profitability and customer experience. The challenge is knowing when in-house fulfilment stops being an advantage and starts becoming a risk. This guide explains when outsourcing fulfilment makes commercial sense, what warning …
Read post
01/06/2023

How to Make Your Marketing Emails Stand Out in the Crowd

In today’s digital world, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach customers. However, with the average person receiving hundreds of emails per day, it’s essential to make your marketing emails stand out in the crowd. In this article, we’ll discuss some tips for creating marketing emails that grab your audience’s attention and encourage them to engage with your brand. Focus on …
Read post