Do you want to take your Instagram to the next level? Then you’ve come to the correct place! In this blog, you’ll discover the tips to create effective copywriting for Instagram.
You want your Instagram posts to convert.
No wonder: With over 200 million Instagram users visiting at least one business profile every day, and 73% saying Instagram is the best way for brands to reach them, you can’t afford to ignore such a large audience. Right?
The problem is that 80% of your competitors agree.
With content authenticity and interaction among the top Instagram trends, engagement will be the primary metric. And, with today’s marketing competition so fierce, considering alternative tactics to engage users no longer seems so crazy.
Here are writing tactics to try for increased Instagram engagement.
1. Start With a Strong Hook
Instagram shortens captions after three lines, so focus on the first sentence:
Lead with a hook that will entice users to continue reading. The words you use in captions shape your brand’s story and personality, so stay true to your brand voice and tone.
A question is the most common technique for capturing readers’ attention. Asking a question that addresses a user’s need or pain point encourages them to click “More” in search of an answer.
However, in addition to a question, there are some other writing hooks you can use:
- Share a quote. A relevant quote from a celebrity that your target audience admires can have a significant impact on engagement.
- Surprised by a misconception. Begin with a statement that a universal truth is false. That will entice followers to keep reading.
- Write a joke. A sense of humour can help to pique people’s interest in a topic.
- Begin telling a story. A compelling first sentence entices readers to click to find out what happened next and how it ended.
- Use statistical data. To pique your followers’ interest, surprise them with a new fact they may be unaware of.
Sure enough, simple facts and boring statistics do not work on Instagram. So it’s best if you hook your followers with words as well. Consider sensory words.
These are lexical items that allow readers to see, hear, taste, smell, or feel your message. Depending on your brand message, you can select sensory words that will most effectively influence your target audience. Henneke Duistermaat described these words best, categorizing them into five groups:
It is a persuasive trick that not only captures the user’s attention but also generates leads.
2. Add Value
You are aware that effective Instagram content must be engaging and original, as well as answer the question “What’s in it for me?”
So think like a consumer. What value would they derive from your writing? What issue or pain point does your product address and resolve? To create an engaging Instagram caption, highlight and answer these questions.
The problem is that users no longer trust brands or their advertisements. To get them to listen to your message, focus on the emotions you want to elicit. Your call to action is important, but you must build a bridge to it in your caption.
Consider the PPB method for Instagram writing. Brian Dean first described it as a copywriting trick to use in blog post introductions, but it also works well for social media writing because it encourages followers to click.
P — preview: tell users what they will receive from you.
P — Promise: Explain how it will solve their problem.
B — bridge: Use a transitional phrase to create a logical connection to your CTA.
Try something similar when writing your Instagram content:
Another strategy for increasing Instagram engagement is to provide your readers with tips and tricks, educational content, and step-by-step instructions. The added value in Instagram captions increases their likelihood of being shared or bookmarked.
3. Use Storytelling
The power of storytelling and narrative has long been recognized: the human brain retains 70% of information through stories and 95% through emotions, so the only way to get people to listen to you is to tell them a story.
That is most likely the primary reason why Instagram Stories is the most popular feature on the social network.
When told correctly, a story is the most effective way to help followers see the world through your eyes. Storytelling allows businesses to establish a brand identity and connect with customers on a more personal level. Stories capture people’s attention, help them remember you, and eventually motivate them to follow and buy from you.
How do you write stories in Instagram captions?
Make sure your story has a hero, a structure, cohesiveness, and a connection to the real world.
- A hero could be you, your product, or a customer who solves his problems with your brand.
- A structure is a plot that includes three main narrative elements: a setup, a narrative arc, and conflict resolution.
Your narrative arc should be cohesive and relevant to the real world. Use a combination of process description, personal experience, and feelings to help readers identify with your story and want to share it.
Tags and hashtags make your content more visible and allow you to reach a larger audience. Most Instagram posts use one to three hashtags, but you can add more if you “hide” them below your story.
It adds authenticity to your story while not drawing attention away from the content. Furthermore, hidden hashtags and spaces in Instagram captions improve the visual appeal and readability of your content.
4. Think About Language
When developing an Instagram working plan and content strategy, keep authenticity in mind. It is the top Instagram trend in 2020 and has a significant impact on audience engagement.
Language gimmicks can help you sound more natural.
Remember, only 29% of Instagram users are over the age of 35. The majority are Millennials and Generation Z, who communicate and process information more quickly and easily. Long, annoying texts with tons of professional slang and marketing buzzwords are ignored due to content shock and a short attention span.
So it would be beneficial if you focused on writing conversational captions. Write like a human, not a robot: use active voice, short sentences, emojis (as appropriate), and spaces to improve readability. Sure, you want to be strategic and intentional, but you also want to appear natural so users feel like you are a friend.
How to Be Authentic on Instagram:
- Share authentic behind-the-scenes content.
- Incorporate memes and tweets to create a relatable feel.
- Use models in your photos, and make everything look natural.
- Consider interactive content whenever possible.
- Write in the same way you speak, using words that everyone understands.
- Consider your brand’s voice and tone: you want to sound youthful but not childish; confident but not arrogant; and funny but not clownish.
Alternative tactics to try here include phonosemantics, which involves using specific phonemes in words to elicit desired emotions and associations from readers.
5) Use Emotions
To succeed with Instagram marketing today, you must prioritize users’ needs over your product. They come online for conflicts and emotions, and they want to read stories that are consistent with their core beliefs. With that in mind, you should create content that appeals to those values while also reflecting the nature of your brand.
Use an emotional narrative in your Instagram content to achieve this.
It is a writing technique that builds your message with specific words, writing structures, and visual hooks to keep users emotionally invested and ready to respond.
How to use emotions when creating copywriting for Instagram:
1) Appeal to your basic instincts. (They are subconscious needs that manifest in our limbic system and influence our behavior, emotions, and motivation.) Turning to these instincts in Instagram copywriting will entice readers to respond.
The basic instincts are three: social, self-preservation, and sexual.
- Self-preservation focuses on physical health, safety, and a secure environment.
- Social media is about creativity and action, as well as personal value, status, and approval.
- Sexuality is about relationships, adrenaline, people, and attraction.
Use “tasty” words, give the impression of presence (post quizzes, carousels, tests, and other interactive content), and help users find answers (post strategies, tips, secrets, tools, etc.).
Also, use the “you can do it” mantra in your content. Most users are looking for simple ways to accomplish tasks, so they demonstrate that they are capable. Use terms like “easy,” “quick,” “simple,” “DIY,” etc.
2) Use neurocopywriting techniques in your posts. (It discusses the psychological impact of specific words and sounds on the human brain.) When written in the correct order and location, they serve as mental hooks for the audience.
What tactics should be used here:
- Use active verbs and avoid weak adverbs.
- Use odd numbers and useful adjectives.
- Remember about sensory words and phonosemantics (as previously mentioned).
- Use transitional words to improve readability.
- Consider stylistic elements like repetition, metaphor, and contrast.
Don’t forget about emojis.
They add fun and flavor to Instagram captions. Emojis, when used at the end of paragraphs, act as “bookends,” breaking up long stories. At the very least, emojis can prompt users to take action, such as clicking a link or jumping to the comments section.
Make sure emojis are natural to your brand’s voice and tone, and create a set of emojis to use to keep things consistent. And don’t go too far: a mixed bag of emojis in one caption is harmful, not beneficial.
Final Thoughts on Copywriting for Instagram
Users on Instagram want to see your authenticity and learn about current events in your life that may be relevant to them. So, if you want to engage them, give it to them.
- Begin with a question, a quote, a misconception, a joke, or an intriguing fact that may surprise the audience.
- Add value to your Instagram captions by answering the “What’s in it for me?” question.
- Tell stories: This is your opportunity to establish a brand identity and make a personal connection with customers.
- Use language tricks like active voice, sensory words, short sentences, emojis, and phonosemantics.
- Consider emotional narrative: appeal to instincts, employ neurocopywriting techniques when appropriate, share interactive content, use carousels, and so on.
Now, start writing! And remember:
To make sense of copywriting for Instagram, you must first understand what is and is not working to increase engagement rates. So, always measure your Instagram efforts: track the data to see how users interact with your Instagram content, and adjust your strategy based on Instagram analytics.
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