At Packsia, we are known for providing video content to create attention-grabbing content, but tbh, the visuals are only half the battle! Along with stunning visuals, a strong social media caption can make or break your ability to connect with your followers, generate engagement, and create conversions. We came across this blog by Later and were super inspired to share the wisdom on how to easily write the perfect copy to pair with your Packia video content—you know, one’s people will actually read.

What Makes A Good Caption?

Much like the visual content, a good caption needs to command your audience’s attention immediately. In fact, most people have an attention span of a few short seconds, so every word counts. According to Later, “A good social media caption summarizes your content while adding value in as few words as possible.” 

…emphasis on “as few words as possible.” 

So, instead of writing a novel, opt for something more concise that’s to the point in less than five sentences. That said, we know that copywriting isn’t everyone’s strong suit, and writing concise and compelling social media captions can take some practice. So, for today’s blog, we thought we’d share some tips (as per our faves at Later) to help get you started. Let’s dive in!

Caption Tip #1: Make Sure Your Captions Match Your Goals

Before crafting your caption, ask yourself why you are writing it in the first place. What’s the goal? What are you hoping the reader feels after reading? What information do you want them to retain when they finish looking at the post? Pick one (even though it’s tempting to pick multiple) and craft your copy with that goal in mind. 

Caption Tip #2: Carefully Select Your Hook

A hook refers to the first sentence of your caption, aka the most important part of the caption, keeping in mind that only a few sentences appear in the preview of the entire caption. You can create a good hook in several ways, whether it’s tapping into a current pop culture reference, sharing a shocking statistic, asking a thought-provoking question, or evoking an emotional response, to name a few. Regardless of how you do it, the first sentence of your caption is prime real estate, so use it wisely! 

Caption Tip #3: Include a CTA

You may recall a few months back, the blog we wrote about creating a great call-to-action, and these tips still apply to caption writing. From inspiring website traffic to encouraging post shares, a good CTA will make it clear what you’re asking of your followers. Check out the blog for all the ins and outs of CTAS! 

Caption Tip #4: SEO Your Captions

I know what you’re thinking, “what about hashtags?”. While hashtags don’t hold as much power as they once did, they are still important when it comes to categorizing your content. However, we recommend niche hashtagging over broad hashtagging. It’s very unlikely that anyone is going through things like #socialmedia to get tips. Instead, try something like #socialmediahacks or #socialmediatipsandtrends so that you can target people who are looking for something particular. 

In addition to hashtagging, using SEO practices in your captions is the best way to let the algorithm know what your post is about. You should add in as many broad (and niche!) keywords as you can throughout the caption. 

Caption Tip #5: Start A Conversation

A great sign that your caption is a hit is the amount of comments. The best way to get those? Start a conversation! Ask a question, make a statement, or use humor to inspire people to react, whether with a personal and thoughtful response or a few laughing emojis. Every comment counts!  

We hope these tips are useful when you’re writing your next social captions! Paired with stunning visual content from Packsia, you never know—you might just have a  viral post on your hands!