Instagram is all about visuals. Taking great photos, posting high-quality videos, curating eye-catching graphics, you name it. But posting these photos can only get you so far if your captions fall short.
After all, what’s a photo without a bit of context, right? Captioning your Instagram posts is a great way to give your followers context on what you’re posting. Captions can also help tell a more compelling story, build trust between you and your audience, and increase engagement. But how do you create engaging Instagram captions?
Here’s everything you need to know to get you started on the right path.
Why Are Instagram Captions So Important?
Photos and videos catch the eye of your scroller. But if you think about it, the caption is what keeps them glued to your content. The caption is what people will read if they tap that little arrow to expand your Instagram Story. There are many ways to get creative with your captions, but they’re ultimately what tells a story and keeps people engaged with the content you’ve posted.
On a more technical note, Instagram captions help you leverage the algorithm so your content reaches your target audience. I know it doesn’t seem like it. Many celebrities end up posting just a few words and some can even get away with just an emoji and still get thousands of likes. But, if you want to catch the attention of your followers, show up on searches, and the explore page then you need to think about using keywords and adding the right hashtags.
Instagram Caption Examples
This probably seems like a no-brainer for some of you, but your caption has to be intriguing. Why would people tap on your photo and keep reading if there’s nothing that stands out? What makes a compelling caption?
Think about the conversation you want to have with the person scrolling through your Instagram feed. If they’re perusing through images and don’t buy into your story, then they’re going to scroll right past you and get to the next person that caught their eye.
Here are a few tips you should keep in mind:
- Hook your audience with a great first line
- Don’t skip your CTA
- Introduce charm and wit
- Add line breaks
- Use emojis
Inspirational Instagram Captions
If you want to inspire your audience try these:
- “Every little thing is gonna be alright!”
- “Work it, make it, do it, makes us: harder, better, faster, stronger”
- “Baby you got lucky ’cause you’re rockin’ with the best.”
- “Aspire to inspire before you expire.”
- “I’m gonna live like tomorrow doesn’t exist.”
Funny Instagram Captions
Looking to give your audience a few giggles?
- “You never know what you have until you have cleaned your house.”
- “There’s no ‘we’ in fries.”
- “I’ve been on a diet for a week and all I lost was 7 days”
- “Morning coffee, because anything else is worthless.”
- “If you don’t have anything nice to say, just post it on Instagram”
Food Instagram Captions
Great food captions are so important to Instagram because they tell a story and make your followers hungry for more.
- “Resting coffee face.”
- The difference between a pizza and your opinion is that I only asked for pizza.
- “My head says gym, but my heart says tacos.”
- “Breakfast. All. Day.”
- “Be a cupcake in a world of muffins.”
Sassy Instagram Captions
Sugar, spice, and, well…more spice.
- I do a thing called what I want.
- Always classy, never trashy, and a little bit sassy.
- On my worst behavior.
- Be savage, not average.
- Life is short. Make every hair flip count.
Instagram Captions For BFFs
Show your friends some love.
- Friends become our chosen family!
- Love is beautiful, friendship is better
- “F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Fight for you. Respect you. Include you. Encourage you. Need you. Deserve you. Stand by you.”
- “In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips.”
- Life was meant for best friends and good adventures!
Musical Instagram Captions
Why not quote your favorite artists?
- “Am I more than you bargained for yet?” ― Sugar, We’re Going Down by Fall Out Boy
- “If I was you, I’d wanna be me too.” Me Too by Meghan Trainor
- “I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color.” — Wilson (Expensive Mistakes) by Fall Out Boy
- “This may be the night that my dreams might let me know… All the stars are closer.” — All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar & SZA
- “Cheers to the freakin’ weekend.” Cheers by Rihanna
Instagram Captions For Every Season
Tis’ the season after all.
- Pumpkin spice and sweater weather.
- Girls just wanna have sun
- A snowflake is winter’s butterfly
- April showers bring May flowers
Key Takeaways
There are so many different ways to craft an Instagram caption. You don’t have to use these exact captions, but they should give you a good idea of what might work and what won’t. Before you go, here are a few points to remember:
- Be fun and stay away from overly salesy language.
- Know what TMI is.
- Use some humor and don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through.
- You can tailor the caption for your specific audience, but try to keep it relatable.