Instagram Captions in 2020: Short or Long?
“An image may capture attention, but it’s the copy that closes people.” — Joanna Wiebe
Ever since its introduction, Instagram has been known as a visual-oriented social network, be it images or videos. Naturally we understand that vibrant, aesthetically pleasing, and engaging visuals are keys to capture the audience’s attention. That’s why the amount of hours you spent on picking and posting high quality images, tagging your images for maximum exposure, posting daily stories, having all the right hashtags, dabbling in influencer marketing and endlessly fussing over your feed’s aesthetic, are totally justifiable.
But, do you realize that there’s actually another element of Instagram that could easily help you boost your Instagram engagement?
Yep, we’re talking about the captions.
Why IG Captions Matter
Instagram might be a visual platform, but your captions can easily make or break your posts. In a way, Instagram captions can influence your account’s growth, enhance your content, and even help you with community building.
Do you remember the viral post of an egg that eventually becomes the most liked post on Instagram?
The visual component of the post is average at best, as it literally is just a picture of an egg, instead the caption is the one that gives people a reason to react. So while a strong visual component can capture your audience’s attention, but it alone won’t drive conversions. A well-crafted caption with a clear message and possibly CTAs allows you to take the visual message several steps further.
Now, the main purpose of Instagram captions is to add context to the image or video that you’re sharing. It’s what makes the image even more enticing, and for marketers, that can mean the difference between actions being taken and users forgetting every word they wrote. Instagram captions can be funny or serious, short or long, even mysterious or self-deprecating. But for influencers and marketers, captions could be extremely effective to help them evoke and drive engagement. Be it sharing candid personal stories, asking for specific feedback and suggestion, or presenting thoughtful or playful quizzes, you have to admit, those are great to start a conversation!
Additionally, part of the power of captions is that sense of community they cultivate. Marketers, therefore, can use captions to connect meaningfully with their audience by turning simple captions from serviceable afterthoughts to a long, personal statement. For influencers, in particular, captions can be utilized as another powerful and creative outlet to nurture their community. Influencers, after all, are only as valuable as the communities they’ve created.
Captions, in a sense, serve as the bridge that makes us feel more connected to the person we’re following.
READ ALSO: 7 Instagramm-able Spots Around Taiwan
The Verdict: Should You Use Short or Long IG Captions?
The maximum length for Instagram caption is 2,200 characters, along with 30 hashtags. While the length of your Instagram captions should depend on the messages you want to convey, but research by Sprout Social discovered that the ideal size for Instagram caption is around 135–150 characters. Subsequently, data from Quintly shows that Instagram captions between 1 to 50 characters saw the best response rates.
Does it mean it’s nay for long captions? Not quite.
While this data makes sense, as Instagram has always been a visual-first platform and shorter captions are more easily digestible and look much less overwhelming, but coming 2020, Instagram captions are actually expected to take a more focal stage.
Several influencers have written lengthy Instagram captions on their posts to give greater insight into their world or simply to share their knowledge on a certain subject.
Several brands are also starting to take advantage of this trend, especially when it comes to raising awareness of certain causes. Sustainable clothing brand, Patagonia, for example, highlights the issues around fish farming by releasing IGTV and film series alongside a lengthy Instagram caption to give deeper insights into their missions, the challenges they face, and why they need their followers’ support.
Whatever You Choose to Use…
Just remember, dialogue is what fosters community, therefore placing significant value on thoughtful and personal captions. Whether short or long, there’s no denying that Instagram caption is one of the most valuable elements on the platform. It is imperative that marketers use it effectively to fuel their Instagram marketing efforts.
You can utilize Instagram captions to tell a story, share important news or updates, even offer long thoughts. No matter what, the goal is to pique your audience’s curiosity.
And here are some tips that can help you to create engaging captions.
- Most important message first!
The purpose of an Instagram caption is to tell more of the story or message behind your picture or video. Thus, a powerful first sentence that appeals to your followers is essential to encourage them to read more. Open your captions with something that will bedazzled them.
2. Don’t forget Call-to-Actions.
Include creative CTAs to get your audience to be more engaged, for example encouraging them to share your posts on their Instagram stories or tagging their friends in the comments. Try to come up with unique CTAs to increase the potential engagement from your audience.
3. Break into shorter paragraphs.
Lengthy captions posed bigger risk as there’s a huge chance your audience won’t read much of it. What you can do to minimize it is to divide your text into several short paragraphs with extra spacing to make the content look more organized, easier to read and help increase activity on your CTAs.
4. Keep the conversation casual.
Regardless of the messages, make sure to match the tone of your captions with how your audience usually speaks. They still want to be able to relate to you. Remember to keep the tone consistent!
So, are you team short or team long? What do you think makes a good Instagram captions?
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