Instagram is not just a visual platform. Words have the power to give your followers the complete information to what they are seeing, by fully enriching their experience through words or caption. It has the ability to keep your engagement with your audience, as well as build connection with them. Without the right caption, your image is simply an attention grab.

So what does one write, and how does one come up with the words to write? These are tips to make good Instagram caption that drive engagement.

1. Build a Narrative
What resonates more? A list of ingredients for an ice cream paired with a picture of the ice cream? Or a story of how a father took his little girl to an ice cream van to get her favourite ice cream?

So next time you are lost for words, build a narrative around the image. For example, if you are in the wedding cake industry instead of talking about the flavour of cake, and how beautiful your cakes are, go deeper and talk about. Why the particular flavour was chosen? Was it because it was a flavour that held a special meaning with the couple? What happened during the consultation with the couple who wanted the cake?

2. Get Personal
As humans, we crave connection. It’s how we are all inherently wired. Therefore, if appropriate and you feel comfortable to, write something personal about you and make it honest! E.g. A win, a thought, a struggle or your feelings about a certain subject matter.

3. Sometimes, Less is More
If you have a very strong visual, this is where you don’t have or want to overdo it with the text! Sometimes this might be a few emojis, or even a word to make the magic happen.

Note: for posts in feeds, only the first three lines of a caption will be displayed. For captions longer than three lines, people will have to tap “More” to read the whole thing. If you want your entire caption to display, Instagram recommends using 125 characters or fewer.