Want to know how to write killer social media captions? This is the episode for you!

So, let’s dive in!

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Transcript

Ever found a killer image to post on social, uploaded it from your camera roll.. and then sat staring at the caption box trying to work out what on earth to post?

If you have, you know that social media captions can be hard work. For that reason, they are often neglected or hurriedly crafted as an afterthought.

That approach isn’t great.

Facebook and Instagram might be known as visual platforms (and yes, good quality + original imagery IS extremely important –we’ve already covered this in previous podcast episodes), but it’s a given these days and so, writing killer social media captions is the BEST way to stand out!

When done right, they allow you to tell your brand story, build familiarity and trust with your followers and invite them to engage, interact and do business with you!

So, what are the essential elements of a killer social media caption, and how can you start nailing them for your own socials?

Read on, my friend, read on.

Remember that there is no MAGIC formula to this, but it is also really easy to see when someone has put care into writing their social media captions versus when they are an afterthought.

Should they be short or long? The answer is that that they need to be quality and of interest to your dream client – if they are the size doesn’t matter.

On the next pages are the key elements of a killer social media caption that connects + converts.

These rules apply for BOTH Instagram and Facebook.

1. Storytelling

You need to flex your wordsmith muscles to give people an insight into what you bring to the table in terms of your personality, business and services.

Telling stories when writing your social media captions – aka digital storytelling – allows you to connect with your clients and to tell them what you’re all about.

Example – let’s say you’re a lawyer. You can use storytelling to tell people why you do what you do, how you got into the industry and what you’re most passionate about, to profile your clients and their wins… and the list goes on.

A product business can sell the lifestyle associated with their product, rather than just speak about the product itself.

Stories are key to killer social media captions. Use them to paint a picture and to create connection with your followers.

2. Focus on features over benefits

This is particularly relevant for product businesses.

Rather than talking about the features of your product and boring people to death, you need to flip things on their head and talk about the benefits. To do this, I recommend using the SO WHAT test. Here’s an example: Your baby range is made of a special material… SO WHAT? Well, it ensures that your baby’s sensitive skin is protected and they are comfortable and super soft.

When you are describing products, ALWAYS lead with benefits over features. It will help you to write killer social media captions that get your audience’s attention.

3. Personality

There’s nothing worse than a wooden social media caption written without personality.

Inject your brand personality and vibe into the way you write.

Know your client inside and out, and write in a way that endears them to you and the services you provide.

Be honest, open and communicate conversationally.

Pretend you’re writing to just ONE person instead of blasting an impersonal message out to many.

4. Invitation

Engagement is the name of the game when it comes to social media.

There’s no better way to get engagement than to ask for it!

This doesn’t need to be done on EVERY single post; it can be a little overkill when it is.

When done naturally, calls to action invite people to take another action AFTER they have read your social media caption.

There are two types of invitations.

1// Engagement invitations: This is where you directly invite your follower to like, comment, save, mention etc. There are two benefits to small asks – they improve your algorithm ranking if people actually do it, and they start to condition your followers to interact with you (which leads into them taking action on your bigger asks).

Here are some examples of small asks:

Introduce yourself in the comments.

Which do you prefer – the black or the blue?

What’s your…?

Who else loves X…?

Note that engagement baiting in a spammy way is expressly disallowed on

Facebook, so ensure that your engagement invitations are natural.

2// ‘Next step’ invitations: This is where you ask your followers to do something that gets them one step closer to doing business with you, WITHOUT directly asking for a sale. Here are some examples:

• Want to know more? Read the blog post, link in bio!
• Get on the list to..
• Head over to X… for X…
• Click over to my website (link in bio) to… X.

Content themes for Social Media Captions

Regardless of whether you are a product-based business or a service-based business, your content should be divided into three key categories to help you write killer social media captions::

1. Value Content

This is where you educate, entertain and/or inspire your audience. If you’re not providing value to your followers, there is no reason for them to follow you.

Examples::

• Education
• Tips and tricks
• Industry updates
• Motivation or inspirational content

2. Connection Content

This is where you create rapport with your audience, and get them to know you and love you. It’s about telling your brand story, showcasing your brand personality and giving people an insight into YOU.

Examples::

• Behind the scenes
• Storytelling
• Showcasing you and your team

3. Promotion content

This is where you promote your products or services, and you showcase your credentials and testimonials. These posts STILL need to be interesting and add value to your target audience.

And that’s it! Follow these tips for writing killer social media captions to get your socials on track.

Keep Listening!

Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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