How to Write Instagram Captions (2025): 9 Expert Tips

A stunning photo or Reel might grab your audience’s attention, but it’s how you write the Instagram caption that drives action. In other words, captions matter as much as what you’re posting on your feed, so prioritize them in your Instagram content strategy.

Used strategically, Instagram captions can help you get more Instagram followers and increase your website traffic and sales.

This guide will show you how to write Instagram captions that drive likes, comments, shares, and sales.

What makes a good Instagram caption?

A good Instagram caption does more than just describe a photo or video. It drives action. It encourages users to stop scrolling, read more, respond, or click through to your store. And in 2025, that kind of engagement matters more. 

Instagram’s algorithm now prioritizes posts based on user interactions, which include meaningful comments, shares, saves, and watch time, especially on Reels. This means, even if you have a small Instagram following, your posts can gain visibility if people engage with them. Captions can help you trigger that engagement. 

Whether your caption asks a question, tells a story, or encourages a comment or tag, its main goal is to connect with your audience in a way that aligns with your brand personality.

How to write the perfect Instagram caption

1. Make the most of the first sentence
2. Include a CTA or ask a question
3. Add value
4. Write like a human (not a robot)
5. Draft captions on a separate platform
6. Use storytelling
7. Use emojis and have fun
8. Consider caption length
9. Use hashtags

1. Make the most of the first sentence

After a couple lines of text, Instagram hides the rest of your caption behind a “more” link, so include important details in the beginning. Only about the first sentence will be seen in a user’s Instagram feed, so make sure it’s compelling or asks a question. And don’t put your call to action (CTA) at the end.

2. Include a CTA or ask a question

Each post should have a purpose and intention, so lead each one with its specific goal and let that goal dictate the CTA. What do you want followers to do?

• Visit your website?
• Shop for a specific product?
• Share the post with friends?
• Shop a promotion?
• Enter a contest or giveaway?
• Snap photos and share using a specified hashtag? (This is a great way to collect user-generated content.)

The key is to drive engagement in order to create a sense of dialogue and conversation. This is also a way to work around Instagram’s algorithm, which looks at engagement as a metric to serve your posts to followers. Encouraging engagement also increases the likelihood your post will appear in other users’ feeds as a “recommended account” to follow.

Here are some actions you can encourage in your caption:

• Click the link in bio
• Leave a comment, usually as the answer to a question
• Tag a friend (this is a great tactic for growing your reach)
• Post a photo using your branded hashtag

3. Add value

Use your Instagram captions to give something useful to your audience. The idea is to create content that informs, inspires, solves a problem, or helps your followers make better buying decisions.

For example, you could explain how to use your product effectively, offer style or care tips, or suggest things to consider before buying a product. While these posts are helpful, they’re also highly shareable and save-worthy, which sends brand engagement signals to Instagram, leading to more visibility.

Read: How To Use Instagram Stories: Tips and Examples for 2025

4. Write like a human (not a robot)

Authenticity matters most. In content and captions, put your real self out there and write as you speak. You may want to be strategic and intentional, but you also want to come across natural and like a friend to the user. Just be sure to keep a consistent brand voice.

5. Draft captions on a separate platform

You’re more likely to think strategically and distraction free if you write your captions on another platform. Remember, when drafting, keep your campaign and engagement goals at the focal point of your Instagram caption.

Try coming up with a few alternative ideas for your Instagram captions, as the first one you write won’t necessarily be your best. Let your creativity breathe, and have fun with the process.

6. Use storytelling

You can use stories to make your followers connect emotionally with your brand. Instead of just describing a product, tell the story behind it. You could talk about things like what inspired it or how it fits into your customers’ lives.

For example, instead of saying “New jackets just dropped,” you could share: “We couldn’t find a jacket that looked good and handled surprise showers, so we made one.” That small glimpse of motivation and personality can draw people’s attention and make your post feel human.

7. Use emojis and have fun

Sprinkle in emojis to add some extra flavor and animate your captions. Relevant emojis placed at the end of sentences or paragraphs can also serve as “bookends” and aesthetically break up long strings of copy.

Emojis are also a great way to direct readers to take a certain action, such as clicking the link in bio. But if you use emojis, make sure they jibe with your tone of voice and branding. You don’t want to overdo it with a mixed bag of emojis, especially not in the same caption.

If you are working on your brand voice and identity and outsourcing the Instagram caption writing to a freelancer, determine a set of emojis that make sense for keeping things consistent and on brand.

Need some inspiration on which emojis to use for a link in bio callout or to call attention to important text within a caption? Here are some popular ones:

👉 👆 💥 🔗 🎯 📌 📍

8. Consider caption length

Like most copywriting, the copy in your Instagram caption is about quality over quantity. It can be short and snappy or feature longer, more in-depth text. There’s no right or wrong length when it comes to caption writing.

For example, short and punchy captions work well for product drops, memes, and Instagram Reels where the visual does most of the talking. These are great for driving quick reactions like likes, tags, or shares. On the other hand, longer captions work better for founder updates or educational content. 

For reference, the first 125 characters are what people see in the feed before tapping “more.” 

9. Use hashtags

Instagram hashtags are a key way to make your posts searchable, so leverage them properly. They function like keywords, as they have tracking and searching capabilities.

You may have noticed brands grouping relevant hashtags at the end of a caption or below the “more” tag to keep things looking clean. Some even add several lines of space with periods to set apart the hashtags and really tuck them away from the description space. This is acceptable, but be open to sprinkling some popular hashtags within the caption to give it dimension.

So how do you know which hashtags to use? Aim for a mix of branded (a signature hashtag you create for your brand), community (used by people in the same industry as you, or used by the influencers you are attempting to attract), product, and other relevant trending hashtags.

Inform your content marketing by taking note of the hashtags used by your competitors, your audience, influencers, and industry leaders. 

Instagram limits you to 30 hashtags per post, but again, think quality over quantity. Between three and five relevant hashtags is best.

9 Instagram caption examples that drive engagement

1. How to use short Instagram captions: The Sill
2. How to use long Instagram captions: Soko Glam
3. How to use sassy Instagram captions: Adam J. Kurtz
4. How to use funny Instagram captions: A Shop of Things
5. How to use seasonal Instagram captions: Letterfolk
6. How to use Instagram captions for selfies: Verameat
7. How to use Instagram Reels captions: Gymshark
8. How to use user-generated content captions: Polysleep
9. How to use behind-the-scenes captions: Transformer Table

1. How to use short instagram captions: The Sill

Short and sweet Instagram captions are useful when the photo can say it all. Take this example from The Sill, a business that ships beautiful house plants straight to your door. It uses a photo that shows off how people are decorating their homes with the houseplants they order.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Sill (@thesill)

What is The Sill doing well with this Instagram caption?

• A short Instagram caption accompanying a beautiful photo encourages people to tag their friends or leave a comment.
• Credits and tags the original user, further increasing reach of their post.

2. How to use long Instagram captions: Soko Glam

Longer Instagram captions are useful to add context about the image, like with educating or storytelling to further engage readers. Take this example from Soko Glam, a store specializing in Korean beauty products. It would be easy for Soko Glam to simply post announcing its number one product in the cleanser category, but that’s not its method. Instead, it’s shared the use case of its product and how this cleanser tackles customer pain points.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SOKO GLAM (@sokoglam)

In fact, Soko Glam goes against the grain with lengthy but informative Instagram captions—so much so that Instagram uses it as an example for other businesses.

What is Soko Glam doing well with this Instagram caption?

• The long caption gives detailed information on exactly how the brand’s top product helps buyers.
• It’s integrating its product with trending topics with hashtags, ensuring it’s dialed in, relevant, and part of the conversation.
• It’s featuring a clear value proposition that could separate it from competitors.

Read: How To Make Money on Instagram

3. How to use sassy Instagram captions: Adam J. Kurtz

Bold and occasionally brassy Instagram captions can be used when the tone resonates with your audience, brand, and products. Adam J. Kurtz is an artist and author whose illustrative work is rooted in honesty and a little dark humor, so as you can imagine, his Instagram captions often push boundaries. But he doesn’t infuse attitude into his Instagram captions for the sake of writing them that way. It’s consistent with his branding across all of his products, down to his public speaking slides.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Adam J. Kurtz (@adamjk)

What is Adam J. Kurtz doing well with this Instagram caption?

• The caption is consistent with his branding, from the copy on the photo to the caption itself.
• The sassy and funny nature of his caption encourages users to tag friends.

4. How to use funny Instagram captions: A Shop of Things

Funny Instagram captions are useful if your product or service has humor inherently injected into it. That’s certainly the case for A Shop of Things, a store that’s filled with cute prints, funny embroideries, awesome pins, and must-have patches. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by A Shop Of Things (@shopofthings)

What is A Shop of Things doing well with this Instagram caption?

• It relates to a specific local audience with a funny caption that encourages comments or people to tag their friends. 
• The caption’s humor is also relatable for the brand’s specific niche.

5. How to use seasonal Instagram captions: Letterfolk

Writing a seasonal caption is a smart way to mix up your Instagram marketing by taking a break from the usual programming with something timely.

Letterfolk is extremely talented at placing its products alongside photos that capture the essence of everyday life. In this example, it capitalizes on knowing that someone always has a friend who can’t wait for summer to be over so they can start enjoying the fall comforts of sweaters, pumpkin-spice lattes, and colorful trees.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Letterfolk (@letterfolk)

What is Letterfolk doing well with this Instagram caption?

• The caption includes a direct question and snappy copy that allows folks to quickly tag that friend who loves fall.

6. How to use Instagram captions for selfies: Verameat

If you’re a merchant that crafts jewelry like Verameat, sometimes it’s better to use amateur photography to showcase bespoke pieces. In this case, Verameat opted to use a selfie to show off its new collection.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 💋VERAMEAT (@verameat)

What is Verameat doing well with this Instagram caption?

• The caption copy matches the aesthetic of the selfie.
• Its use of emojis is just right and on brand.
• It features a clear call to action at the end, directing Instagram users to visit the brand’s site.

7. How to use Instagram Reels captions: Gymshark

Reels are one of the biggest engagement drivers for Instagram. Amplify it by choosing the right caption. Typically, short captions go well with Reels. 

Look at Gymshark, a fitness apparel brand. They regularly share workouts and motivation Reels with punchy captions.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gymshark (@gymshark)

What is Gymshark doing well with this Instagram caption?

• The caption is short and aligns with the visual theme of discipline and routine.
• The message goes with the brand’s motivational tone.

8. How to use user-generated content captions: Polysleep

Showing actual customers using your products in their everyday life is an effective way to build trust and credibility. Instead of a sales pitch, you provide a social proof. How you frame the caption makes it even more relatable to your audience. 

Check this post from a customer of Polysleep, a Canadian mattress company. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Melissa Gagnon (@melissa_gagn0n)

What is Polysleep doing well with this Instagram caption?

• It features a real customer sharing a genuine problem-solution story.
• It combines personal context with product benefits in a natural way.

9. How to use behind-the-scenes captions: Transformer Table

Behind-the-scenes (BTS) content lets you show your customers what goes into creating quality merchandise. They can see the people, processes, and passion behind your products. This helps build transparency and trust, especially when you pair it with a caption showing the human side of your business.

For instance, look at this BTS post from Transformer Table, a modular furniture brand, reflecting its passion and manufacturing prowess. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Transformer Table (@transformertable)

What is Transformer Table doing well with this Instagram caption?

• It builds anticipation for real glimpses of the production facility shown in the video.
• It highlights their commitment to product quality and fast fulfillment.

Instagram captions and campaign goals

To write good Instagram captions, go back to the primary goals of your social media strategy and let them guide you. Common overarching goals include:

• Running an awareness campaign to increase your visibility or general brand awareness (such as increasing your reach and number of followers, or driving traffic to your website)
• Promoting a sale, new product launch, or new collection launch
• Collecting user-generated content with branded Instagram hashtags

If you have an Instagram business account, you can invest in sponsored posts to ensure your photos are seen by a targeted audience. When putting ad dollars behind a sponsored post (also known as a promoted post), there are several predetermined calls to action for you to choose. 

Supported call-to-action button options include: Contact Us, Learn More, Book Now, and Download. And thanks to Instagram’s Shop tab and product tagging functionality, Shopify merchants can enable their Instagram accounts to provide users with more about their products with a single tap. They can even take users directly to their Shopify store to make a purchase, all within the Instagram app.

If you’re running an organic campaign without spending on Instagram ads, then there are two main goals you’ll want your call to action to achieve:

• Driving followers and potential followers to read your caption, head to your Instagram profile, and click the link in your bio
• Getting followers to engage with a like, comment, or share (by tagging others)

Remember, you can’t place clickable links in organic posts, which means you have to direct users to click the link in your Instagram bio in order to visit your website or product page.

Read:

• How To Get More Followers on Instagram: 22 Ways in 2025
• How to Get Verified on Instagram in 2025: Proven Tips

Instagram caption tools and analytics

Here are some Instagram tools and resources to help you write great captions consistently and improve performance over time.

AI-powered caption generators

You can use AI tools to quickly generate Instagram captions. These tools are a great help when you’re managing multiple products and their Instagram marketing campaigns. 

For example, tools like Shopify Magic generate multiple variations of captions based on your product, brand voice, and target audience. You can use these tools to brainstorm caption ideas or test different messaging angles. However, it’s important to always review and edit AI-generated captions to align them with your brand values and Instagram marketing goals. 

Measuring caption effectiveness

To measure how your captions are performing, track Instagram engagement metrics like comments, likes, shares, saves, profile link clicks, and impressions. These insights help you understand how well your captions resonate with your audience.

While Instagram Insights offers built-in analytics for each post, you can use Later and Sprout Social for advanced analytics. To go deeper, experiment with A/B testing. For example, post similar content with different captions to see which drives more engagement. 

Read: Best Practices for A/B Testing Social Media Posts

Instagram caption tips and tricks

Before you get back into caption creativity mode, consider these final pointers to help maximize your brand exposure, captivate your audience, and start achieving your campaign goals.

How to add blank spaces in Instagram captions

The easiest and fastest option for adding blank or “white” space in Instagram captions is to use symbols. Using spaces is particularly useful for keeping hashtags under the “more” tag. Follow these steps to add space in your Instagram caption:

1. Write your caption in the caption area on Instagram.
2. To add a line break, tap on the Enter or Return key.
3. Add one symbol on the next line. People typically use the period (.) or hyphen (-).
4. Tap Enter or Return again, then start typing your next paragraph.
5. To add more spaces between paragraphs in your Instagram caption, repeat these steps until you have a complete Instagram post.

How long can an Instagram caption be?

Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters long including up to 30 hashtags. Or, add additional context or hashtags in the first comment, which gives you another 2,200 characters to work with. But you don’t have to use them all. 

Ideal caption length depends on the type of the post. For feed posts, longer captions often work well for storytelling and building emotional connection. For Reels, shorter captions (one or two sentences) are ideal because the video does most of the work.

While there’s no official data from Instagram suggesting ideal caption length, an independent study by Socialisider suggests short captions (less than 30 words or 120 to 150 characters) tend to have the highest engagement rate on Instagram across different post types, including image posts, carousels, and Reels.

Use an Instagram caption template

Now that you’ve learned the principles of writing effective Instagram captions, the next step is to put it all into practice consistently. This is where Instagram caption templates are incredibly helpful.

Templates provide a structure to easily customize for your brand and save you time during content creation. 

Here’s a basic template you can adapt:

A checklist for posting the best Instagram captions

Before finalizing your captions, consider the following questions (you may want to bookmark this and keep it handy):

• Is your caption informative? Does it provide information or details about your product, promotion, or company in general?
• Is your caption on brand? Can a user tell that it follows your company’s tone of voice and overall style?
• Is your caption encouraging an action? Is there a clear call to action at the end of the text telling users to do something?
• Is your caption clean? Does the caption look aesthetically pleasing or is it cluttered with text, emojis, and/or hashtags?
• Is your caption inspiring or adding value? Will the user get something out of the post? Whether it’s new information, a chance to enter a giveaway, an opportunity to connect with other followers by commenting on the post, or a dose of inspiration, your caption should add something to the user’s life.

Make an effort to be intentional with your posts and avoid posting for the sake of posting. A user is more likely to unfollow your account because they feel your posts aren’t adding value than if you aren’t posting daily.

A final note: attracting and repelling

When it comes to branding, there’s a useful principle to consider known as attracting and repelling, popularized by photographer and strategist Jasmine Star. Essentially, having your brand identity locked down will guide the words and tone you use. 

And because you can’t be everything to everyone, your branding likely will attract the right clients and repel the wrong ones. That said, focus on your potential customer and how to attract them. This keeps your eyes on the prize and guides how you’re writing your Instagram captions.

While being strategic is key, this is also an opportunity to show off your brand personality. So make sure you’re combining your brand’s unique point of view with Instagram’s more lighthearted tone. The message is the medium, after all.