It’s not just you — it’s harder than ever to get your audience’s attention on Instagram.
With more than 95 million photos and videos posted on Instagram every day, there’s more content out there than there is room in each person’s feed to show it all.
So what does this mean for small business owners?
It means that now — more than ever — you need to be really intentional about the content you’re posting.
You need a scroll-scropping visual. You need a caption that resonates with your target audience.
And — perhaps most importantly — you need a killer first line.
Why the first line of your Instagram caption is so important
When your audience is scrolling through their Instagram feed, the first thing they see is your visual.
But the next thing they see is the first 125 characters of your caption (the rest gets truncated), so it’s critical that you make each character count.
If those first 125 characters don’t grab your audience’s attention, they won’t even see the rest of your caption — they’re just going to scroll on by.
So to stop that from happening — and to give you some general caption-writing inspiration — here are 25 attention-grabbing ways to start your Instagram captions.
I’ve broken them into categories for ease-of-use below — read on and be sure to bookmark this page for future reference!
Caption first-line ideas for educational posts:
- “OK, this tip is a GAME CHANGER for __________ [something relevant to your business]” (Use the rest of the caption to share a helpful tip)
- “Myths about ____________ [a product or service you offer, or your industry] to stop believing:” (Use the rest of the caption to list 3 myths and debunk each of them)
- “Truth bomb: _______ [a surprising truth related to your business]” (Use the rest of the caption to expand on it)
- “Your biggest Qs about ___________ [something relevant to your business], answered:” (Use the rest of the caption to answer the top 3 FAQs you get from customers/clients)
- “A surprising truth: _________ [something related to your business]” (Use the rest of the caption to expand on it)
- “[Insert a customer FAQ]” (Use the rest of the caption to answer it. Encourage your audience to DM you or leave any other questions they have in the comments below)
- “A lot of people don’t know this, BUT __________ [share a little-know fact about your product, service, business or industry]”
Caption first-line ideas for inspirational posts:
- “Double-tap if you agree!” (Pair with a graphic featuring an inspirational quote, and use the rest of the caption to share why you agree, and encourage your audience to share their thoughts, too!)
- “Here’s your ___________ [insert day of the week] reminder that _________ [add an inspirational message here that’s relevant for your audience]!
- “Whenever I’m having a tough day, I remember this advice from __________ [my mom / my grandfather / my fifth-grade teacher]:” (Use the rest of the caption to share the advice and talk about why it’s been so helpful for you)
- “Would you rather: __________ or __________ [insert two things that would pose a light-hearted dilemma for your audience and provoke a response]? I’ll go first…” (Use the rest of the caption to share your answer and then ask your audience to share theirs in the comments)
Caption first-line ideas to help your audience get to know you:
- “Wow, great to see so many new faces around here! I’m thinking some introductions are in order…” (Use the rest of the caption to introduce yourself and your business, and to welcome your new followers)
- “I don’t usually tell people this, but __________ [insert something interesting, unusual or funny about your business and/or how you got into it]”
- “Being a small business owner can be tough. But do you know why I do it?” (Use the rest of the caption to answer this question)
- “Never in a million years did I ever expect to be where I am now.” (Use the rest of the caption to share the winding road your life and/or career has taken to get you to where you are now)
Caption first-line ideas to encourage your audience to talk back to you:
- “When it comes to _______ [an area that’s relevant to your business], what’s the best advice you’ve ever received? I’ll go first:” (Use the rest of the caption to share your advice and then ask your audience to share theirs in the comments)
- “Pop quiz: [insert question that’s relevant to your audience or industry]? Think you know? Drop your answer in the comments!”
- “I want to know: what do YOU want to know? What are you struggling with right now when it comes to __________ [insert an area or areas relevant to your business]? Let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to get you an answer!”
Caption first-line ideas for promoting your products, services, events, etc.:
- “Calling all __________ [insert a niche target audience — e.g., small business owners who are fed up with the Instagram algorithm]! THIS is the post you’ve been waiting for.” (Use the rest of the caption to talk about a product, service or other offering that’s going to solve a big pain point for this audience)
- “Big, BIG news: [insert your product/service/event news here]!” (Use the rest of the caption to provide additional details)
- “How cool are these __________ [insert new product line or other relevant subject]? (Use the rest of the caption to provide additional details)
- “OK, so I’m doing something that I’ve NEVER done before…” (Use the rest of the caption to talk about your new sale, event, service offering, etc.)
- “The clock is ticking! Just 2 more days to take advantage of our [insert amazing offer or deal here]!”
- “Meet your new favourite ___________ [insert name of product, etc.]!”
- “Looking for a sign that it’s time to ___________ [insert something that’s relevant to a product or service you offer]? This is it!”
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