There are a couple of tricks to the good ol’ opening line:

• Make sure that the attention-grabbing element of your opening line can be read before anyone has to click “more.” You have 140 characters to capture someone's attention before they reach "more," so use them well!

• Put the important context or call-to-action at the beginning before your followers have to click “more.” Want someone to stay until the very end of the caption? Give them a little hint as to why they should read! (example: “Love coffee? Then you’ll love what I have for you next…”)

• Make your caption as engaging as possible, like using emojis at the beginning to highlight a certain word or phrase. 

• ​​Use a stat or a fun fact. Giving a stat that your followers might find interesting or will resonate with them can get them to click “more” and read your full caption!

• Write a statement that sparks your readers’ curiosity. Whether that’s with an intriguing statement, a polarizing statement, stats, delivering an emotional response (this is the one that ALWAYS gets me to read and click more!), or sharing an offer they can’t refuse, finding something that will hook your reader in is of vital importance. 

Now that you know a variety of ways to capture someone, think about what would make your audience click “more” on a caption.

Is it a giveaway?
Is it learning a top tip?
Is it getting some good gossip? 😏

Figuring out what your followers want and the top reasons why they would want to read your caption is important. Experiment with different types of opening lines and track what works best for your Instagram!

And don't forget, you'll also be getting a lot of great ideas on how to capture your audience with a killer opening line in our 30 Days of FREE Instagram captions at the end of this course!

Why you need to have a call-to-action in your Instagram caption

If you’re not already utilizing a call-to-action, I hate to say it but you’re doing it wrong…

When you just ASK your audience to comment, like, or engage in any way with your post, it can go a long way to driving engagement to your post! Not only will it drive engagement on your post on Instagram, but a good CTA can have people engaging with your website, signing up for a newsletter or free trial, or shopping online. 

Using CTAs to boost engagement

I know it sounds fake but … all you need to do is ask your audience to engage and more than likely they will. Yeah, it’s true. 

Adding a simple CTA to your Instagram captions like “tag a friend you think needs to hear this” or “double tap if you agree” can seriously boost your engagement and your post in Instagram’s algorithm—which will lead to more exposure and reach for your post. 

One of the best ways to get people to engage with your post is by asking them questions!

Example: Say your post is about working out, ask your followers what their favorite form of exercise is. People like to answer questions and feel like they are part of a conversation. Plus, once you start asking your audience questions and engaging with them, the more likely they will leave comments on your posts in the future!

Another way you can drive engagement is by running an Instagram contest that has people tag a friend in the comment section to enter or share your post to their Instagram Story. 

This will help your post reach more people and could end up with your post landing on the Explore Page—which means even higher reach, plus more followers. Win, win, win. 

Top tip: If you decide to run an IG contest, we recommend including “contest” or “giveaway” at the beginning of your caption to capture the attention of your followers and make them more likely to engage with the post.

Using a CTA to get traffic to your website

If you’re looking to get more people to your website or blog, using a call-to-action in your post to encourage your audience to visit is key. 

Even though now all users on Instagram can use their link sticker in Instagram Stories which is a great way to get people to your website, it’s a bit … more challenging to get people to go from your post, to your profile, to then click on the link in your bio. But it is possible to do! 

• Ask your followers to click the link
  Again, sometimes it’s just that easy … to ask! Encourage your followers to click the “link in your bio” or even highlight a specific URL that is easy for your followers to type. 

• Make your bio engaging
  Whenever someone goes to your profile, being able to draw their attention to the link in your bio can be a huge game-changer. Instead of casually having your URL hanging out with no clear indication as to why someone would want to click it, make it stand out! Use emojis. Point to the link. Explain what they will get by clicking the link! 

• Give your audience a reason to click
  Why in the world should your followers click on the link in your profile? What’s in it for them? Give them a good reason why clicking that link is worthwhile for them! Will they get a coupon code? Will they get all the details about your OOTD? Is the item you're offering limited edition? Give them what they want and they will click the link!

• Make your CTA stand out!
  As we’ve seen over the past few years, captions have gotten longer and longer. So how do you make your CTA stand out? Use emojis. Use a different type of font. Figure out a way to make it stand out amongst the wall of text you have written. 

Why you need to use storytelling for your Instagram caption

Think of one of the best Instagram posts you’ve seen. Is it one that is usually relatable to things that are going on in your world that tells a story, where you’re going “yes, yes, this!” 

Being relatable, real, and telling a story on Instagram is a sure-fire way to get good engagement on a post. The more specific and detailed your story, the more relatable it is, which means more people will spend the time reading and interacting with your post. 

Call out your imperfections. Call out how hard your day has been. Celebrate yourself and your hard work. 🎉

When it comes to captions and getting engagements, nothing is better than when someone validates someone else’s concerns, voices their own doubts and fears, and is, in general, #keepingitreal online.

Your Second Assignment 🎉

Homework 1️⃣

From the above, select three different styles of opening lines you like. Write three different opening lines for three similar posts.

While writing, think about these things:

1. How are you going to capture their attention?
2. What is something your audience usually engages with? Humor? Facts? Realness? Focus on that while writing your opener.
3. Take a look at the opening line. Would you engage with it? Is there anything drawing your eye to the caption?

Homework 2️⃣

Now that you have your opening line written, it's time to figure out how you're going to get your audience to actually engage with your content. Come up with TWO different ways to make your CTA stand out.

1. Figure out what your CTA is going to be. Do you want people to like your post? Follow a link in your bio? What do you want your followers to do? How can you best get them to follow through on doing the action? You need to identify what you want first!
2. How are you going to make it stand out? You can add emojis, create a different style of font for your CTA, or write it in all capital letters. Whatever you want to make it stand out amongst the rest of the text!