I’m going to share 13 Instagram caption ideas (with examples):
- Questions
- Metaphors and captions related to your photo
- Ask people to tag their friends
- Personal caption
- Short and fun captions
- Let someone else write your caption (what?!!)
- Follow a story / sequence
- Quotes
- Two captions in one
- Hilarious caption
- Separate your paragraphs using emojis
- A title for your caption
- Be yourself
Before I show you the Instagram caption ideas, here are some quick tips:
Quick tips to start
1. Draft, draft, draft
Don’t feel like you have to write the perfect Instagram caption on the spot when you have to post. That can be stressful. Take your time to prepare your caption before you post on Instagram. You can use Preview app to plan your posts and prepare your captions.
2. Want people to keep reading your captions? Keep the same caption style
You will see that most successful Instagrammers use the same caption style, on almost every single post. I’m going to show you 10 different caption styles. Choose one style and stick to it. Why? Because:
- it will create consistency for your reader (they will know your writing style)
- it will be easier and faster for you to write your caption (since you’ll know your style)
- it can increase your engagement rate (since people know your style they know what to expect, they will read faster and be more inclined to comment)
3. Don’t get obsessed with captions. Keep it natural
And the last tip is: don’t get obsessed with your captions. Don’t stress out. Keep it natural otherwise you won’t enjoy your Instagram experience.
Instagram is all about having fun and being social. So you should definitely be having fun in the process.
Let’s start. Here are 13 Instagram caption ideas:
1. Questions in your caption
Questions can help you get more “engagement” (if your goal is to grow your Instagram page). Don’t go crazy asking questions all the time. Again, keep it natural.
Questions should be:
- Simple and
- International
Everyone should be able to read, understand and answer your question.
Tip: Write your question at the beginning of your caption so that people see it straight away when they see your post.
Examples:
- @hellomissmay: “Left of right?”
- @theskinnyconfidential: “What is your workout staple?”
Ideas of questions:
- Do you like …?
- Have you ever …?
- What do you think of …?
- This or that? (beach or pool? Coffee or tea? Pink or blue? Dog or cat? Cold or hot? Left or right?)
- Yes or no? Yay or nay?
- Which one do you prefer?
- What is your favorite …? (food, place, color)
- What’s your …?
- Where are you from?
- What’s the time where you are?
- What is one word to describe …?
2. Metaphors and captions related to your photo
Your caption can be related to the photo in a creative way.
Some people play with words and use metaphors in their captions that are related to their photo.
Examples:
- @erinsummer_: “Heavy metal mix tape”
- @mich.elle.imagery: “Planted in bed”
3. Ask people to tag other accounts
This is a very fun Instagram caption idea because you’re inviting people to join the fun.
Ideas:
- Tag your BFF
- Tag your favorite Instagrammer
- Tag a fellow entrepreneur
- Tag someone who inspires you
- Tag 3 people you are grateful for
- Tag 3 people who always have your back
- Tag an Instagram friend you’d love to meet in real life
Example:
4. Personal caption
Personal captions are usually long captions. They are like a story.
They are a great way to build relationships with people because someone can always relate in one way or another to your situation. Your situation, day or project might inspire or motivate someone.
Note: it doesn’t mean that you have to write a long captions in order to build relationships. If you’re not the kind of person to write long captions, don’t write long captions. It will feel forced and not natural (you won’t have fun and people will feel it).
Examples:
5. Short and fun captions
If you’re not the kind of person to write long captions all the time, you don’t have to.
Chris Hemsworth (aka Thor) is really good at this. His Instagram captions are usually short and fun (see below).
Examples:
6. Let someone else write your caption (what?!!)
There are many different ways you can use this Instagram caption idea.
Here are some examples:
- @thepiercetwins: The babies write their captions
- @codycanham: The dog writes its caption
Obviously, the mums are behind the accounts. But their captions make their accounts so much more entertaining to follow.
7. Follow a story / sequence
Writing captions can be easier if you tell a story.
Think about your Instagram as a TV series. All the episodes in a series are linked together.
You can do the same for your Instagram. Instead of thinking about brand new captions for each post, think about how your posts can be linked together in the same “story” or “theme” or “sequence”:
- It helps your readers know what to expect next
- It builds anticipation
- It helps you organize your content (less stress)
So what story can you tell?
Ideas of stories:
- A topic
- A place
- A travel diary (where are you going next, your plans, your recommendations, your favorite places, hotels)
- Your work week
- Tips and educational content for your followers about a specific topic (example: “Instagram tips”)
- Your favorites (books, movies, recipes, workouts…)
- Workout routines and “what I eat in a day”
Examples:
- @thebucketlistfamily: follow the family as they travel around the world. Each week they visit a new country. New country = new story.
- @sarahsday: Sarah sums up her day, everyday in her caption. She also tells her readers what she is going to do next. This way people are always looking forward to her next posts. They know what to expect and they’re getting excited.
8. Quotes
Write a quote in your caption. The quote can be directly or indirectly related to your photo. The quote can be a:
- Motivational or inspirational quote
- Poem
- Book quote
- Lyrics of a song
Examples:
9. Two captions in one
This is a fun Instagram caption idea. Write 2 different captions in one caption.
One caption can be the “Instagram-approved caption”. The other caption under it can be your real thoughts, like @palmerletteringco did (see below).
Another example is by @outofthebex: she started with a “general” caption and then a specific caption for those who are part of her community.
You can get very creative with this caption idea. Let me know if you try it out.
Example:
- @palmerletteringco: “Alternate caption: if the slipper fits”
- @outofthebex: “Heads up! The rest of the caption is a discussion post for me and my readalong buddies!”
10. Hilarious caption
This is a fun Instagram caption idea. Break your paragraphs using emojis. People usually use emojis that are related to what they are talking about.
Examples:
11. Break down your paragraphs using emojis
Why so serious on Instagram? Some people are having a blast in their Instagram caption. They are writing like they speak and are not taking things too seriously (which makes it fun on Instagram).
Example:
12. A title for your caption
Give a “title” or “heading” for your caption. It can introduce people to what you are going to talk about.
Examples:
- @carolyn_mara: ” my eye | … “
- @patpailey: “… | Lucky Me “
- @foxhoundcollection: ? Clementine ?
- @lalasocialclub.co: “[one year]”
13. Be yourself, people will automatically connect
Sorry not sorry. This needs to be the first Instagram caption idea (and it is the best one I can give you).
It sounds cliché, but it’s true: there’s nobody else out there like you, so be yourself and you will stand out (re-read this sentence).
Sometimes we are so focused on the number of likes, comments and followers that we forget that there is a person behind an account. And who says “person” says “personality”. Instagram is a personality platform. People connect with people.
You shouldn’t try hard to “fit in” or to “be like” someone else on Instagram. Be yourself. Write what you would want to read.
The reason why some of the biggest (and smallest) Instagram accounts are so successful is because they are “personal” and they are “themselves”.
I hope you enjoyed these Instagram caption ideas. Do you have a favorite? If you have other ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments.
