How to Write Powerful Instagram Captions | Free Prompts

Yes we’re getting into Instagram captions today. Because people are SUPER stressed out about them!

I understand, I do. And I’m here to offer some reprive.

Writer folks, I’m gonna say it straight: You’re spending too much time on your IG captions!

You just are!

There are a few simple ways to craft engaging content on social media and while you do want to put your best foot forward, it shouldn’t take all day.

I got into this a bit in Content Ideas When You Don’t Know What to Post and if you haven’t read it yet, I encourage you to do so.

Because there will be times where you’re stuck for ideas and this little brainstorm method gets me out of jams all. the. time.

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Alright, so why are Instagram captions so tricky?

My hunch is because it’s a visual platform and many/most of us are words people so may find it difficult to find that balance between capturing attention through visuals and then compelling action through emotional writing.

Why is this hard? Because it’s hard! You have to marry skills which may or may not be equally developed. And you have to think about your posts in a few ways.

• The post at hand (image + caption)
• What you posted before and what you’ll post after
• The grid (this post within the context of your IG grid, a nine-photo display of your most recent posts someone will see when they check out your profile)

There’s a lot to keep track of.

Here’s a quick look at my personal IG grid—this is literally my latest nine posts from whenever it is you’re looking at this training. No pressure, right? My goal is to keep it looking awesome for whenever someone stumbles upon it.

Instagram captions: free prompts

If you want these Instagram caption prompts as a handy PDF download, I’ve got that ready for you! Just sign up for my free resource library by putting your email address into the form below and I’ll send you the password.

Once you’re in the library, navigate to the social media section and look for “Instagram Caption Prompts.”

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Compelling Instagram captions are an important part in increasing engagement. When you have high engagement your visibility improves, which is key for getting discovered. However, coming up with great captions day after day can be tricky.

These prompts will help!

1. But first…
2. I left the house for this
3. I can’t work without ____________
4. My morning ritual
5. Namast’ay in bed
6. Current status
7. This book changed my life
8. My day ends like this
9. Spotted on my walk
10. Win for the week
11. Inspiration for today
12. Guess where I am
13. Left or right?
14. Mistakes are proof that you tried
15. Question of the day
16. *insert witty Instagram caption here*
17. Can you tag an account I need to follow? I’m looking for _________
18. Quote of the day (motivation, inspiration, poem, book, song lyric)
19. Describe your current status using only emojis
20. Typical me
21. Me doing me
22. I woke up like this
23. When dream becomes reality
24. Awkward…
25. The journey is always the best part
26. Mirror: you look amazing today. Camera: nope, you don’t
27. I got 99 problems but _________ ain’t one
28. Be right back
29. Just gonna cross this off the bucket list…
30. Just like my eyeliner, I always wing it
31. Yes, another food pic

A few writing tips to keep in mind

Finding a caption “style” and sticking with it will not only help you come up with content but it contributes to your branding. Maintaining a consistent style also helps your followers know what to expect and keeps them interested.

It’s more important to be yourself than it is to nail your caption. Don’t forget the likes and comments come from real people and focus on them more than the stats. Be yourself and people will be drawn to you.

Don’t stress out about captions—stay authentic. If you feel like your captions are forced your followers will too. Keep having fun and being social in mind as you put your captions together. The more you do the easier it gets. And many times short and fun captions do much better than lengthy ones. So if you are stuck for ideas keep it simple and to the point.

(Easier said than done, I know)

Writing captions is easier when you think of them as a story. And planning your captions gets even easier when you think of your entire Instagram grid as one long story—a serial if you will. Think about how your posts can build upon each other to tell a larger brand story and there will be less pressure for each individual caption.

If you tend to write longer captions consider breaking up the text with emojis. They can enhance your words and encourage your followers to keep reading.

One more thing. You may be interested in my free resource library. This is where I keep my files, downloads, ebooks, worksheets and whatever else I manage to create. I love sharing what I learn and want to keep adding to this library so it becomes a wealth of helpful goodness.

This is a free resource but I do require a password to access the library itself. You can get access by popping your email address into the form below.