Instagram is one of the biggest social media platforms right now, with the number of users continuing to increase. In 2018, there were one billion active monthly users on this platform, a 200 million user increase from the year before. This is why it’s so important for businesses to be using Instagram. Over 70% of companies in the U.S. have an Instagram profile. It’s crucial that you post photos weekly and use video content, but the best way to drive home sales is to start using actionable captions. Check out our tips on getting the online engagement you’ve been yearning!

Location, Location, Location

We’ve all heard this phrase used in the real estate industry, but it’s also applicable to social media. Letting your followers know where you are and what places you’re visiting can be a great opportunity for gaining more exposure, but there’s a specific way you need to do this. Don’t put your location in the caption—geo-tag it. This frees up space for more important information in your caption.

When you do use geo-tags, the tagged post could show up as one of the Top Posts on that location’s page. This exposes your post to people who aren’t already following you, giving you more online engagement.

Take Your Time

The last thing you want to do is spend quality time capturing a quality photo, editing it to perfection, and then rushing through a caption that you don’t think twice about. Spend the same amount of time writing a caption as you spend editing a photo, because it’s just as important. It’s a good idea to write several drafts to help you come up with the perfect one. This will also help you eliminate spelling errors and grammar mistakes.

Be Direct

While Instagram may allow 2200 characters for captions, they get cut off after one or two sentences with a “read more” link.

Like the example above, you want to say the most important information first before anything else. Many users are just mindlessly scrolling through Instagram and won’t take the time to read a long caption. In fact, short captions are much more effective than long ones, but if you have to use a longer caption, get them interested in the first couple of sentences. This will encourage them to read the rest and hopefully visit your profile for more!

Don’t make the mistake of speeding through your captions. Spend time and effort crafting your captions and choosing the best content for each photo. Let us know which strategy works best for you!