Expert Advice: How to write better social media captions

Social media, love it or hate it, it's pretty much a must these days if you want to grow your business and reach new clients. 

According to Facebook, three million businesses actively advertise on Facebook. That's three million companies from all over the world!

That's a lot of other businesses in your area, expertise and social platforms that you're competing with, so it's important that your page, and more importantly your content stands out!

If you find writing captions for your social media posts tricky or get in a muddle when you start to write, this article is for you!

Firstly, lets break down the components that every social media post needs:

The Hook

Hooks are one of the most important elements of copywriting. They are the first thing that readers see and can make or break a reader's decision to stop on your post. The best headlines create curiosity or provoke an emotional reaction.

Here's some example hooks you could use in your next social media post:

• 3 ways to improve the quality of your hair

• Listen up, if your nails just won't grow, this could be why

• Why you should be using hair masks on your hair

• Here are 5 ways to improve the quality of your skin

• Here's the easiest way to book with (salon name)

Any one of those hooks would stop you in your tracks and can be used both as an image or in your caption.

This is the main part of your text; the length of your caption doesn't matter too much as long as you're getting all the information into it. Try to keep your captions as jargon free as possible and try to write with your reader in mind. A well written caption can mean the difference between getting your message across or having it lost in the noise.

Remember to use line breaks, bullet points and emojis to make the caption easier and more exciting to read. 

The Call to Action

Every good social media caption should have a CTA (Call to Action), otherwise it's like you're telling a story! The call to action gives your reader an instruction, it tells them what to do after they have read your caption. 

It can be as simple as asking readers to like or share your post, or it can be more specific such as asking them to visit your website or sign up for a newsletter. 

Including a Call to Action in your social media posts will help you get more engagement and ensure that you are getting the most out of each post.

Here are five Call to Action ideas for your next post:

• Head to my booking link to book your next appointment.

• Want to find out more? Slide into my DMs! I'd love to chat to you about how I can help!

• Let me know your opinion with your favourite emoji below!

• If you found this useful, remember to tap save!

• Share this with someone else who might find this useful!

Don't forget to be natural and always keep your end reader in mind. If you're unsure if your post actually sounds like you, read it out loud or to someone else. You'll soon pick up on any bits that don't sound quite right or like your usual tone of voice. 

And finally, don't over think it! Some of my best captions are ones that I've just jotted down and hit publish on. You've got this!

Alicia Humphreys is Owner of Pink Fox Salon Socials, who help salons grow their social media presence and attract new customers, covering the management of Facebook and Instagram pages, social media strategies, social media audits and social media training for your staff.