How To Write Unique Instagram Captions For Your Growing Brand

You can try to rack your brains to create unique Instagram captions. But has any marketer or business owner ever been in this dilemma?

No matter how you try to pour all your creative juices into your Instagram captions, you always bump into a competitor’s post and captions with more likes, more shares, and more engagement. It begs the question: What are you doing wrong? 

Why is there only a fraction of the billion Instagram users enthralled by your brand’s Instagram captions? Don’t fret.

We know how thinking of the most click-worthy and unique Instagram captions is a challenge. That’s why businesses pay hefty fees for social media managers and content writers. 

But don’t start dwindling with your marketing budget just yet. Why don’t you try these tips on how to create unique Instagram captions that’ll stop scrollers dead on their — mobile screens. And we’ll also throw in some of the most engaging Instagram captions from top brands worldwide. 

Tips to Create Unique Instagram Captions 

1. Hook scrollers with a captivating first line

One way to make Instagram users stop and click is when the caption’s first line interests them. Make the first line count! 

Some foolproof ways to halt users in their browsing is by asking questions, using eye-catching emojis, announcing giveaways, or just writing something interesting. 

While you’re at it, make sure the most important message is in the first few lines as Instagram cuts the first four lines of your captions. So regardless if you’re maximizing 2,200 characters, which is the allowable limit, users will see the essential information at the beginning. 

Here’s HubSpot’s Instagram post with an intriguing first line, “Letting potential customers go isn’t easy…” The post is followed by an image that says, “It’s OK to say NO.”

In the world of enterprise, we’ve always been following the cliche guideline of, “Customers are always right.” HubSpot did an excellent job to go against the grain without sounding offensive. If anything, this might even gain them accolades from businesses. 

Another example is Coulourpop Cosmetics‘ simple question that can actually raise eyebrows (pun intended). The image has a picture of four different brow shapes which every girl dreams of having. Then there’s the question that piques interest, “Which brow are you?” 

It’s smart, it’s engaging, and it’s enough to trigger the brand’s target market. 

2. Incorporate fun and storytelling

Instagram is a platform riddled with fun. That said, businesses should always focus on a lighthearted tone. Of course, if your industry requires you to be prim and proper for credibility purposes, do so. 

However, veer from captions that are too mundane, dull, or monotonous. For example, when you’re promoting your product or service online, try NOT to do what others are conventionally doing.

Instead of promoting the typical way, incorporate a little bit of storytelling into it. Take this example from Victoria’s Secret. The brand could have played it safe by saying, “Grab our gorgeous lingerie” or “Our gorgeous lingerie in stores now.” But these types of captions don’t give your brand an edge. 

Here, Victoria’s Secret featured the model Carmella Rose, out and about. They accompanied it with a caption that says, “Carmella Rose got the memo: gorgeous lingerie is meant to be seen.”

This caption isn’t only creative, but it also promotes how versatile their lingerie is because people can wear it in public!

3. Always include a call to action

Whether you’re raising awareness, invoking interest, garnering leads, or looking for paying customers, call-to-action words and phrases will help achieve any of these goals. 

As a brand, you want to make sure that your marketing efforts aren’t futile. When you’re spending that amount of money, see to it that your efforts are giving you tangible results.

One way to make your audience take action is through effective call-to-action words and phrases.

And here’s one for the makeup lovers that should be enough to urge them to highlight, carve, or contour. Mac Cosmetics knows what it takes to make fashionistas doll themselves up for Fashion Week, on or off the runway. 

Or you can also encourage your followers to engage with the business’s processes just like what Starbucks did in one of their unique Instagram captions. They’ve specifically asked their followers to know more about the women making their delicious coffee by asking the staff questions. 

Overall, this is a brilliant way to spark conversations and engage with your followers while maintaining brand transparency.

Lastly, Milk Makeup’s post is one of the unique Instagram captions we’ve seen in their niche. First, they hook users with a sense of mystery by saying, “We’re up to something.”

Then after they grab users’ attention, they urge them to zoom and comment what they see on the image. If that doesn’t make you stop and zoom, we don’t know what will!

4. Create unique contest giveaways 

We know how user-generated contests can create marketing mileage that can dominate other forms of marketing mediums. But with the rise of digital marketing, you’ll likely see the same old contests from various brands.

Try to break the mold and think of unique Instagram contests. Instead of asking followers to like and tag friends before choosing a winner, try another giveaway that’s more challenging. After all, it is, indeed, a contest. 

This Canada-based ice hockey team had a “CAPTION CONTEST.” The caption is coupled with a funny yet controversial picture involving the two opponents and the referee in the middle. And guess what?

The winner who creates the best caption wins! If you sift through the comments, you’ll notice how hilarious people can be! 

5. Brand tips and hacks

Giving your followers some tips and hacks in using your products or services provides value. And in the world of unique Instagram posts, that’s really what your audience needs. 

This particular example is from the fast-food tycoon, McDonald’s. The company has a way of integrating fun in their captions. 

In this clip, they show how you can combine some fries and the Filet-O-Fish burger. The most captivating phrase in the caption is how they started it with the words, “PRO TIP.” 

Anyone who eats, sleeps, and breathes McDonald’s will surely nip down to the nearest chain and try this brilliant idea!