Without Walls (Caption Writing 101)
Finding something engaging, with 'personality' and the right amount of quirkiness can easily throw you into a vortex of uncertainty. I can't tell you how many times I've actually skipped out on posting because I struggled with thinking of the right words to say and even resorted to using emojis and hashtags (eek!) as captions. Writing a caption is the death of most bloggers and that's why I'm here to help take the training wheels off your bikes.
Let's start from the basics:
Who, what, when, where, why, how
I.E: Who am I with?
What did I do before I took the picture? After?
When did this take place?
Why was I there?
How was this taken?
Now let's step it up a notch! Say your caption is "Taken at Float in Pasadena". Okay, that's great and all but your readers want more! This was taken in Pasadena, so now what? Did you have a strange encounter during your shoot? How was the coffee? The ambiance?
Always find a 'counter-argument' to your captions. Ask yourself the same questions again, or even put yourself in your readers' shoes and ask, "Why should I care?" It sounds harsh, but your user engagement is what you need, so be aggressive!
Pay attention to your surroundings! Pictures are just pictures but tell your audience how you felt. Appeal to their senses and make them a part of your experience as a whole. Visuals are a given, but what did it smell like? How did you feel that day? How did the clothes you were wearing make you feel? Pay attention to fine details that most would skip over. It lets your audience feel a sense of appreciation too!
People love the feeling of inclusivity and especially love living vicariously through others! Why do you think companies are looking at bloggers for advertisement? It's because bloggers can make connections as such with their readers. Ever think about your favorite vloggers/bloggers and feel so close to them?
Be personal, be honest and be real with your readers.
If you're a blogger, photographer, creative of any sort, mention what you have in the works, or because there's no glory in the process, talk about what you just posted, or who you met with! Reflect on your journey in your field and share your thoughts with your readers.
It's even okay to share your doubts, so long as you have a positive conclusion. Most of all, keep things short and concise! Our generation is lazy and want to do as little work possible. Tend to that.
Instagram may not have a word count limit, but that doesn't mean you should abuse its freedom either!
And if you're ever unsure, feel free to send your captions, thoughts, comments, etc. my way!
Photography by Justin Quebral