5 Ways To Use Longer Captions on Instagram

Instagram is among the most discussed social networks of the past years, with the rise of visual content turning it into the new unknown land that all brands want to conquer.

Also Read: Instagram Ads Are Now Clickable!

Whether you just joined Instagram, or use it for a long time, you might have observed that some users don’t express themselves simply through images, but also add a significant number of words in captions. In fact, only a few users know you can add up to 2000 characters in your Instagram captions!

Did you know: you can add up to 2000 characters on your #Instagram captions.

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It has been observed that longer captions are more appealing to the user’s eye, since they help to provide context to the photo.

In case you’ve been wondering whether long captions work on Instagram, feel free to have a look on Instagram‘s own account. Most of their photos are accompanied by a long caption, which means that this is the justifiable proof you need to start writing longer captions on your Instagram posts! If Instagram writes long captions, then it’s time to try it out! Right?

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPlisten What does a sound look like? The goal this weekend is to capture creative videos or photos showing a visual interpretation of a sound. Some tips to get you started: You can find sound almost everywhere. It can come from things close to us, like teapots or people laughing, but also from objects in our recent past, like phone dials, typewriters or tape recorders. When people see your photo, you want them to immediately hear a sound in their minds. Let a unique noise around you draw your attention, then frame your shot to show the action and best convey the sound. For video, avoid music in favor of the ambient sounds in everyday life. From the roar of a train leaving the station to the strike of a match, seek to capture footage where sound and motion come together to bring a moment to life. PROJECT RULES: Please add the #WHPlisten hashtag only to photos and videos taken this weekend and only submit your own photographs and videos to the project. If you include music in your video submissions, please only use music to which you own the rights. Any tagged image or video taken this weekend is eligible to be featured Monday morning. For more examples and inspiration, check out blog.instagram.com. Featured photo by @rthm8

A post shared by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 27, 2015 at 11:43am PDT

Why should I use longer captions then?

1. Storytelling

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but how about adding more words on your Instagram captions to tell a great story? Many brands embrace the power of storytelling to spread their message, with a caption helping them to add the details of a story. Instagram for example gathers photos from their community and shares their story along with their photo.

Long captions help adding context to your photos on #Instagram.

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2. Promoting

Instagram is not mainly about direct marketing, but this doesn’t mean that you cannot use it to promote your products. In fact, a longer caption appeals to your followers’ eyes and increases your chances to boost your sales (or at least to increase the reach of your product).

Longer captions appeal to your follower’s eyes and helps catch their attention. #Instagram

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3. Raising Awareness

The rising audience of Instagram turns it into the right medium to spread a word about a great cause. Even if you share a story again, there’s always space to educate your audience and go beyond your product.

For example, National Geographic manages to combine impressive images with stories from their photographers, with several of them being used as a way to raise awareness on important environmental issues.

@natgeo: The departing view from the helicopter of the Lance, my home for the last four weeks, drifting among Arctic Ocean sea ice at 83 degrees north. I arrived back on land to news that the maximum extent of this year’s winter sea ice cover is likely the lowest winter extent since satellite recording began. The same winter sea ice I’d been photographing for a fourthcoming @natgeo story. As photographers we want the stories we tell to be relevant, I have mixed feelings because I’m recording something in decline, threatening the balance of a relatively stable climate. Tomorrow I’ll go back onboard and resume work with the scientists who tirelessly produce the data behind those headlines. @nickcobbing with@oceanseaicenpi

4. Hosting A Contest

Instagram contests have been popular lately, with brands leveraging the power of user-generated content. A long caption allows you to provide all the details of the contest, even to help your audience with describing the theme you’re looking for. Be creative, use the right formatting for all the details and turn your contest into success!

5. Engaging

Longer captions allow you to introduce your brand and your culture to your followers, creating a unique relationship with them by sharing your mutual passion. Engagement gets easier when you are able to express yourself (your brand) in a more detailed (and always interesting) way. In the visual era, words are still powerful!

Don’t underestimate the power of words, even on #Instagram!

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When was the last time you used a longer caption on Instagram? What’s your most descriptive caption you’ve ever written?

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#captions #Instagram #long captions #national geographic