1. Lead With Emotion, Not Information

"I almost quit last year" gets more engagement than "Here are 5 business tips." Lead with a feeling — joy, surprise, fear, curiosity, or nostalgia. People engage with emotions first, information second.

2. Write the Way You Talk

Read your caption out loud. If it sounds like a press release, rewrite it. Use contractions, everyday vocabulary, and your natural voice. Authentic captions consistently outperform polished corporate copy.

3. Use the Open Loop

Never completely answer in the first line. "The one thing that doubled my engagement last month... (keep reading)" creates an irresistible pull to continue. Humans are hardwired to resolve open loops.

4. Make It Easy to Read

Use short paragraphs of 1-2 lines. Use line breaks between thoughts. Avoid walls of text. On mobile (where 80% of social media is consumed), dense text is instantly skipped.

5. Always End With a Question

Comments are the highest-value engagement signal for every platform algorithm. A question at the end dramatically increases comment rate: "Which one do you prefer — A or B?" "Have you ever experienced this?" "What would you add to this list?"

6. The 3-Second Rule

Your first 3 words must justify reading further. Avoid: "So today I wanted to..." "We are thrilled to announce..." "Just wanted to share..." Start with the most interesting part: the result, the conflict, the hook.

7. Use Numbers

"7 things I learned" outperforms "Things I learned." Numbers are specific, credible, and easy to scan. They also set expectations so readers know exactly what they're getting.

8. Match Your Caption to Your Image

The caption should add context, not describe the obvious. If you post a photo of food, don't write "Here's my lunch." Write where it's from, why it matters, a memory it triggers — anything that adds a layer the image can't convey alone.

9. Test Different Lengths

Not every post needs the same caption length. Test: one-word captions, single-sentence hooks, 3-paragraph stories. Track which length gets the most saves and comments for your account specifically. Every audience is different.

10. Write 3 Versions, Post the Best One

The first caption you write is rarely the best one. Professional copywriters write 3-5 versions and pick the strongest. CaptionBloom does this for you automatically — generating 3 different variants so you can pick the one that feels right, or refine further with one click.