Some of us are great writers, others not so much. Some of us may not be the best of writers, but are enthusiastic and willing to give it a go.
All of that's a given and great stuff if you're an avid writer, but what about writing for new platforms, formats and technologies?
A lot of us simply transfer the skills we learnt at school age and use them across every platform and format we discover.
When it comes to social media, this simply cannot be done - we live in 2016 and this is a world of selfies, hashtags and emojis, after all!
If you've recently adopted Instagram, you will know this to be so, so, so true, it's scary. Captions and hashtags are not an after thought but a major game changer when it comes to the success of your "Insta" uploads.
1. Don't rush - draft and edit
Instagram is a mobile platform meaning that you can't post pictures on your desktop computer, so there is more risk for mistakes and rushing your post.
Take your time and draft your caption in the 'Notes' section of your iPad or iPhone and then revisit it later, making sure you've considered caption length, emojis, tagged users and hashtags.
2. Run competitions
Increase engagement and brand exposure by running Instagram competitions that you can share cross-platform (Facebook, Twitter etc.), to get more attention across your brand.
Instagram competitions are typically run by asking followers to tweet an image with a hashtag. You include a fun competition image and put your T&Cs in the image caption.
The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa chain set up a fun hashtag #DevonshireDogs with which people had to upload an image of their pet pooches for a chance to win an Afternoon Tea for two (as well as some doggy treats).
- Click for more examples of #DevonshireDogs campaign.
- Click for more information about how Devonshire Arms ran their dog-themed Instagram competition.
3. Engage with other users
Ask a question, be humorous - let your personality shine. The key thing with creating Instagram posts is sharing pictures and captions that engage. It is also worth asking them to tag friends in the post.
4. Brand style and your company voice
Companies don't need to completely reinvent the wheel when it comes to presenting themselves on Instagram. Yes, social media should be friendly and a little light-hearted, but don't alienate yourself from your typical brand voice. Instagram usually calls for a more relaxed tone, but that doesn't mean you need to caption your posts as though you're chatting with friends. The British Heart Foundation does a great job with this post:
5. Use emojis
Emojis are IN! On Instagram and Twitter, emojis are pretty much key as we develop our language for social media in 2016. They're used to convey emotions, events and even your brand, if you can find an appropriate emoji to 'adopt' as your own.
You can play with how you best use emojis with your brand's voice and writing style, most use emojis as an after-thought, but they can be used cleverly to replace words in a sentence or start off your caption.
One of our local charities, Butterwick Hospice, often tweets with a 'blue heart' emoji signifiying their brand:
Buy a Butterwick Bloom to celebrate a special occasion or commemorate a loved one > https://t.co/utmU8hdvVE 💙 pic.twitter.com/bq6zN1Bro5
— Butterwick Hospice (@Butterwickhos) July 27, 2016
Hashtags: An explanation for Instagram users
Brands on Instagram use hashtags for a number of reasons - they help people find your photos by topic or location, or they're used to create and promote competitions.
Hashtags on Instagram can be used in the same way you do on Twitter, but remember that Instagram really is a visual space and when people are looking for specifics, other users will search using hashtags more than they do on other platforms.
