Social Media Mastery - What makes a good Social Media Caption? - Episode 18

Episode 18. I hope you are loving life!

As I am developing my knowledge in the world of social media (which is a never ending process!), I have realised how important a good caption is for a piece of content to perform well in the algorithms.

So that leads me to:

What makes a good Social Media Caption?

To be able to consistently create high performing content, you need to understand why a piece of content will perform better than another piece.

A big reason as to why one piece might perform better, is down to how the post is packaged. This includes the hook, payoff, SEO, the imagery, the hashtags, the structure of the content, and finally, the caption.

So these are some suggestions to ensure you always smash your captions:

1. Start a Debate

Frame your caption to divide opinion (without being toxic). Ask something controversial or subjective.

2. Call Out a Common Mistake

Point out what most people do wrong. Triggers ego and curiosity.

3. Ask for Predictions

Gets people involved mentally and emotionally.

4. Hot Take or Unpopular Opinion

State a strong opinion or insight with conviction.

5. Rankings & Tier Lists

Rank players, moments, tools, etc. Always triggers debate.

6. This or That / A vs B

Simple, binary choice drives quick comments.

7. Spot the Mistake / What Happens Next

Perfect for clips or carousel posts. Builds anticipation.

8. Relatability + Tag Prompt

Funny or painful truth, then ask them to tag someone.

9. Behind the Scenes / “Here’s How”

Humanises your brand/page while offering value.

10. Agree/Disagree Poll Caption

Let people vote in comments (great for engagement).

Summary:

You want to spark peoples intrigue. Get them commenting, voting or (and most importantly) get them to send your content to a friend. Social media platforms value this metric more than any other. Also, try and incentivise people to watch until the end of your content.

I would also try to ensure you can get a few main keywords in your caption to help for SEO. Do not over do it though!

Finally, hashtags are part of the caption. Choose them wisely and ensure you are using the correct amount per platform.

Make sure to subscribe, and remember - “Growth isn’t about doing more - it’s about doing what matters, more often.”

- Jacob

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