Slooooooow your scroooooooll.
Don’t you wish you could put that at the beginning of every Instagram caption to make your followers stop, look, and listen? *If only it were that easy, right?*
Well, we may not have a one-line-does-it-all method, but we do have three ways to hook your audience and drive the momentum forward.
We recommend using the HIC formula when posting on Social Media:
Hook: Using the right words at the beginning of a caption to entice your audience to read more.
Insights: Serve your audience with what they need to hear, such as a helpful tutorial, the "why" behind what you do, or motivation to tackle the day.
Call to Action: Ask an engaging question, invite them to comment, send a direct message, like the post, etc. to build lasting relationships (and engagement!)
Now that you know what Hooks and CTAs are, you may notice that Social Curator captions follow this same formula. Here are a couple of examples:
As you know, Social Curator captions are completely customizable for your business or you can use them as inspiration to write your own. Remember: If you modify these captions, be sure to keep all 3 elements of this proven formula for the best results in fostering engagement and turning followers into customers!
Having a great photo isn’t enough to get meaningful engagement. It might entice someone to hit that like button but to get them to take the time to leave a comment, you have to put a little more effort into the post.
Here is a list of hooks and call-to-actions to get your wheels turning. Feel free to mix and match based on the insights of your caption! (Yes, you can copy/paste a hook or CTA from this list!)
LIST OF HOOKS: | LIST OF CTA’S: |
Calling all _____ [home buyers/dog lovers/coffee enthusiasts/etc.]! | How can I help you today? |
Can I share a secret with you? | What’s your favorite ____ [time of the day/flavor of ice cream/etc.]? |
You’ll never believe what I’m about to confess. Have you ever wondered how I ____ [setup for a vendor event/get ready for a photoshoot/meal prep for the week/etc.]? | Have questions? Fire away! |
True or false: ____ [There’s not enough time in the day/You can never have too many colorful pens in your desk/drawer/etc.] | Double tap if ____ [you can relate/you’re also an introvert/etc.]! |
Okay, I can’t believe I’m about to admit this: ____ [I’m a total homebody/I have the sweetest sweet tooth/etc.] | Tell me: ____ [should I splurge and buy a pair of AirPods/what are your weekend plans/etc.]? |
Can I ask you a juicy question? | DM me to learn more! |
This might get awkward: Can you blame me for ____ [loving salt and vinegar chips almost more than life itself/being a crazy cat lady/etc.]? | Drop an emoji below ____ [if you’re as excited about the new season of American Idol as I am/that represents your mood today/etc.]! |
Guess what I just ____ [realized after months of research/learned at X event/bought to save time in my business/etc.]? | Tag a friend who ____ [inspires you/is constantly making you laugh/etc.]! |
Is it just me, or ____ [is February the best month/do dogs always look like they’re smiling/etc.]? | Want to learn more? Check out the link in my bio! |
Let me save you time sharing what I learned about ____ [the Pomodoro Technique/using an app to schedule Instagram posts/etc.] | Send me some love in the comments if you agree! |
Ooooh, look at this ____[life/job/business] hack that I want to share with you. | Do you feel the same way? |
Rise and shine, ____ [dreamers/brides/mamas/etc.]! | I’m dying to know: am I the only person who ____ [thinks/feels/sees] it this way? |
Want to hear how ____ [my work week typically flows/I love to start my workday/etc.]? | In one word, describe how you’re feeling today. |
What are you waiting for? Do you need __________ [an engraved invitation/a rich investor/etc.]? | Using three emojis, describe what your weekend plans are! |
Do you remember ____ [something nostalgic for your ideal client]? | Can you help me decide? Should I do X or Y? |
Happy hooking and call-to-actioning! 🎣 Remember, a good copywriting hook at the beginning of your post gets followers to the call-to-action at the end.
👉 Wanna Dive Deeper?
Check out Captions that Convert and The Formula to Turn Followers into Customers in the shop to learn:
What to write, how to write, and when to write in a way that effectively converts readers into clients (with confidence)!
How to write CTA’s (Calls to Action) that don’t feel slimy and still covert!
How to tap into motivators that make it easy for people to invest in your business.