A Legal Marketer’s Guide to Writing Compelling Instagram Captions

Since Instagram is so focused on visuals, legal marketers sometimes don’t pay as much attention to the captions – but that’s a mistake and a missed opportunity. Although Instagram is a visual medium, nailing your Instagram caption is just as critical as the photo (or video) itself. So what should you write and how do you get your audience to engage? You’ll find the answers to all your questions (and more) in our guide to writing compelling Instagram captions.

What makes a great Instagram caption?

Captions can be up to 2,200 characters, incorporate emojis, and include up to 30 hashtags. A great Instagram caption will add context, show off your law firm’s personality, entertain the audience, and/or compel followers to take action. 

However, that does not mean your captions should be hashtag-ridden essays. As with any piece of good social media writing, your Instagram captions should be succinct, easy to read and follow. They should also speak to the content and your target audience. Here’s how to write Instagram captions that boost your law firm’s engagement on the platform.

8 tips for crafting the perfect Instagram caption

1. Write a killer first line

Spark your followers’ curiosity right off the bat. Making the first part of your Instagram caption super-engaging and enticing is a great way to boost the amount of time people spend viewing your post.

2. Provide more context around the post

You really can’t go wrong with captions that just expand more on what’s happening in the image. Sometimes, posts are not self-explanatory and it makes sense to give more details. Try to convey a story about your law firm to explain whatever image you’re using (such as who is in it, where it’s being taken, why you like it, etc). 

3. Keep it short and sweet

Captions that are lengthy take too long to process. Remember that users are scrolling quickly and only take a few seconds to read any copy. Sometimes it’s not possible to be brief, but in most cases you can make your point succinctly. If you do need to write a bit more to make your point, use line breaks to make it easier to read and digest.

4. Use your firm’s typical tone

Hopefully, you take care to make sure all of your web copy and social media presence use a consistent brand voice. When you post to Instagram, your verbiage should help people to recognize that the post is from your company. 

5. Share educational and valuable content

As with almost anything related to building an online following, if you can be valuable, you will increase engagement. Try to share helpful information in your captions when possible. To draw in a bigger audience, try sharing tips, quotes, or short points from thought leadership such as white papers. 

6. Mix things up with hashtags, acronyms and emojis

but don’t go overboard. Hashtags are always important because they help your content get discovered, but too many can make your content look messy and difficult to read. Try keeping only enough hashtags to fill one single line. At the same time, emojis and acronyms can help break up text and look more relatable. These can help your post to resonate but only if used naturally and where they’re really applicable. 

7. Encourage engagement by asking questions

“Likes” are great but they aren’t true engagement. Your engagement rate will increase if you can compel people to comment on your posts or create a dialogue. To begin a conversation, try asking a question in your post. At the end of your post, encourage people to share their opinion, experiences, or personal stories. Make the call-to-action (CTA) an applicable question like “What is your favorite tool for tax time?”, or “What is your opinion on the recent ruling?”. 

8. Use relevant quotes

People like quotes. They tend to grab attention quickly while giving credibility to whatever you’re posting about. Use quotes that people relate to or will feel inspired by. A quick Google search will return plenty to choose from across almost any topic. 

Need some examples? There are a few post types that tend to be more popular, so it’s a good practice to have some ideas on hand. 

Instagram caption ideas for occasions

For events: 

Share details about the event like date and time, location, and purpose. If it’s public, let people know how to attend and include a CTA inviting them to join. 

• We will be in [location] for [event name] on [date]. We would love for you to come say hello!
• Join us for our webinar on [topic] on [date/time]. We know you have questions about [topic] and we are ready to answer! Link to register is in bio. 

For an announcement: 

Your goal here is to increase interest without giving away too many details. You want people to be excited about whatever it is you’re launching. If you’re working on something that’s just not quite ready yet, you can be vague such as “Something exciting is coming up – keep checking back here for more details!”

• You asked and we listened. Our clients wanted [their need] and we recently developed [solution]. Read the full press release [link]. 
• New features are being added to [something clients use]. Full announcement coming in just a few days!

For employee appreciation: 

People like to see firms that really care about their staff. Humanize your brand while also showing appreciation for your employees. You can highlight people any time, share stories about firm culture, or focus on a particular day or week for employee appreciation. 

• Here at [firm name] we value [characteristics]. A perfect example of those traits in action is [employee name]. Thank you [name] for being an invaluable part of our team!
• Yesterday we participated in [event] to raise funds for [cause], something we care deeply about. What a fulfilling day! Here are a few photos.

For celebrating a milestone: 

Firm milestones are another great reason to post on Instagram. Share big achievements, anniversaries, large case successes, etc. 

• We did it! Yesterday marks a historic day for our firm. [Provide details]. Here’s a picture of the team that made it happen. 
• Today our firm turns [age]. We would never have made it this far without you. Thank you for joining us on our journey. 

Takeaway

Sometimes, a quick line written off the cuff or a simple emoji does the trick on Instagram. However, spending a few extra minutes cultivating captions that really resonate with people will boost your engagement. Provide more personality around your firm’s social presence while you expand your audience by creating well-thought out captions.

Do you need help driving real business results through social media? Our social media offerings can be customized to your law firm’s needs and realities. In addition to social media management, we offer social media consulting and training for our clients. Contact us today for a free consultation.