Simplified Prompt for Instagram Captions

This prompt helps you create scroll-stopping Instagram captions that boost engagement and grow your following. Perfect for small business owners, influencers, and content creators who need captions that convert views into followers. Simplified will generate captions with hooks, hashtags, and calls-to-action that match your brand voice.

Works Best With: Simplified | Also works with: ChatGPT, Copy.ai, Jasper

The Prompt

Write Instagram captions for [TYPE OF POST – e.g., product photo, behind-the-scenes, educational carousel, etc.].

Brand context:
– Brand name: [YOUR BRAND]
– Industry: [WHAT YOU DO]
– Target audience: [WHO FOLLOWS YOU]
– Brand voice: [FUNNY, INSPIRATIONAL, EDUCATIONAL, MINIMALIST, etc.]
– Post visual: [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE/VIDEO]

Caption goal: [DRIVE ENGAGEMENT, PROMOTE PRODUCT, BUILD COMMUNITY, EDUCATE, etc.]

Create [NUMBER] caption options that include:
1. Hook (first line that stops scrolling)
2. Main message (what you want to communicate)
3. Value or story (why they should care)
4. Call-to-action (comment, save, share, click link, etc.)
5. Emoji usage (natural, not excessive)
6. Line breaks for readability
7. Relevant hashtags (15-20 mixed popularity)

Caption length: [SHORT (50-100 words), MEDIUM (100-150 words), LONG (200+ words)]

Make the first line punchy—people decide in 2 seconds.
End with a question or prompt that encourages comments.

When to Use This Prompt

• You’ve got great photos but struggle with what to write
• Your captions get low engagement and you want to improve
• You need to batch-create captions for the week ahead
• You want captions that drive action, not just likes

What You’ll Get

The AI will generate multiple caption options with attention-grabbing opening lines that stop mid-scroll, clear messaging aligned with your brand voice, value-driven content that gives followers a reason to engage, strategic CTAs that drive comments, saves, or link clicks, natural emoji placement that adds personality without overdoing it, proper formatting with line breaks for mobile reading, and curated hashtag sets mixing high-traffic and niche tags. Each caption is optimized for Instagram’s algorithm while staying authentic to your brand.

Why This Prompt Works

• Hook prioritization: The first line determines if people tap “more”—focusing here maximizes readership

• Multiple options: Getting 2-3 versions lets you pick the best fit or A/B test approaches

• Hashtag strategy: Mixing popular and niche hashtags balances discoverability with competition

• Engagement directive: Explicit CTA request ensures every caption drives specific action

How to Customize This Prompt

1. [TYPE OF POST] — Content format: “product flat lay,” “tutorial video,” “team photo”
2. [YOUR BRAND] — Business name for context
3. [WHAT YOU DO] — Industry: “sustainable fashion,” “fitness coaching,” “home decor”
4. [WHO FOLLOWS YOU] — Audience specifics: “millennial women,” “small business owners”
5. [BRAND VOICE] — Tone consistency: “snarky and relatable” vs “elegant and aspirational”
6. [POST VISUAL] — What’s in the image: “product on beach,” “before/after transformation”
7. [CAPTION GOAL] — Objective: engagement, sales, education, community
8. [NUMBER] — How many options: “3” gives variety, “5” for batch planning
9. [LENGTH] — Longer captions often get better engagement but test what works

Pro Tips

• Save high performers: Build a swipe file of captions that get great engagement and ask AI to match that style

• Seasonal relevance: Add “incorporate [holiday/season]” for timely content that feels current

• Carousel specificity: For multi-image posts, request “write caption that teases what’s in slides 2-5”

• Story continuation: Include “leave them wanting more to drive Stories views” for cross-platform strategy