You want to know the #1 way to write better and stop the scroll, right?

Hey, you clicked on this!

That proves that what I’m about to suggest just worked — both for blogs or social media captions. 😊

My #1 tip for social media captions is …

Write a good headline. But how? That may sound easier said than done, but here’s the HOW and it doesn’t require being artistic with words or an expensive copywriting course. You just have to write a lot of headlines.

Just let yourself go. Don’t delete. Don’t edit. Let ideas build off each other. Full disclosure: for this post, I wrote about 30 opening lines. One started with “The first thing you have to do …” and then I came up with 5 variations. I didn’t choose any of them, but they helped me get to the one I DID use.

Aim to write 20-50 headlines. Seriously. If you don’t overthink or edit, it’s not that hard and doesn’t take that long.

I heard about one all-star copywriter who challenged himself to write 100 headlines a day. OK, maybe that’s a lot for your average post on social media. But what I’ve found is that when you get desperate — maybe that’s after 10 or 15 — you get creative. Just try it!

Here’s why it’s worth the time

Your headline and subject lines CANNOT be an afterthought. Lots of copywriters spend a huge portion of their time on this small piece because unless you start strong, people won’t read the rest. And you have a lot of competition to stand out against. Hundreds of millions of social media posts or blogs — and even more emails — get published every day. It’s so familiar to me as a former journalist.

Lately, I’ve been studying the intro sentences in social posts and email subject lines with all this in mind. And there’s such a wide range of what people do. Some are clearly more successful than others, and I’m sure it shows up in how effective their marketing efforts are for their business. (Or even personal pages.)

Some people nail getting the headline or hook right, and consistently – I pretty much always want to read more. I love following these people for inspiration.

Some people use a lot of empty words that don’t really say anything without the rest of the caption. But you have to realize a lot of people don’t open to “read more” if the first part isn’t captivating.

Some people put no caption at all or repeat their brand (that’s already always there). That’s a missed opportunity and a waste of your most valuable real estate. You’re here to connect to with people, right? Because you have something to share with them. So say it!

Want help with this?

If you know you’re good at this — and are happy with the return on the time you invest in social media — rock on! I probably love reading your stuff.

If you feel like you never know what to say in your posts, struggle to caption a photo, or just dread writing for social media, send me a message! I’d love to help your business grow.

Either way, do you agree? Let me know in the comments!