Blog

Anatomy of a Perfect Caption

What’s a Rich Text element?

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Static and dynamic content editing

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

How to customize formatting for each rich text

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

Social media isn’t rocket science, sure. But maybe it’s more attune to biology? I don’t know, I wasn’t great at science. Let’s take some time to dissect some examples of extremely good Instagram copywriting. Don’t worry, there will be no gore here.

Obviously, it’s ⚫️ ⚪️ ⚪️ ⚫️ (Just Saying)

An emoji says a 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ words – seriously. What makes Oreos’ copy so good is the clear lack of text. For too long emojis have been used as secondary accessories to basic word-based copy. Fine, this works – but it’s a tad boring now.

When writing copy you should always try to work out how you can push emojis to the edge and do something fun or innovative. Oreo has done this incredibly successfully by returning to emojis as a simple and pictorial form. They obviously haven’t completely reinvented the wheel and this certainly isn’t anything new, these types of symbols have been used throughout the entirety of history – think hieroglyphics, but Oreo? But, what it does show is that next time you use emojis within your copy, have a bit more of a play and see what images and stories you can make with them. They are useful tools.

This clever use of emojis is also incredibly successful because the caption becomes a clear extension of the asset. It mirrors the simple and visual form and invites a conversation cleverly and succinctly (without needing to appear beggy). If you scroll down the comments on this post, users are playing around with emojis in response (it’s fun!) – from football emojis to zebra emojis. Oreo have used the copy to cultivate an interactive space within the post, an emoji playground, and the audience has responded incredibly well.

Human/Brand Hybrid

What makes this Karma Drinks copy so great is its simple and clear mix of being distinctly human, but also very clearly a successful brand.

It starts with engaging human content – with a witty line and then an (unpopular?) opinion. It invites human reaction and human discussion – echoing exactly what could potentially be on a personal account. In a social media landscape where authenticity is craved by so many – the first half of the copy does a great job at cultivating very human interaction.

The second half of the caption has a clear and blunt call to action (with an added emoji to visually direct the viewer 👆). People following these accounts are under no illusions that you are a brand – so don’t insult their intelligence. There is often no need to beat around the bush. What this Karma Drinks caption does so well is they clearly put their human hat on first, and then their brand hat. In the everlasting hunt for online authenticity – this copy stands out but is still very effective.

Within this copy, there are two calls to action, though. There is the very obvious one (👆) – but, also, the more human first half is subtly inviting conversation and comments about all things seasonal. What makes great captions is not only words that sound nice together, or feel witty; but, a great copywriter should always be ‘one step ahead’ – thinking about each word’s purpose and what it might lead the reader to do. Be very subtly provocative (obviously, dont create a PR disaster).

It’s also a great example of how copy can add much-needed context to a seemingly simple image. By using the ‘hot topic’ of the incredibly popular PSL, the asset is dragged from being a pretty photo into a relevant and engaging piece. The adding of context is a prime affordance of copy – so utilise it!

Break that Fourth Wall!

If you have ever had the pleasure of scrolling down Innocents Instagram – you will see a feed crammed with humility, sarcasm and self-deprecation (sounds like my Thursday). With a move to a more ‘authentic’ social media – Innocent have captured the Gen Z-led tones and aesthetics that are extremely popular right now. The breaking of the fourth wall is also quite a trendy thing to do – being comical and open about the constant hunt (burden) for content or the daily struggles of a social media manager is a great and humorous way to engage your audience. Breaking the fourth wall shows real humans run Innocents Instagram (instead of cold corporate overlords).

If anything though, this shows how important copy is in elevating an asset. Without context this could have been a huge flop – but the use of a simple and funny script format heavily improves the asset. Always use copy to work with an asset and add context. The script format is a simple but effective way to ensure the copy is filled with narrative – and, not to sound like an English GCSE teacher, has a solid beginning, middle and end structure.

We can’t lie though, we’d love to work with a client with a budget for fire breathers – let us know.

TLDR:

1. Be more creative with emojis!

2. Get that Human/Brand hybrid just right.

3. Always use copy to add context.

4. Ironic humour is hot right now. Don’t be scared, roast yourself.

If you'd like to know how Spin can help you, hit the button below to arrange a chat or set us a brief.
Get in touch
Other articles
Blog
TikTok x Ticketmaster: Buying concert tickets through your FYP

What do Demi Lovato, the WWE, and Usher all have in common? Well, they’re just three of the artists and entertainment companies who are now benefiting from TikTok’s latest partnership with Ticketmaster. The new feature will allow users to purchase tickets for events directly through the TikTok app, meaning that you can go from scrolling through your FYP, to dancing along to Usher’s “Yeah!” in just a few taps.

Eligible creators will be able to search for relevant Ticketmaster events through the “add link” function before posting a video. They will then have the option to “add to video” which will display the Ticketmaster link to the event towards the bottom of the video once posted. Users will then be able to click on the link and, in a similar fashion to the Tiktok shop, will be taken to the Ticketmaster website in-app to continue browsing.

Blog
Spin Welcomes Fujifilm & Instax to the Roster

Japanese multinational conglomerate Fujifilm has appointed Spin to carry out an ongoing strategic social media service to continue to drive and develop their growth to new audiences.

A brand that is world-renowned for their work in the realms of photography, optics and wider electronics. Headquartered in Japan and first established in 1934, Spin couldn’t be happier to partner with the brand and support their innovation across social with the intrinsic synergy from their image-focused products to the constant evolution of the platforms we use to share this very outcome.

Explore more from Fujifilm & Instax here:

– https://global.fujifilm.com/en/

– https://instax.com/

Spin is an award winning pure-play social media agency that combines the sharpest creative minds with the smartest performance specialists. For more information or to enquire about scaling your brand through social please email hello@spinbrands.com

Blog
Instagram in The Age of Video

Things are changing… again (and again, and again).

Instagram has, rather ironically, faced widespread backlash from a static asset created by photographer @illumitati and shared by thousands, including the queen of lip kits (and chickens) Kylie Jenner. We all know the famous phrase ‘a picture can say 1000 words, but here we are seeing the defiant power of a picture when put in the hands of everyday users

Here’s a quick Spin-centric rundown of why this happened, what happened next and what this means for brands.

Why Now?

It’s simple really:

When we think of TikTok we think of short video clips.

When we think of YouTube we think of lengthy videos.

When we think of Twitter we think of sassy snippets.

When we think of Facebook we think of our mums.

And, when we think of Instagram we think of a feed of static images.

Not so fast! Early this year, Instagram began testing a brand new version of its app’s home feed that featured full-screen photographs and videos, similar to TikTok, and the response was very very loud. Users said the feed was cluttered, ugly and pushing for the primacy of video far too hard. This was no accident; this feed re-jig came hand in hand with other recent changes which include an increasingly algorithmic main feed, a push for TikTok-style “reels” videos, and the increasing presence of a remix function.

These changes have led to everyday users struggling to interact with their friends and family’s posts which get sucked down the bottom of the algorithm in favour of ads and (poorly) recommended posts, hand-curated by the algorithm.

Soon, the post by @illumitati began to spread like wildfire, with a whole app seemingly uniting behind a shared hatred for the new update. The post, overall, gained 2.2 million likes and 43k comments. And, eventually, the spreading of this post led to collective action – with a petition being signed over 300k times.

What may seem like a funny or playful post, could be disastrous for Instagram. Let’s not forget that when Kylie Jenner last talked smack about a social media app, the tweet reduced its market price by $1.3 BILLION (🪦 RIP Snapchat).

What’s Going on Now?

Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s CEO (aka the cause of many SMMs’ stress and anxiety), quickly responded to the widespread criticism with a video (lol) carefully doubling down on the controversial changes. He told his audience that Instagram would “continue to promote photographs,” but made sure to reiterate that: “over time, more and more of Instagram will become video.”

The reaction to this? Similar to this brilliant slack from a client:

What does this mean for brands?

It may seem like a lose-lose scenario, but fear not, here are some quick tips on how to ride this wave for social success:

Push for authenticity 🔥

Audiences are sick of their feeds appearing manufactured, ad-centric and controlled by the algorithm. Now, more than ever, producing authentic and engaging content is key. Show a little humanness with friendly faces or relatability. Gone are the days of a polished Instagram (whether that be in video or static format), so act like the best friend and not like the big brand.

Use (real) reel content 📹

Look, video isn’t going anywhere. So, it’s a perfect time to experiment with reel content and see what sticks. The likelihood is your reach will Skyrocket. Again, just keep it as authentic as possible.

Keep in mind what people want 🪧

Maybe it’s wouldn’t be a bad idea to play around with statics and see if you can hit the sweet spot of engagement: people are hungry for the return of pictures. Yes, your reach might drop, due to the ever-changing algorithm, but your audience will appreciate a feed made up of a variety of content. Don’t be a one-trick pony: have a content plan based on statics, Carousels, Reels AND Stories.

Virality is still a thing 🦠

It’s kind of crude, but the mass spreading of this post shows us that ‘things’ can still go viral. Don’t give up hope! Here is our go-to guide for all things viral.

Play it by ear 👂

Things are changing every day. New trends rise, and old social media sites fall. Algorithms change, but sometimes the users do not. A great social media presence requires A LOT of social listening, reading and knowledge. Keep up to date on everything social.

Or, what if we told you that there is a dream team of social media experts waiting to help you out with this confusing digital landscape? Experts in the algorithm AND the everyday user. We are here to help. Spin is an award-winning pure-play social media agency that combines the sharpest creative minds with the smartest performance specialists.

For more information or to enquire about scaling your brand through social please email hello@spinbrands.com

See all