In the age of the Instagram algorithm, it can feel like an uphill battle to construct a caption that will actually grab attention and get read by your audience. I get it. And even if you manage to draft up and bangin’ caption, it won’t matter if your hook (first sentence) sucks.

So, these caption ideas are your hook.

Tip: when you make your hook, think about curiosity. What is going to get someone to want to read more?

Lucky for you – if there is one think I never have a shortage of, it’s caption ideas for Instagram. Or truly, any content creation.

Thus, I am giving you FIVE free caption ideas. Take these and run with them however makes sense for you, your brand and your messaging.

1. “I don’t know who needs to hear this…”

This is a TRUTH post – don’t let them see the answer/main topic! Get their attention, make them read more. This could be serious, controversial, funny, relatable, encouraging. MAKE IT YOUR OWN.

Idk who needs to hear this but…

• You don’t need to be on tiktok (or any other specific platform)
• Don’t expect excellent results from mediocre efforts
• You can make it one more day with dry shampoo before washing
• Femininity (health/strength, whatever) is not defined by a look
• You don’t have to count macros to see results

2. “5 things you don’t need to ______”

Build muscle, lose fat, accomplish things, reach goals, get good sleep, be wealthy, love your body, on and on and on.

3. “3 most underrated ______.”

Ways to build muscle, aspects of programming, mindset shifts, bed time routines, supplements etc.

For two more “straight forward” examples:

4. “___ common mistakes when ____ and how to fix them”

Exercise tutorials or cueing. You could also start with “___ easy progression” for a post on how to properly and simply progress a given movement.

5. COMPARISON

“Comparison” is not a hook, rather a post topic that does well overall. People love a comparison. Comparison of:

• Exercise form (good or bad)
• What a 500 calorie meal looks like compared to another
• Mindset or emotional health (then and now, or body based vs performance based)
• Fixed vs growth mindset

The options are truly endless. You could use words side by side or photos. Whatever makes sense. Your creativity is the only limit here.

I recently added 50 caption prompts, 4 launch post examples, and more to Instagram 101.

From that, I think some of these could be winning for you.

If you’re having trouble getting people to comment and interact with your post, it’s likely because they’re not getting that far.

And that’s because your hook sucks.

Clickbait is REAL. And as long as it is applicable to whatever your caption is about, I’m game. It’s called curiosity marketing. Use it.

I challenge you to create that curiosity in your hook. Of course some captions will start with a very straightforward sentence or headline, and that is 500% just fine.

But give these five a try or use them as inspiration for some upcoming content. And let me know how they work for you. This stuff can be fun. Promise.

Get your audience to keep reading. THINK OF YOUR HOOK AS YOUR EMAIL/ SUBJECT LINE/ BLOG TITLE. Same-same.

“My tip for consistency” ain’t it.

“How to ACTUALLY get results” is better.

You follow?

“A story from my client” ain’t it

“I can’t make this up” is better

“Take it from Sheryl” works too.

“This could be your story” also fits.

The name of this blog was straight forward, but it could have also been:

“How to get people to ACTUALLY comment on your posts” and then gone on to explain that your hook is cock-blocking your audience from reading your captions and commenting. >> “The hook is the problem. Here’s five free ones just for you.”

You see the differences here?

Get in that creative marketing headspace. It’s all still applicable to the caption (where your value is), but it ACTUALLY gets people to read your captions.

If they read, there’s a better chance that they will see your call to action and comment on your post.

Will you use these? Comment below + let me know. Or, if you’re interested in all the goodness Instagram 101 has to offer, you can learn more about it here!

Join my mailing list for weekly blog and podcast updates. You may or may not get VIP discounts as well. Just saying. Join the fam!