"How to write engaging Facebook captions - these suggestions may surprise you"

How annoying are these captions?!

Don't worry, this email isn't going to teach you how to write cheap-shot clickbait. You're going to learn how to get engagement, likes, comments and clicks on your Facebook or Instagram posts with simple, easy to implement ideas. And the good news is, you don't have to be great with words to write an engaging Facebook/Instagram caption.

8 ways to get engagement from your Facebook or Instagram posts

1. Know what your clients' worries are and dispel them

You're a bride planning a wedding at a vineyard and you're worried about the outdoor ceremony being rained on. Which title would make you more likely to click?

"Jess and Alex got married at a gorgeous vineyard - check it out!!"

OR

"Having an outdoor vineyard wedding and worried about the rain? Jess and Alex were too - but even the drizzle didn't stop it from looking beautiful (and damn do I love a romantic rain shot)"

Think about your future couples' worries and address them - show them they have nothing to worry about and that you'll capture it all beautifully no matter what. They'll want to know exactly what a rainy wedding can look like - and you'll show yourself as an expert who can deal with even their biggest worry.

2 Tell a story

Tell a story from the wedding day/shoot - it could be funny, sad, romantic - anything as long as it evokes an emotional reaction and lets the reader imagine what the scene of the story looked like - this will make them want to see the photos. How many times have you read a book then been desperate to see the film version to see if it matched your imagination? Don't generalise, give the reader something solid to picture in their mind.

So rather than:

"I did a day in the life shoot this weekend and it was so much fun, we had such a lovely time!"

Try

"I joined Rob and his family in Norfolk for a day in the life shoot this weekend - we picked juicy apples from the back garden, made an apple and blackberry crumble (cue lots of flour on the floor and tongues poking out with concentration), and the girls opened up a mini art gallery in the living room (I am now the proud owner of a piece of art that I nabbed for a cool 1p). In the afternoon we went to the beach, and it chucked down with rain - but that didn't stop the kids from eating ice cream in the drizzle, little legs dangling from the wooden bench, ice cream all over their faces."

Can you smell the apple crumble? Can you feel the chilly rain and smell the sea air? Does it make you want to see the photos? Ok here's one for you!

3. Ask a question

If you want engagement, ask them something - people love talking about themselves and things they feel passionately about.

It doesn't have to be photography related, as long as it fits your brand.

You could ask people to comment with their wedding theme, what entertainment they've got planned, or just what they're up to at the weekend (your chance to mention what shoot you have on) or what they recommend on Netflix (your chance to mention a show you've just finished, staying on brand and getting people to see you as a real person as well as relate to you if they love the same show).

4. Post something controversial

One of my most popular Facebook Business Page posts was one where I bitched about how one of the biggest wedding blogs turned down my application to advertise, on style grounds. I spun it as a positive that my style wasn't 'details and pastels' anyway (very true!). Then I described my style, so I could appeal to couples who wanted that.

I got SO much engagement from that one post - clients saying "hell yeah" and also other photographers saying "that happened to me too!"

5. Post a selfie

Post a photo of yourself and introduce yourself and ask your followers to tell you something about them too.

Use this if you're stuck:

Hello! I'm always posting photos of other people, but I realised I haven't even introduced myself properly! I'm XX and I live in XX with XX. I love XX, XX and XX and when I'm not shooting XX you can find me XX. I spend most evenings doing XX and watching XX. My clients say I'm XX, XX and XX, and my favourite thing about shooting XX is XX. I'd love to get to know you too - where do you live, what are your fave things in the world?

6. Be real

Get personal. It doesn't have to make the reader laugh hysterically or end up in tears, just help them get to know you as a person. Tell a story about yourself, talk about something you love, or use a cartoon like I did!

7. Show behind the scenes

Everyone loves a glimpse behind the scenes. If you can include animals, all the better 😉 Show where you work, what your office looks like, what you're working on at the moment.

8. Use testimonials

Using a quote from your couples is a great way to say wonderful things about yourself without you having to say them yourself. Link to their blog post or upload images from their wedding. Tag the couple and they'll often respond by backing up what you've posted.

Extra advice:

Try to post to your Facebook or Instagram every day (I'm the worst for taking my own advice!). However, just like with blogging, consistency is key - whether it's every day or every week.

If possible, keep content within Facebook - upload images or a video rather than linking to a post or to YouTube.

Include a photo, graphic, video or link.

Tag other pages - wedding suppliers for example - as well as your client.

Use Canva to design pretty graphics for testimonials etc (I made the graphic below using Canva in about 2 minutes).

Today! Write 8 posts, one on each topic mentioned above, and schedule them for one every day, or one a week.

Enjoy meeting your Facebook and Instagram fans!