The video does the work; the caption tells people what to do with it. A caption that only repeats the video wastes the one line people read after watching. Here are captions that went out with our films, and why they work.
On this page
What a caption is for
A caption is the text posted under a video: the line people read after watching, when they’ve decided they like it and want to know more. It isn’t the place to describe the film again. Its job is to tell people what to do next, name the moment, or say where you are, in a line or two, in the voice of the business.
Three captions that did their job
- A wink. Shah’s Halal Food posted our whispered first-bite film with five words: “Shhhh my show is on.” It plays along with the whisper instead of explaining it.
- A thank-you. Adobo Mexican Grill posted our tip-screen skit with “Great job isn’t said enough… so here it is.” The caption turns a joke into a line for the team.
- A name for the meal. Adobo posted our film from the street to the first bite with “Where bold flavor meets every bite.”
Give it a job
- Ask for an answer. Our bowl film for Adobo ended on a dare: comment your favourite bowl. A caption can ask the same kind of question.
- Name the moment. A new item, an opening, a holiday, a busy night.
- Say where. The street, the neighbourhood, the hours, for people who want to come.
Example: one film, three captions
For example, a garage’s film of a mechanic reading a customer’s face when the estimate comes in:
| Caption | Its job |
|---|---|
| “What’s the worst sound your car has ever made?” | Asks a question people want to answer |
| “Winter tires week. Book before the first snow.” | Names the moment |
| “Advance Road, open till 6. Bring the noise, we’ll find it.” | Says where, in the shop’s voice |
| “Our mechanic reacting to an estimate.” | None: it repeats the video |
Put what matters first
Feeds show only the start of a caption until someone taps for more. Lead with the line that matters, and stop when it’s said.
The words people search for
People search inside the apps as well as on Google, and captions are part of what they search. Instagram says “Search results are matched by text”, and advises to “Use relevant keywords and hashtags in captions. To have your post found in Search, put these keywords and hashtags in the caption, not the comments” (Instagram for Creators). TikTok lists “captions, sounds, and hashtags” among the video information its recommendations use (TikTok Newsroom).
So name what a customer would type: the dish, the service, the neighbourhood. “Beef shawarma on Yonge” is found; “So good!!” isn’t.
Hashtags: few and relevant
Meta’s advice for Facebook: “Keep your captions and hashtags relevant to the content. We’ve found that captions with no links, minimal use of capital letters, and no more than five hashtags perform best” (Meta for Creators, 14 July 2025). Instagram lists “Long captions unrelated to the underlying content” among low-quality content it may not recommend (Instagram Recommendations Guidelines). A wall of hashtags with nothing to do with the film works against it.
Use your own voice
Write the way the business talks to a regular. If a line sounds like an advert, rewrite it as something you’d say across the counter. Capitals, exclamation marks and “Don’t miss out!” read as an advert, and Meta found minimal capitals perform best.
When a caption needs a disclosure
If someone posts about you because you gave them something, a free meal, a discount, payment, the post needs to say so. Ad Standards’ guidelines name a material connection, such as compensation, free products, discounts or gifts, and say a disclosure “should not be buried amongst hashtags” (Ad Standards, 8 October 2025). Your own account’s posts about your own business are a different case. “What is UGC?” covers working with creators.
On-screen text is a different job
Words on the video are for people watching with the sound off, and they have to land in a second. The caption is read after, by people who want more. “How to write a short video script” covers on-screen text.
One video, a caption for each platform
The video stays the same everywhere; the caption can change to suit each app. “One video on every platform?” covers the rest.
Common mistakes
- Describing the video people just watched.
- A paragraph when one line would do.
- Keywords in a comment instead of the caption, where Instagram’s search looks.
- Thirty hashtags, most of them unrelated.
- Advert voice: capitals, “limited time”, “don’t miss out”.
- A paid post with no disclosure, or one hidden in the hashtags.
A checklist
- The first line does a job: asks, names the moment, or says where.
- It includes the words a customer would search.
- Hashtags, if any, are few and about the film.
- It sounds like the business, not an advert.
- Any paid or gifted connection is disclosed plainly.
We write them with the videos
When we post for you, the caption comes with the video. For teams that film themselves, DIY includes 20 complete post scripts, with references, captions and storyboard, for $1,750 a month. See the plans.
Questions owners ask
How long should an Instagram Reel caption be?
Short. Put what matters in the first line, since feeds show only the start until someone taps for more.
What should a business write in a TikTok caption?
One line with a job: a question to answer, the name of the moment, or where to find you, with the words a customer would search.
How many hashtags should I use?
Few, and only relevant ones. Meta found that captions with no more than five hashtags perform best on Facebook, and Instagram lists long unrelated captions as low-quality content.
Should the caption repeat the video?
No. Give it a different job, and keep the on-screen text for people watching with the sound off.
How do I start?
Apply to work with us: a few quick questions about your business. We read every application, and if we can help, we write back to set up a free thirty-minute video call. Apply to work with us
Keep reading
- Making videosHow to write a short video script (template)
- Making videosHow to edit short videos for TikTok and Reels
- Making videosPost the same video on TikTok, Reels and Shorts?
- ChoosingWhat is UGC, and does a local business need it?
Sources
- Instagram for Creators, What creators need to know about Instagram recommendations, 30 August 2022, updated 25 April 2023, read
- Instagram Help Center, Recommendations Guidelines, read
- Meta for Creators, Combating unoriginal content to protect and elevate creators, 14 July 2025, read
- TikTok Newsroom, How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou, 18 June 2020, read
- Ad Standards, Influencer Marketing Disclosure Guidelines, 8 October 2025, read
Updates
- : Lengthened: what a caption is for, the words people search for and hashtags (Instagram’s creators’ page and Recommendations Guidelines, Meta’s 2025 originality post and TikTok’s recommendation post read), disclosure when a post is paid for (Ad Standards’ 2025 guidelines re-read), worked examples, common mistakes and a checklist.