Write Instagram headlines that will hook your reader in and give them a reason to tap “more” and get you a ton of engagement.
Whilst Instagram is predominately a visual platform, your captions allow you to engage with your audience, tell a story and build a sense of community around your brand.
When you share your post, you need to make sure that you write Instagram headlines (the first line of your caption) that makes your followers want to click on the “see more” button to read the rest of your caption.
Here are some of my top tips to make sure you stop your audience from scrolling, get them interested and drive them to your CTA (call to action).

Ask a question
Questions headlines are a great way to engage with your audience because they strike the perfect balance of information and intrigue.
To do this, you want to phrase your question so that it leaves the reader wanting more.
For example:
- Struggling to create that flow on Instagram?
- Have you tried biohacking yet?
How to
How-to headlines work well because they are intriguing and valuable. If your audience is looking for information, more often than not, they are trying to see if they can do it themselves.
By proving valuable content, you’re not only providing helpful instruction or guidance for a particular task but also establishes you as an expert.
- How to…
- The ultimate guide to…
- The only steps you’ll need to start
What your audience will gain
Usually, spoilers suck – but not for Instagram headlines. We live in a world where time is a valuable commodity. By making it clear what your audience might gain by reading your caption, you’re more liking to keep their attention.
Let’s say you’re sharing tips on how to lose weight. If you’ve had results from a client or from doing this yourself, you could include those in the headline.
For example:
- How to lose weight
- How I lost half a stone in 30 days by cutting out one thing from my diet.
The last example tells you precisely what result you can hope to achieve by following these tips. It’s much more exciting and intriguing because you can visualise achieving something new.

List Post
Lists work really well because your audience can skim through really quickly to get the information they need.
You can offer a list of steps, things, tips, products, reasons to do something, and more.
For example:
- 5 Ways to use your phone to meet your 2021 goals
- 7 Ways to start podcasting to grow your business
Avoiding Mistakes
Nobody likes to make mistakes. It’s embarrassing, awkward, and uncomfortable. Using ‘mistakes’ headlines to grab your audience’s attention.
Examples of mistake headlines include:
- Things no one told me when…
- What I wish I knew when…
- Mistakes I made when…
- What not to do when…
Handle an Objection
Handling an objection is a great way to grab the attention of a reader who would have otherwise scrolled by.
Objections are things that your audience say to themselves when they are reading your content. i.e. I’m not experienced enough to do that, it’s too expensive, I don’t have the time.
By tackling an objection, you’re encouraging your reader that they too can make the most of the information you have to offer.
Some examples might be:
- Set up your own podcast (for free!)
- How to create your own website (no coding skills needed)

To write an Instagram headline that will really stand out, try to mix different types of headlines. Here are a couple of formulas you could try:
- (How To) + (Handle Objection): “The ultimate guide to creating content (even if you’re a total beginner)”
- (Ask a Question) + (Avoid Mistakes): “Do you run a beauty business? Don’t make these 5 mistakes”.
- (List) + (What They’ll Gain): “3 ways you can get 1000 followers in just 30 days”.
- (How to) + (What They’ll Gain): “How to make a reel & increase your engagement by 200%.”
- (Ask a Question) + (List) + (Handle Objection): “Have you watched our latest YouTube video? Learn 5 Ways You Can Become a Better Content Creator (without professional camera)”