Video content without text is less popular on social media. Even a mediocre photo can “pull” an original text, and vice versa. You can not limit yourself to Russian-language content and make captions for photos in Instagram in English to attract subscribers from other countries.
How to add a caption to a photo
The caption field under a photo on Instagram allows up to 2200 characters, which is quite a lengthy text that fills an entire A4 sheet, but some bloggers find this amount insufficient. To caption a photo, some of the text that doesn’t fit is moved to the comments section. Conciseness is undoubtedly the sister of talent, but a text that is too short may not satisfy followers. It’s better to strike a balance: not to tire followers with lengthy reading, and to provide enough food for thought.
The easiest part of writing is the technical aspect:
- take or find and edit the photo you want to publish;
- touch the “Add a caption” field;
- type the text: it can be your own phrase or a quote from a book or movie;
- iPhone owners press “OK”, for Androids – “Share”.
The creative part is much more difficult – to come up with a truly beautiful and original text. It is especially challenging to do this in English, as it is much easier to make a mistake. For example, a girl wrote “Kick the bucket” under a photo from a basketball game. She thought she was writing “throwing the ball into the basket”, but in reality, it is an idiomatic English expression that means “to die”. She wanted to show off her knowledge of a foreign language, but something went wrong.
English statuses for photos
Beautiful phrases in Instagram photo descriptions are considered those that have deep meaning and a melodious sound. English is the most popular language for international communication. Nowadays, only the lazy do not learn it. Therefore, a caption in English indicates the author’s advanced level.
Here are some statuses that fit many life situations:
– Be a voice not an echo;
– Never look back;
– I shall not live in vain;
– You are your only limit;
– Follow your heart;
– Money often costs too much;
– Imagination rules the world.
They can be published with a translation, short and concise, they are understandable even to those who are not very strong in English. Therefore, they can easily do without repetition in Russian. It is better not to translate original or wise statuses in your native language literally into a foreign language.
Instead of deep thoughts, you can write a meaningless set of words or not very decent expression. The English are no less wise people and have their own concise expressions, phrases, and proverbs.
Beautiful phrases in English for a post caption
Who speaks and writes beautifully will always be in trend. It doesn’t matter if it’s Russian, English, or any other language.
Instagram users come for video content, but beautiful philosophical or simply wise captions make it more popular. Using such phrases in English can attract an English-speaking audience to your page.
There is a certain set of statements that often appear in the feed. Standing out with your post under a photo or video will help the use of books and movies not intended for a wide audience.
Not copying common expressions, but signing photos originally is a sign of erudition.
Here are a few examples of rarely seen phrases in English on Instagram:
- Recognition is the greatest motivator.
- As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.
- Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must.
- A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.
- Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
Meaningful quotes in English with translations for Instagram photos
The caption should be concise and meaningful. Avoid using too many adjectives and complex sentences. Sometimes readers forget the beginning of the sentence by the time they reach the end. Such “quotes with meaning” will only irritate subscribers. Verbose captions are more typical for girls, while boys tend to not caption their photos at all.
The coherence between the caption and the video material is also important. A picture from the beach with musings about autumn depression is surprising. It’s better to write about summer, relaxation, and carefree moments under a beach photo. Especially if writing in a foreign language – subscribers may not catch the message.
English seems to have been invented specifically for Instagram captions. It has such precise words that replace entire sentences in other languages. The reader pronounces the text mentally, so it’s important that the language used is melodious and pleasant to the inner ear. English is just that.
A fail-safe solution is to use aphorisms from those who are skilled with words: writers, poets, philosophers. Here are some quotes for Instagram in English with translations from famous people:
1. Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes. Oscar Wilde.
2. The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, the young know everything. Oscar Wilde.
3. Wit is well-bred insolence. Aristotle.
4. I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. Confucius.
5. It is with our passions, as it is with fire and water, they are good servants but bad masters. Aesop.
6. Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune. Jim Rohn.
The text accompanying the photo is no less important than the photo itself, so it should be approached consciously.
One cannot be careless with words, especially when writing a caption in English or another foreign language on Instagram. Those who write poorly or incoherently will never be taken seriously, and therefore their account will not be promoted.