Use These CTAs on Your Next Instagram Post to Drive Engagement

Coming up with new content for your Instagram profile can sometimes feel daunting. You don’t want your content to seem too repetitive, even if it is just the call-to-action that you keep reusing. This article will help you avoid boring CTAs and keep your posts interesting and engaging. You’ll find plenty of CTA ideas as well as tips if you decide to craft your own call-to-action.

Call-to-Action Ideas

If you don’t feel like crafting a call-to-action from scratch, keep the following options in mind. This list is long enough that you can easily vary them up enough that your followers barely notice any repeats.

• Ask us anything

• Ask us in the comments

• Can you relate?

• Check out our highlight to learn more

• Comment with an emoji

• DM us for the link

• Don’t miss the sale!

• Double tap if you agree!

• Download our guide

• Follow us for more tips

• Get a free instant quote

• Guess which is a lie

• Have you done this?

• Have you tried this? Tell us!

• Head to a store to find out

• Introduce yourself in the comments

• Join us

• Learn more

• Like, tag, and follow to win

• Link in bio

• Read more in our blog

• Register now

• Save this for later

• Share if you agree

• Share so others can learn

• Sign up

• Sign up for our newsletter

• Sign up for a free trial

• Shop [Product]

• Subscribe

• Swipe to learn more

• Take a screenshot!

• Take the quiz

• Tap and hold to read

• Try for free

• Vote on your favorite in the comments

• What is one word to describe…

Looking at the example CTAs, you’ll notice that some of them only work in specific situations. For example, “Guess which is a lie” only works if your post or caption shares facts that include a hidden lie. Or “Swipe to learn more” only works on carousel posts.

As such, always think about the context of your post before choosing one of the CTAs.

Two Main Types of CTAs

When you read about calls-to-action online, you will see various ways to classify them. One of the most common methods is to separate them by whether they encourage engagement or are a bio link.

CTAs that encourage engagement are those that invite your followers to respond to your post. Maybe you are asking for an answer to a question, for them to vote in a poll in the comments, or for them to share a story.

As the name implies, a bio link CTA will usually direct people to a link in your bio. But you can also get creative with this category and direct users to a link in another way via the CTA.

Tips on Writing an Instagram CTA

You can directly copy one of the above CTAs for your Instagram posts, or you can easily adjust them to fit your brand and goals. Or you can get creative and write an entirely new CTA from scratch. No matter how you craft your call to action, keep the following tips in mind.

Don’t forget that you can also add an action button to your profile as a variation of a CTA.

• Use “You” and “Your”

  You want your followers to feel as if they are your friends, so keep your CTAs informal and as if you are talking to a friend. A simple way to do this is to include a word like “you” or “your” in the CTA. This will personalize it and reduce the risk of it seeming like a sales pitch.

• Be True to Your Brand

  Your CTA should match the overall tone of your brand. Keep it as formal or casual as your other content normally is.

• Include Action Words

  If you look at our example CTAs, you’ll notice that most of them include action words. You reduce decision fatigue when you use command words or verbs that are clear, instructive, and powerful.

  
  

  When choosing your action words, try to avoid “Click here.” Yes, it technically works, but it is incredibly overdone. As such, it can put off your followers, reducing their chances of following your CTA. It can even seem spammy.

• Be as Specific as You Can

  If you decide on one of the above CTA examples, we suggest adjusting it to make it more specific. For example, instead of saying “sign up” or even “sign up for our newsletter,” say “sign up for our monthly newsletter for the latest beauty trends.”

• Make It Clear and Concise

  Clarity and conciseness are important in various types of writing, including creating CTAs. Keep it as short as you can while being clear about what you mean.

• Create Urgency

  Limited-time offers always encourage action, and CTAs are no exception. You can create a sense of urgency and lean into the fear of missing out based on the words or phrases you include in your CTA. For example, “this week only,” “today,” or “now” all deliver a sense of urgency.

• Focus on the Benefits

  As you choose the starting point for your CTA, do your best to focus on the benefits for the person completing the action. This will encourage your audience to follow through. For example, instead of saying “Sign up for my beauty course,” you could say, “Learn the top beauty tips from our beauty experts.” While both will have the same goal, the one that focuses on the benefits delivers more interest.

• Offer Something

  In addition to focusing on the benefits, you can offer an incentive. For example, you can include a discount code or a free content download.

• Only Use One CTA per Post

  If you have a lot of things that you want to accomplish on Instagram, you may feel tempted to include multiple CTAs in a single post. Don’t do this. This will overwhelm your audience and reduce their chances of following through with any of your CTAs.

  
  

  Instead, plan your posts and captions, so you can post enough content to work in all the CTAs you will need.

Conclusion

To make the most of your Instagram content, include a CTA at the end of each post. The above list of CTAs can get you started. You can also create your own calls to action to give your posts a unique touch.