#tomorrow's will reveal an alternate caption to this

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[spaceshipkat]

part 4 of my ac0sf recap will cover chapters 61 - 80 (the end)

part 1 covering the intro - chapter 20 can be found here

part 2 covering chapters 21 - 40 can be found here

part 3 covering chapters 41 - 60 can be found here

chapter 61: one test remains, one Nesta gave herself, so she runs down the 10,000 steps. Nesta and Cassian are either fucking or “lovemaking” and they alternate bedrooms. she gets down to the bottom step and opens the door, but she feels herself drawn back into the house, not into the city. a Starfall party is gonna happen in the house that night. Cassian is waiting for her at the top of the stairs dressed in his “courtly finery” and they kiss. he tells her the party already started but is “nearing its peak”. Nesta watches the stars fall and cries from the beauty of it. Viviane is pregnant. Nesta laughs and Amren says it’s not a sound she ever expected to hear from her. Nesta falls to one knee, bows her head, and tells Amren she’s sorry and Amren is surprised. Nesta says more and finishes with “losing your friendship is a loss I can’t endure” and Amren smiles, and tells Nesta that Nesta made the house sing with happiness, and it turns out Nesta Made the house. here’s the caption and ending of the chapter. 

chapter 62: spring arrives. they’ve gone months without an attack from Briallyn, but Cassian warns that most armies don’t attack in winter. a “rare red star” (that we know is alien from k0a) shoots across the sky and riceman seems “unusually contemplative” in the aftermath. faerug is two months from giving birth. Cassian and Azriel continue to train Nesta and co as a unit, and she wonders if she’ll ever actually face combat. the Blood Rite is only a few days away. Eris sends a letter to Cassian and Nesta that they need to meet. they find him in a forest clearing in the Middle, though Nesta is distracted by the mountain aka the UtM mountain. Eris asks if she’s ever seen it and she says no. they talk about the three mountains (Ramiel, the UtM mountain, and the one that holds the Prison) and Eris says why no one ever wondered if there was something carved beneath Ramiel the way there is the other two mountains. no one knows who carved the palace/court that Amarantha lived in UtM, but it wasn’t Amarantha. Eris says this: 

“My father went to the continent again last week. He came back seeming normal, without the glassy-eyed aloofness my soldiers displayed. He did not invite me to accompany him, or explain what he discussed with Briallyn. I can only assume the fallout is approaching, though, and wanted to warn you. It was not something I could risk putting in writing. But for now…for now, it seems as if the world is holding its breath.”

chapter 62 continued: the world is evidently waiting for Nesta to find the Harp. Nesta blinks in surprise, realizes too late that they haven’t told Eris they have the Harp, but he sees that and guesses correctly. Cassian asks if it matters and Eris says yes bc the Night Court now possesses two items from the Trove. Eris asks if this is what the delays have all been about, the NC biding their time to learn the Trove’s secrets and use them for their own gain. Nesta asks what they possibly have to gain, and Eris counters with what did Hybern have to gain by getting the Cauldron. Cassian says they have no interest in conquest and they aren’t going to use the Trove, to which Eris laughs and says he’s not comfortable with the NC having 2/3 of the Trove and other Made items, to which Nesta stiffens but Cassian says that riceman has his own plans and Eris can’t possibly think that he’d tell Eris all of them but assures him they don’t involve using the Trove. Nesta gets horny over Cassian’s smooth courtier’s voice. Eris says he assumes they’re going after the Crown now and Cassian says they’ll tell him what he needs to know and try not to forget to do so this time. Eris carries the Made dagger on his belt and says that they’d be stupid to go after Briallyn directly. Eris asks what they’ll do when they have all three Trove items and points out they can’t destroy them and hiding them probably wouldn’t work. Cassian asks what he’s going to do to stop them. Eris says that if they fail to get the Crown, they risk Briallyn using it against them, that she could make them expose everything, and repeats that they should not go after the Crown. Cassian says we’ll see and implies the Made items can protect them against the Crown. they kind of undo everything they did at the ball but don’t seem concerned by it. Cassian and Nesta fly away and Nesta says he did well and Cassian says he pretended he was Nesta. they fly for hours and then land on a bridge over the Sidra and Cassian says he thought they would walk a while, holding hands. Nesta asks what Cassian thinks Eris will do, and he says sulk and then think of a new way to insult Cassian. she says that Cassian playing courtier gave her some ideas, and he says it did the same to him. he kisses her and she says people are looking and he says he doesn’t care, he wants them to know they share a bed. Nesta asks if it undermines her rep as a warrior to be seen with him, and he counters with does it do the same for faerug when she’s with riceman, and Nesta says it’s different for them bc they’re mates. Nesta seems to know what Cassian is gonna say and isn’t surprised when he implies they’re mates, and he says that she doesn’t want to be, and she says that the word doesn’t really hold any meaning with her. he asks why she’s frightened, and she says she isn’t, and he asked if being seen with him spooked her, and she doesn’t answer. here’s the excerpt. Emerie is at her kitchen table when Nesta arrives, Mor having winnowed Nesta there. Nesta makes it two steps into Emerie’s shop before she starts to cry, and Emerie helps her into a chair and listens as Nesta tells her everything that happened. a knock sounds on the door an hour later and Gwyn comes in to hug Nesta, brought by Mor, who nods at Nesta and winnows away. Emerie says she’s surprised Gwyn left the library and Gwyn says that some things are more important than fear. Nesta spends the night at Emerie’s house and decides she’ll talk to Cassian tomorrow and explain everything. Nesta wakes to “a male scent” in her room that isn’t Cassian, Azriel, or riceman. down the hall, Gwyn screams and goes silent. she tries to reach for her power, but they knock her out. 

chapter 63: as per the bargain, Cassian waits until the next day to look for Nesta (and doesn’t seem upset by the bargain at all), asking riceman to winnow him up to Emerie’s shop. before they even enter it, though, riceman knows they’re not here, and the magic that was there is too strong to belong to an Illyrian except on one night when Illyrians possess an “ancient, wild power”. there are signs of a struggle. riceman says that Devlon just confirmed that the Blood Rite began at midnight. Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie were kidnapped to participate in it. 

chapter 64: Nesta wakes up and feels a lot of pain. she looks around and finds male Illyrians around her with wings bound (as per the Blood Rite requirements). she realizes she woke before the others bc she’s Made and therefore different. her magic isn’t there bc of the Blood Rite’s spells. she knows she’s in a lot of danger bc she’s a woman in just a nightgown. she knows she needs to find Emerie and Gwyn. a male Illyrian wakes up and looks like he wants to rape her and then notices a knife embedded in a nearby tree. Nesta runs. Cassian asks to be winnowed to them so he can save them, but his family is against it and riceman tells Cassian to explain to faerug why: anyone who takes someone from the Blood Rite will be executed, as will the person taken from the Rite. Azriel says that his spies informed him Eris has been captured by Briallyn. Cassian and Azriel have to go after him bc riceman can’t risk it and explains the suicide pact. Cassian says they should let him die and faerug says they can’t bc he could reveal everything under the Crown’s control, and asks what he knows and Cassian explains what it is, and faerug wonders if the Made dagger will offer some immunity against the Crown. while Azriel and Cassian go, Amren says that she’s going to have a long talk about the bargain bw fey///sand to fey///sand. back in Nesta’s POV, she’s running for the knife in the tree but the Illyrian rams into her and then they both go tumbling down into a streambed a hundred feet below. turns out she stabbed him in the throat while they fell and he’s dead. she takes his clothes, puts them on, and pulls the knife free before leaving to find Emerie and Gwyn. 

chapter 65: Cassian once told Nesta about the three sites where participants of the Rite are placed. Nesta isn’t sure where to find Gwyn and Emerie and remembers that Cassian won’t be able to come for her bc of the rules of the Rite. any wounds would heal at a human rate bc the Rite saps all magic. the charm on the bracelet she made with Gwyn and Emerie is glowing, telling her to go north, and apparently she Made the charms into beacons when her wish was to always be able to find their way back to each other. as she runs north, she knows she needs to find food, water, and shelter bc it looks like snow is coming. someone shoots an arrow at her and then tells her to get up when she falls. Cassian and Azriel find Briallyn’s stronghold. 

chapter 66: the male Illyrian is smaller than the other but he has a bow and arrow and tells Nesta to give him her weapons. Nesta asks if there was a female where he came from and he calls Emerie a “cr*ppled bitch” and say she left her to the others bc Nesta is “better prey”. Nesta pretends to acquiesce to his demands and then throws the dagger at his groin, and he screams in pain. as he screams, she charges him and knocks him down, then pulls the knife free, steals his bow and arrows, and runs in the direction he came from, leaving him there to bleed out. she finds a group of Illyrians filling canteens at a stream and talking to each other, and listens in but doesn’t hear anything about any women where they came from, and then hears one of them say that Emerie escaped but would have made good entertainment. turns out Emerie went down the river but may have died in the rapids, so Nesta goes looking and finds Emerie clinging to a tree. Nesta strips to cross the river for Emerie. Nesta uses Emerie’s nightgown to tie her to Nesta’s body bc Emerie is unconscious, then crosses the river again, covers Emerie with the dry clothes, and then gathers wood to make a fire. Nesta holds Emerie for skin to skin warmth. she makes a plan to survive the night, help Emerie, and then find Gwyn. Nesta starts looking for a cave and a male Illyrian shows up and says “the entrance is here” and even though she is barely clothed, she senses no lust or hatred in him. the Illyrian points out the cave and says it’s big enough to fit inside, and that they won’t survive the night on the ground. he says that bc she’s not scaling a tree, it’s clear she has someone hurt with her, but she doesn’t say anything. he says he saw the man she killed, wonders who dropped weapons here, and that he has no quarrel with her, and will go to Ramiel by a less traveled path. he’s spending the night in the cave and invites her to do the same. she says so he can steal her weapons and he says no bc he knows who she is and wouldn’t be so stupid. she says it’s the Blood Rite and that he’d be forgiven, and he says faerug would not forgive him for killing her sister. he swears an oath on someone named Enalius to not kill Nesta or whoever she’s with. she counters with not to harm them in any way either, or have anyone else do the same, and he swears to that too. she asks for help carrying Emerie. we learn the guy’s name is Balthazar, and he gives Emerie his wool cloak to lay beneath. they sit on either side of Emerie to keep her warm. Nesta says that, by dawn, Balthazar needs to be gone, and he says he’ll be glad to bc the beasts in the forest might scent Emerie’s blood and come looking. she asks why he isn’t out there killing everyone, and he says bc he wants to reach Ramiel and become Oristian, but if he finds someone he wants to kill he will. they hear snapping branches and a howl, and Balthazar says they’ll be patrolling all night, but many Illyrians forget that. Balthazar offers to take first watch and Nesta says fine but she doesn’t sleep at all that night. Illyrians scream all night as the beasts hunt. Balthazar says she’ll find plenty of clothes today, says good luck, and leaves. she sees that countless bodies lay scattered around, many half-eaten. back in Cassian’s POV, they’re unable to find Eris in the lands surrounding Briallyn’s castle. Azriel asks a human merchant if he’s seen a male fae and he says yes, he saw one with red hair dragged into the castle the night before last but that he’s to be taken somewhere soon. Azriel says they’ll wait here until night and then follow them with cloud cover. Azriel and Cassian don’t talk about the bargain fey///sand made. Cassian knows he’d feel if Nesta died bc of the mating bond. Nesta looks through the bodies for clothes and supplies: two canteens, another dagger, and someone’s half-eaten rabbit dinner. when Nesta returns to the cave, Emerie is awake and asks after Gwyn, and Nesta dresses Emerie in better-fitting clothes and uses the charm to find Gwyn is to the south, which hadn’t changed since yesterday. 

chapter 67: Emerie explains that she’d been attacked and chased by the Illyrians, leapt into the river as a last-ditch escape, and knocked her head on a rock. they pass many other Illyrians as they head south. some of them are solo and ignore them, while others are fighting in packs. a day passes and they find another cave to spend the night in. Emerie takes first watch and Nesta sleeps, and in the morning more beasts killed more Illyrians. it starts to snow. Emerie smells fire and they think it might belong to Gwyn bc the charms also tell them to go that way. they see Gwyn’s nightgown but no Gwyn, and they see a group of Illyrians around a fire but no Gwyn, and then Emerie is captured. Cassian and Azriel are still watching the castle but Cassian wonders if Briallyn knows they’re here and are waiting for them to make a move. Azriel can’t tell if Eris is even still alive. Cassian says they should break in and Azriel says the castle is too well-protected. one of the Illyrians says that Nesta and Emerie are stupid females for falling for the nightgown. Nesta demands to know where Gwyn is and they say they haven’t seen her, they only found the nightgown lying somewhere. one of the Illyrians who captured them is Emerie’s cousin from that day in her shop. Nesta asks if he sabotaged the Rite with weapons, and he says he wouldn’t call it sabotage and neither would some nameless “she” who Nesta suspects is Briallyn. a monster attacks before the Illyrians can make good on their threats. Nesta shouts at Emerie to run and grabs their weapons, and Emerie grabs a sword, and then hears a female voice shout at them to come her way. Gwyn is waiting for them in stolen clothes and leads them far away. she says she woke up before the others, and Nesta wonders if it’s bc she and Gwyn aren’t Illyrian, and Gwyn explains everything she’s been up to. she also lead the monster to the Illyrians holding Emerie and Nesta. Gwyn says they really came looking for her, and Emerie says of course bc that’s what sisters do. 

chapter 68: as night falls, Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn climb a tree with no caves to be seen. they use a rope Gwyn found to tie them to the tree so they can rest. Gwyn asks Emerie what she knows about the Rite. they trade watches to sleep. in the morning, sun shines and Gwyn climbs the tree to find that Ramiel is days away to the northeast, leaving them a day to climb it should they reach it. there’s a ravine with a wooden bridge they can reach first if they run, so they run. they see six Illyrians, who sprint toward the ravine when they see Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn, and the three of them give chase. Nesta decides they need to intercept them to make it to the ravine first, and then they fight the Illyrians. they kill all six. Cassian says he and Azriel have been sitting on their asses for four days. Azriel points out a lot of spying is waiting for people to do anything, and Cassian says that’s why he quit spying, and Azriel says spying suits him. Azriel reassures Cassian that they trained Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie well. someone leaves the castle and the fly into the sky to watch. they see that Briallyn snared Eris with the Crown, and Azriel points out that he’s still carrying the Made dagger. if he’d been under her control, she’d have taken it from him. Cassian calls him a traitor and Azriel says they need to follow them to see who they’re meeting with. Nesta and co haven’t reached the ravine before another group of Illyrians shows up with bows and arrows. they keep running even as arrows rain down, and Emerie reaches the bridge first. Nesta makes it across with Emerie, but Gwyn was shot in the thigh on the other side. she yells at them to cut the bridge and she stands up but can’t make it across the bridge in time, so Nesta ties the rope they have around the tree, then around one of her arrows, and shoots it toward Gwyn. Gwyn wraps the rope around her waist and yells at them to cut the bridge. Nesta cuts the bridge while Gwyn runs across it, and then as the bridge falls the rope around Gwyn catches her. the Illyrians behind her fall to the ravine. Emerie and Nesta pull Gwyn up to the top of the ravine, the Illyrians on the other side yelling at them. they remove the arrow from Gwyn’s leg and bind it, but she’s slowing their pace. they encounter no one else and by the time night falls they’ve made it to the foot of Ramiel, but Gwyn isn’t doing well. Nesta wakes up before dawn, then makes sure Gwyn is still alive and the wound isn’t infected. Nesta says that only twelve have made it this far in the Rite, and that they’ve already become Oristian. Gwyn says they should keep going when Nesta suggests hiding instead of climbing it, and Gwyn says so rather than try and fail they’d rather not try at all, and Emerie says not if it costs Gwyn her life. Gwyn asks if it’s really living to take the safe road, and that she’s tired of hiding in the library and that she doesn’t want to take the safe road, she wants to take the dangerous one with Nesta and Emerie. Emerie says they call it the Breaking for a reason, Nesta says they haven’t eaten in days and they’re down to the last of their water. Gwyn explains what happened with her sister, how and why she was beheaded, and tells them how she was gang-raped. then Azriel arrived and killed everyone, followed by Mor and riceman. Mor healed her and brought her to the library. she says working with Merrill helped her recover. she says she saw Nesta appear at the library and knows that Catrin, Gwyn’s twin, would’ve been the first to sign up for the training, so Gwyn did, too. and then Emerie starts talking about what happened to her, about her dad beating her so badly she once broke her back. he beat her mother, too, and when she died made Emerie dig her grave. she came to training bc she knew her dad would’ve forbidden it. Nesta then explains why she came to the House of Wind and who she was before it. Nesta says that neither of them failed anyone, and Gwyn says that she didn’t either, and they decide to climb Ramiel. 

chapter 69: Eris and the caravan head east for three days. they see that Eris isn’t chained and rides beside Briallyn, but they don’t see the Crown. they enter a forest that Azriel says he’s never been to but reminds him of the Middle. Eris’s caravan halts by a lake and Azriel and Cassian land to begin tracking on foot. Eris says “Over here, Cassian” and Cassian turns and Eris holds a knife to his ribs. Nesta and co climb the mountain. Nesta wonders if the Breaking also messes with their minds bc she can’t turn hers off and Gwyn and Emerie look haunted. they rest a little and then keep climbing. at nightfall, Emerie says it looks like they’re 2/3 of the way up. Gwyn says she needs to rest, her leg bleeding. Emerie also twisted her ankle. she says that the Pass of Enalius isn’t too far ahead and that if they can make it it’s a clear shot to the top of the mountain. Nesta tells Emerie to let Gwyn rest. Gwyn spots Bellius, Emerie’s cousin, and other Illyrians making their way up the mountain. Nesta tells Gwyn to get on her back and they climb up the mountain. back with Cassian and Azriel, Eris holds Cassian with the dagger to his ribs. Cassian says that he always knew Eris was a lying bastard but this is low, and Eris says he’s disappointed in riceman, who didn’t even bother to look into his mind. Azriel says that Eris is a “dead male walking” and Eris refers to Mor as “the Morrigan” which clues Cassian in that Eris isn’t himself bc he never refers to her like that, and Cassian tells Briallyn, wherever she is, to let Eris go and come play with them instead, and Eris removes the dagger from Cassian’s side and Briallyn says that she’s already playing with them. back with Nesta, they reach the Pass of Enalius and Emerie says she’s standing where none of her ancestors ever stood before. they keep climbing but then fall back to the Pass of Enalius. Nesta says she can’t carry Gwyn anymore and Gwyn says so they rest a minute and then keep trying. Nesta says she can hold the Illyrians off while Emerie and Gwyn keep climbing. Gwyn refuses to leave her. Nesta hugs Gwyn and then knocks her out, and asks if Emerie can carry her the rest of the way, or at least until dawn. Emerie gives her all the weapons and Nesta tells her to take the canteen and lies that she has enough. Emerie says Gwyn will never forgive Nesta for this and Nesta says she knows. Nesta ties Gwyn onto Emerie’s back and Emerie asks her to come with them again, and Nesta says to consider it a repayment of a debt for being her friend, and Emerie says there is no debt, and Nesta insists there is. Emerie goes and Nesta turns to face the approaching Illyrians. Cassian knows that with Eris in Briallyn’s grip there’s little choice in doing anything, and refuses to consider himself or Azriel becoming locked in the Crown’s grip. the party that Eris and Briallyn traveled in has vanished, and Cassian wonders if they were even real. Briallyn removes her cloak and reveals there’s nothing there, and Koschei says it’s an animated kernel of magic and they’re by his lake. Nesta sees that Emerie is on the straight path to the top of the mountain and then gathers her weapons and shield. 

chapter 70: Bellius sends the others through the pass toward Nesta first. Nesta fights them and wonders what she could have done with her sword in her hand, and then tells us the meaning of Ataraxia. 

chapter 71: Azriel asks Koschei where Briallyn is. Koschei says he spent so many months preparing for them and now they don’t want to talk to him, and Cassian tells him to let Eris go and then they’ll talk. he hopes they can’t tell that the dagger Eris holds is Made. Azriel’s shadows seem to give a warning and he tells Cassian to run and then grabs Eris and flies into the sky, but Cassian is held in place, and Koschei tells Briallyn she can take Cassian now bc there’s plenty of time before dawn, and she emerges from the trees. Koschei says to tell Vassa he’s waiting. Briallyn says she has need of Cassian and then tells Koschei to winnow them. back with Nesta, she’s exhausted but only Bellius remains. Bellius tells her that the Illyrian god, the first of the Illyrians, fought against enemies right where Nesta stands. he says that Enalius, the god, died after three days, climbing to the sacred stone atop the mountain to die. he says it’s why they do this ”stupid thing,” to honor him. Gwyn and Emerie both touched the stone and were winnowed away by its magic. Nesta says it looks like Bellius didn’t win, and he says he never wanted to win, only wanted this, and then attacks her. 

chapter 72: Nesta knows she only has to hold Bellius off until dawn, when the Rite ends. they fight and snow begins to fall. he knocks her sword and shield away and then starts cutting at her. he asks if Nesta honestly thinks she can beat him and she says yes, dodges a strike, and then smashes her hand into his nose, and says this: 

And Nesta hissed, “Because my mate taught me well.”

chapter 73: they launch themselves at each other again. after more fighting, she falls and can’t get up, and Bellius approaches, but before he can kill her he’s killed by Cassian. Cassian helps her up and then says he’s going to cut her throat. in Cassian’s head, we see him trying to break free of Briallyn’s control. Nesta tries to break through to him, but then Briallyn says he’s hers and Nesta turns to see Briallyn. 

chapter 74: Briallyn stands on the pass. Nesta launches herself away from Cassian when his arms loosen, but he remains still as a statue. Briallyn reveals that her plan was to nab the “maimed one” (Emerie) after having Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn brought to the Rite. Briallyn says she saw how much Nesta cared for Emerie when they were connected via the Harp ages ago. Briallyn wanted Nesta here so she doesn’t have magic, and Nesta says she was worn down days ago, why didn’t she come sooner, and Briallyn says she was waiting for Cassian. Nesta can see that rage is in Cassian’s eyes now, breaking through the glassy veneer. she says she had to use Eris to draw Cassian to her. when Eris’s soldiers came to capture him, he tried to help them, but they took him. Briallyn says that Bellius was a “hateful brute” just like Cassian. she told Bellius to hunt Nesta down but not kill her, and surmises she wasn’t precise enough in her wording to Bellius. Nesta asks why Briallyn is doing this and why she doesn’t want peace, and Briallyn says what she wants is the Trove, not peace, and that Cassian is the only person who can make Nesta summon the Trove. Briallyn says that once she has the Trove she’ll leave Cassian and Nesta unscathed, and Nesta scents the lie, and then Cassian breaks the control to say “Don’t” and Briallyn makes him close his mouth again but the glassiness isn’t in his eyes anymore. Nesta says no and Briallyn says she’ll have to try to convince her, and Cassian attacks her and Nesta has no strength to fight back. Cassian pleads with his eyes for Nesta to stop him. Briallyn says that it’ll kill him to kill his mate. Nesta says that if she’s dead Briallyn won’t get the Trove, and Briallyn says there’s others in the NC as “delusional” as Nesta. Cassian is ordered to kill, but Briallyn never specified who, so he tries to kill himself and Nesta “erupted with the force of the Cauldron.” the entire world shakes as Nesta does so, and then she attacks Briallyn and sucks her life from her until she pretty much vanishes. 

chapter 75: Cassian lies facedown on the ground and Nesta runs toward him and he reveals he’s alive and she starts to cry. Cassian says Nesta Unmade Briallyn. Nesta calls Cassian her mate and then they kiss. Mor and Azriel appear. Cassian asks after Eris, and Azriel says he’s safe in the Hewn City and the Made dagger is back in their possession. Mor says “It’s Feyre”

chapter 76: the river house is silent and Mor says faerug started to bleed a few hours ago. Mor takes Nesta to faerug, whose legs are covered in blood. she’s pale and barely breathing and riceman is scared. Madja says she turned the baby but he’s stuck in the birth canal. after faerug says to do it, Madja says they could cut the baby out but it and faerug would die. Elain appears and takes Nesta’s hand and they start praying. Madja gets the tools and tells riceman to go into faerug’s mind to take away her pain, and faerug says no goodbyes. then Madja swears and riceman screams. Cassian and Azriel pull riceman away from faerug. Cassian sees Nesta wearing the Mask, Crown, and holding the Harp, and she moves toward the bed with her eyes full of silver fire, and riceman lunges for her but Nesta holds up her hand to stop him and he does. Nesta plays the twenty-sixth string. 

chapter 77: the twenty-sixth string is Time itself. Nesta stops it as faerug “took her last breath.” Nesta walks through the frozen-in-time room to stop by faeurg. Nesta tells faerug she loves her. Nesta says that if she’s shown how to save faerug, the Cauldron can have its magic back. time resumes. Nesta says she gives it all back again and again and light flows from her to faerug (idk man). light keeps flowing around faerug and, as the light fades, Nesta is marked with another tattoo bargain with the Cauldron. 

Yet Cassian could have sworn a luminescent, gentle hand prevented the light from leaving her body altogether.

chapter 77 continued: riceman rushes to faerug, who looks healthy again, and she turns to Nesta and says she loves her, too. then the baby starts to cry. Madja says that it appears faerug now has Illyrian anatomy. she also tells faerug to feed him. riceman falls to his knees in front of Nesta and thanks her, weeping. she hugs him. 

chapter 78: Gwyn and Emerie are waiting in the parlor of the river house. Gwyn says she should never forgive Nesta, but Nesta just hugs her and Emerie and says they won. Mor took the Trove back to the place Nesta summong them from. Nesta asks how Emerie and Gwyn are healed and she says the stone did it. Nesta asks Emerie if her family will punish her for what happened to Bellius, and Emerie says that deaths happen in the Rite. the book waxes poetic about Nyx, fey///sand’s baby. Cassian holds the baby and he and faerug coo over him. riceman is still pale and shaken. Nesta walks in and looks at Cassian, silently requesting something, and he gives the baby to faerug. they go outside and Cassian asks if Nesta’s magic is really all gone. Nesta says she gave it all back but some of it’s still there and she thinks something or someone else stopped it from giving it all back. she also made some changes of her own. Cassian realizes it’s the Mother, who would have seen Nesta’s sacrifice and saved some magic for her. he asks what changes Nesta made. she said she changed herself a little so she can survive a birth. Cassian is shocked and asks if she’s ready to have a baby and she says no, she’ll be drinking her tea for a while yet. she says she wants a “disgustingly ornate” mating ceremony, and Cassian says they’ll never hear the end of it from Mor and Azriel. she gives him a biscuit instead then and says it’s part of the ceremony, to offer the mate food, and Cassian laughs and says his options are a stale biscuit or a frilly ceremony, and she says yes. he says they’ll make a coronation of it and she says she already has a crown. Cassian starts to think about everything they have to do and Nesta says they’ll think about that all later, and then tells him “I love you.” 

chapter 79: two days after Nyx’s birth, Cassian goes to meet with Eris in the Hewn City. Eris says he can’t stay long and Cassian says “good”. they want to know what Eris told Beron. Eris says that Beron knows Cassian “assisted” him when he was kidnapped. Cassian wonders if Beron tortured him and Eris explains the lies he gave him in answer. Eris tells him to not pity him. Cassian asks why Eris left Mor in the forest that day. Eris says that Cassian isn’t the person he wants to explain himself to. Eris says that Beron might be stupid enough to try to ally with Koschei. Cassian goes to leave, then stops. 

chapter 80: as spring blooms, faerug and Nyx are well enough to leave the house, and they go on walks around the house with riceman or Mor with them, both really protective. Cassian and Azriel are too. one day, Nesta, faerug and Elain all go on a walk. we learn Nesta and Cassian have sex a lot and he calls her mate all the time. Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie told Cassian and Azriel everything that happened, and the two of them made lists of what to fix during training, which doesn’t stop even though they’ve passed the Rite. Gwyn says she might leave the library to come to the mating ceremony in three days. Nesta wants an outrageous party but not a big crowd, and so the temple is done up and riceman promises it’ll be what she hopes for. riceman gave Cassian and Nesta the House of Wind, since it decided it liked Nesta more than anyone else, as a wedding gift, with the library still belonging to the priestesses and the house being used for formal occasions. faerug painted Nesta holding the line at the Pass of Enalius as a gift. Nesta had let riceman see some of the Rite but had no idea it had been to give faerug ideas for a painting. now, Elain, faerug, and Nesta go to visit their dad’s grave so they can show Nyx and vice versa. faerug says “Your grandson, Father”. faerug had asked Nesta if she wanted to go with them that morning, and Nesta had said yes. Nesta lingers by the gravestone and tries to think of something to say, like an explanation or apology, but nothing comes. she says she’s going to live the rest of her life deserving the love of the people who love her. she leaves the carving she took from the cottage at the gravestone. she says “thank you” to him and hears Cassian flying overhead, making sure she’s all right, and she thinks “busybody” but blows him a kiss. then she turns and joins her sisters, who beckon to her from halfway down the hill. 

[wr1ter-reader-dreamer]

Waiting (Pt. 1)

Timothee Chalamet x Reader

A/N: This story is an original work of fiction inspired by actors I like. If you like it too, please reblog it and leave a comment. Also check out some of my other works at my master list linked below. I welcome feedback, so let me know how I could make my posts better! Thanks, and enjoy <3 

Masterlist

Part 2  -  Part 3

He had been away filming for months, and it was hard. We had gotten by with late night phone calls and Facetimes, but it was obvious how much we missed each other. Usually I was able to take time off to spend a week or two wherever he was filming, but not this time. This time the director had requested no outside guests, hoping that it would keep everyone focused so they could finish as fast as possible. Never before had I hated his job as much as I did now, but it was his passion, so I tried not to show it.

The calls and Facetimes had been innocent at first. We would end almost every night with a summary of our days, a statement about how much we missed each other, and a declaration of love. Days where we knew we would be too busy to call would see numerous Snapchats with short captions about whatever we were thinking at the moment. Everything was going fine the first month, but then everything changed.

I had been having a particularly hard day at work when I got a text from Timothee to check his Instagram. Curious, I immediately clicked open the app and looked for his most recent post. What I saw had my body instantly heating up.

The picture was a first look of Timmy’s character in the movie. He was dressed in period garb with black leather pants and chainmail. His hair was cut shorter than usual, and he was looking off camera with a serious look on his face. The image radiated power and authority, a look I usually only saw from Timmy in bed.

Sucking in a deep breathe, I attempted to rein in my racing heart. I didn’t bother texting him back, knowing he would see that I had liked the post and that he would know what it had done to me. For now, I tried desperately to focus on my work until I could get home and show him exactly how much I had liked the picture.

That night our FaceTime hadn’t been so innocent. Instead we both showed each other just how much we had missed the other with lowly spoken words of praise and need. After that, all of our conversations had an underlying, if nor outright, sexual tones. It was obvious that we needed each other in a more carnal way that neither of us were bothering to hide.

It was no surprise really that we had come to this. Timothee and I had always had a very active sex life, and that didn’t change just because he was away filming. After almost two years together, we knew all of the alternative ways of getting each other off. If anything, it was surprising that we hadn’t started this earlier.

We continued like this for two months, our calls now ending with breathless “I love you’s” after we were both temporarily satisfied. Neither of us was a stranger to the fact that the tension and sexual frustration was building the longer he was away. I needed him, and he needed me, and the last day of filming could not come fast enough.

Just when I thought I would die from frustration, Timmy announced in an excited call that he would be him in two days. Bubbling with anticipation, I prepared for his arrival. I re-stocked the fridge with all his favorites, changed the sheets on the bed so he could crawl into fresh ones, and even bought a new set of lingerie that I knew he would love.

I took off of work the day he was set to arrive, knowing I wouldn’t be able to focus. Instead I set my focus on preparing for tonight. Timmy’s plane would arrive relatively late, and I knew he would be hungry, so I made his favorite dinner. I also took a shower, shaved, and put on the lingerie under now of his oversized t-shirts so that I was prepared for desert. It was a tradition to spend our first night back together relieving all of our built up tension, no matter how late he got in. 

Finally, I got the text that he had landed and was in a car on his way home. Squealing, I set out dinner on our small table and went to the entry hall to wait. I knew that it would take a while for him to arrive, but I was to excited to do anything else. I had missed my sweet boy more than I ever could have imagined, and I was so happy to finally get to be in his arms again.

Lost in my thoughts about his soft smile and fluffy brown hair, I almost missed the sound of the key turning in the lock. Still, there was no way I could miss the door swinging open to reveal my handsome boyfriend, a large yet tired smile on his face.

“Timmy!” I squealed, rushing into his arms and almost knocking him over in the processes.

He laughed and dropped the bags in his hands so he could wrap his arms around me, “Hi, mon amour.”

Eagerly I pulled back from the hug only to connect my lips with his in a frantic kiss. Pushing up on my toes, I tangled my fingers in the base of his now grown out curls and tugged lightly. He growled, returning my kiss briefly before pulling away with a quick peck.

“I’ve missed you, baby,” he sighed as he smoothed his thumbs over my cheeks and looked at me, “I almost forgot how beautiful you are.”

Rolling my eyes, I nipped playfully at his thumb before stepping away entirely, “I made you dinner.”

“I can smell that,” he smiled, hand trailing down my arm to my own so as to not loose contact. After so long away he didn’t want to let me go for a second, and I was perfectly fine with that. 

I bent down to pick up his bags as I said, “Why don’t you get started, and I’ll take these to our room?”

“Merci, mon cher. Hurry back, though. I miss you.”

Smiling, I nodded. I quickly took his bags to our room and deposited them in our closet before glancing in the mirror. Briefly, I fluffed my hair and smiled, then made my way back to where Timothee was tucking into dinner.

“How was your flight, handsome?” I asked as I sat beside him and tangled my fingers with those of his free hand.

Taking a moment to chew and swallow his bite, he shrugged, “Long and boring. This is really good.”

“You should know by now that I can cook when I want to,” I teased playfully.

He rolled his eyes with a smile, “But you prefer when I do it.”

I shrugged, “Not my fault those French grandparents of yours taught you so well.”

With a laugh and a shake of his head, he reached for the glass of wine by his plate. I watched mesmerized as his long fingers wrapped atone the simple glass and brought it to his lips. His soft lips curled around the rim, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed a large gulp. Then he returned the glass to its place by his plate, and my eyes lingered on his hand.

He had such nice hands. Long fingers, wide palm, perfect for curling inside me or pinning my hands above my head when I was naughty. Instantly my body heated uo, reminding me just how long I had gone without those hands on me.

Timmy must have noticed my gaze because he sighed. Blushing at having been caught, I looked up at him to find an apologetic look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked with a slight frown.

He sighed again and turned slightly to rest his arm on my shoulder and play with the ends of my hair, “I’ve had a really long day, mon amour, and I have to be up really early for a photoshoot tomorrow.”

“So?”

“Baby,” he said softly, abandoning my hair and cupping my cheek, “I can’t tonight.”

“Oh,” I said dejectedly.

“I’m sorry, amour. I know how much we’ve both been looking forward to this, but I need to get some sleep.”

Plastering a small smile on my face, I shook my head, “It’s alright Timmy. I understand, and I can wait.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, leaning down slightly to catch my eye.

“Of course.”

He smiled and pulled me into a big, “Je t’aims, douce fille. Merci.”

“I love you too, Timmy. So much”

And that was how we broke tradition for the first time. Timothee finished his dinner then took a shower while I cleared the table. When I was done, I got ready for bed, making sure that he didn’t see my disappointment. I knew that his job was important, and I didn’t want to make him feel bad. I hadn’t lied. I did understand, and it was fine. I was perfectly capable of waiting. I just didn’t realize how long I’d have to wait.

A/N: There are a second and third part to this, so make sure to hit the link above to read them! And if you’d like to read more of my work, make sure to check out my masterlist, also linked above.

[talesofafangirlwithadvr]

February Picks

And just like that another month is coming to a close. I can’t believe how fast it has gone by. I’ve continued watching some favorites from last month and am sad some have come to an end. Meanwhile a bunch of shows came back from their winter hiatus, so it was a lot of fun getting back into their story-lines again.

Be prepared for spoilers once again...

SANDITON

Masterpiece’s Sanditon ended this past Sunday, here in the states, and I am jumping on the campaign that we need a season 2! It can’t end like that with so many open ended story-lines (okay maybe just one or two, but still we deserve more). 

Who would have guessed that Esther would become one of my favorite characters in this series and that’s mainly thanks to her well written character development. From the “villain” in episode 1 she grew into so much more and was such a complex character. I really enjoyed watching her story unfold. I am SO HAPPY she married Babington and his speech to her about living side by side, knowing he loves her more and just wants to see her happy. Wow....Goals. I want to see this relationship progress even more (if that’s possible) with a season 2. Speaking of things I want to see: Will Sanditon be rebuilt and how long will it take? Will there be an alternative allowing Sidney to be with Charlotte? Major twist there as their relationship doesn’t end with a happily ever after (very un-Austen like for the main protagonists). When he returned at the end stopping Charlotte’s carriage, I seriously thought he would have said he broke up his engagement, but alas. The previous episode I really wanted them together (thanks to Sidney’s speech to Charlotte when he told her his ex-fiance left and how Charlotte makes him a better person *melts* and of course their dancing scene the episode prior was amazing). In the early parts of the season, while I knew Charlotte and Sidney would be a thing-eventually, I couldn’t help but have a soft spot for Young Stringer’s character and my appreciation never truly left. I felt he was paired well with Charlotte. Such a tragic ending for him. He wanted to better himself (much like the Parker brothers) but after his father’s death he no longer will. Throughout the series, I enjoyed Miss Lambe’s character, but I agree with many reviews that I was reading that her character was kind of dropped at the end. I’m curious what her reaction will be when she finds out about SIdney’s engagement...

Thank you again, Andrew Davies. I was not expecting to like this adaptation so much.    

ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST

The best way to describe one of NBC’s latest shows is that I feel happy and in a good mood whenever I finish an episode. (And then I’m immediately upset that I have to wait a week for the next one. I watch them too fast.) I’ve heard many people compare it to Glee and while I could definitely understand that I keep getting drawn back to Abc’s short lived Eli Stone. There Eli (played by Jonny Lee Miller) could hear people around him sing and dance, which helped him solve upcoming law cases. In this show he was experiencing a brain tumor, but so far Zoey seems all clear. Instead, a freak accident while she is getting an MRI scan and listening to music, allows for her to hear people sing (and perform) their innermost feelings. There’s still some logistics to discover like what Zoey looks like when she watches these performances (does she move around or look like she’s just staring into the air. I might be thinking into this too much...I know). We just recently found out that sometimes she can speak to others as they are happening. Each time she hears someone sing she is meant to help them with something in their life. It could be a family member, co worker, friend, or like this past week her boss. While there’s one major problem (that she has to fix), there are often multiple songs in one episode which I really enjoy. The cast is also very strong, both musically and as actors. I can’t wait to see where the rest of the season is headed!

TO ALL THE BOYS P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU

When the first film was released on Netflix about 2 years ago, I was instantly a fan. I was unfamiliar with the book, but quickly added to my TBR list. (My to read list is extremely long, so I still haven’t gotten to it. Story of my life.) I really enjoyed watching Lara Jean experience the results of having her secretive love letters distributed to her past crushes. I was definitely Team Peter and Lara by the end of the film. They were adorable. The sequel was released earlier this month and I kind of forgot about it. It felt like we had been preparing for the sequel for a bit and then I must have been watching too much Disney Plus to miss the trailer. Watching P.S. I still love you, I just missed the original film. There were parts I liked and I was a big fan of John Ambrose (and of course Jordan Fisher because he’s great), but overall I felt like much didn’t happen. Also, Lara and Peter’s relationship kind of bothered me in parts. I understand that for both of them this was the first time they were in this kind of relationship and could feel awkward about certain things (like the Valentine’s singing-gram or writing an original poem). The main part I did like about them was towards the end when he arrived at the retirement home. I don’t say this often, but I have no want to re-watch it any time soon.   

VIOLETTA SEASON 1

Speaking of Disney Plus....

In a quick month and a half I have successfully watched ALL 80 episodes of season 1 of Violetta. I feel so accomplished and know the withdrawal will happen very soon. (I just finished last night and I’ve been listening to the music a lot recently). I’m so upset that season 2 has not be released on Disney Plus yet. I thought it would be by now because the streaming service has been up for a good amount of months and this show was so popular around the world. Unfortunately, I have not been lucky with my Google searches for when they’ll release it and no luck with YouTube either (no English caption options). I’ve been hearing that season 2 is really great because season 1 did a nice job of establishing these characters and now we get to see more story-lines. I will miss the students and teachers at the Studio as well the home-life at the Castillo’s house. Throughout 80 episodes it’s understandable to love and hate several characters as you’re with them for a good amount of time. For some people it was a roller coaster, but there were a good amount that I liked pretty consistently. I am a fan of Violetta and Leon and they had some super cute moments. I think it was about episode 35 where I truly felt like connection. When Tomas left the love triangle for a bit I actually grew to like him and would often joke how he never smiled and had a Tomas face. I really liked You Mix and the introduction of Frederico. Some great songs came out of that section like Ven y Canta and Tienes el Talento, but my favorite is definitely Ser Mejor. And of course, I will always have love for Pablo. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m going to miss reading subtitles (I really do feel like I know more Spanish now). Definitely check out this show if you want something drama filled and funny at the same time. 

LEGACIES

I know I dedicated a whole post to Chris Wood’s return as Kai Parker on Legacies. (See the article here:https://talesofafangirlwithadvr.tumblr.com/post/190761328673/omg-legacies-2x12) But I still had to include it in this wrap up because once again Legacies is doing a great job this season. I was so excited to see it when it came back from the mid-season hiatus. Since the return of Wood it has gotten more of a TVD vibe than usual, which is great. I haven’t watched the last episode, but have seen a clip of Kai masquerading at the school. I am going to be very interested to see for how long he hangs around and how long it takes for them to discover him AND how Josie handles the evil inside of her. 

BROOKLYN NINE NINE

Thank goodness this show got renewed (and picked up from NBC). When it started a couple of weeks ago, I was reminded how much I missed it. I can’t get over that this is already the second season on NBC. As usual the hi-jinks of the Nine Nine have been entertaining to watch. The Jimmy Jab games were great. I loved how Hitchcock was so desperate to win that he was taking Scully’s array of pills. What an ending with Debbie! Did not think she could be capable of that. I can’t wait to see the outcome next episode. I’m so excited for a Santiago-Peralta baby. It was a great episode when they were hiding it from Charles and Adrian returned. I’ve seen the movie Memento and it is great! It was hilarious each time he was like, ‘I don’t know what that is’ and then saying ‘Finding Dory’ solved everything. I am so happy that this show was suggested for me to watch and fill my Office and Parks and Rec void. Whenever a new episode’s on the DVR I can’t wait to watch it.      

LEGENDS OF TOMORROW

And last, but certainly not least, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow has once again not disappointed me this season (I know it’s still early, but I’m optimistic). It started at the end of January following the events of Crisis and I liked how this season transitioned with all the changes (the major one being the introduction of Zari’s brother). I am really happy to see her again though and how she is having these flashes of her old life on board the Wave-rider. I can’t wait to see that reveal happen (especially because as of right now only Nate knows the ‘truth’). I love seeing Ava as a permanent part of the Legends crew and as stepping in as Captain when Sara was away. She is a great addition and I like how quirky she is since we first met her. Her and Sara are perfect. I also love Ray and Nora. Nora as a fairy godmother is fantastic. One of my favorite episodes was the one with the 80s dance. Her role in all of that was great and her realization with what she can provide for these kids. I feel like this is going to be the reason Ray leaves the Legends. I remember seeing Brandon Routh’s Instagram Post about leaving the show and this feels like the reason he will. I hope that isn’t for a while though because I am going to miss him a lot. 

Until March!   

[nurtotertu-blog]

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[bestbooksintheworld-blog]

Books that give you written information about tried and tested ideas are easily available in the market. However simply reading the black and white text is not enough to get rich, thinking and implementing their thoughts is important. How we know that there are a number of books to choose from, which creates confusion, hence we have got to you the information of a top 10 best finance books of all times to choose from.

1. THE LAW OF DIVINE COMPENSATION by - Marianne Williamson

INTRODUCTION

The author of this best finance book is an internationally acclaimed author, a world-renowned teacher and also an inspirational thinker. She has also written a book such as Return to Love, Healing The Soul of America, etc, yes your guess is right we are talking about, Marianne Williamson. In this finance book, she reveals spiritual principles that can help you overcome your financial stress by unleashing the divine power in profusion.

BOOK REVIEW

Marianne Williamson focuses on taking or driving your financial stress away by explaining to you the Law of Divine Compensation. She specifies that the universe resembles or rather is the handwriting of the almighty and hence is self-correcting and self-organizing. The universe plans to remove the lacks from your circumstances by itself. Deactivating the law is only by having more and more faith in the facts of lack and the facts of laws of this universe.

KEY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS BEST FINANCE BOOK

This best book in finance on work, money, and miracles explains that our thoughts create our financial reality. The author of this book very clearly states that anything that is real cannot be threatened and for that matter nothing unreal exists.

2.THE SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH (A THRIFTY BOOK) by - Wallace Wattles

INTRODUCTION

The author of this best finance book gives the world the power of positive thinking. He was a real influence for a number of other authors and without him great books such as The Secret, The Law of Attraction and the Law of Positive Thinking. This book is away from philosophical reasons and is based on practicality and is especially for men and women who would like to get rich before getting philosophical

BOOK REVIEW

Getting rich is an exact science and it has certain laws that monitor the process of achieving richness. A number of people that is men and women out there have the capability of doing things in a certain way for getting rich. This book in finance resembles this certain fact and details of becoming a rich person with positivity.

KEY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS TOP FINANCE BOOK

A man or woman who has the ability of reading and understanding this best book on finance can get rich be it talented, blockheaded, intellectual, stupid, physically strong or physically weak.

3. SECRETS OF THE MILLIONAIRE MIND by T. Harv Eker

Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth

INTRODUCTION

There is a very fine line between wanting success and achieving it. The author of this best finance book explains the trick of going out there and achieving success or your financial success of becoming rich. It is very normal to wonder that why some people easily get rich whereas some people take struggle throughout their life for their bread and butter? The author of this book answers this question for you.

BOOK REVIEW

The author of this best book in finance can predict your financial future in 5 minutes. This top finance book gives a chance of identifying and revising the blueprint of your money and increasing your money noticeably and also accumulate your wealth the right way. Well, the author applied these principles and went from Zero to a millionaire in only two and a half years which means these principles are proven and tested.

KEY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS BEST FINANCE BOOK

The book gives you the root cause of success. This book on finance also has the ability to motivate the readers by its information to success.

4. THINK AND GROW RICH by Napoleon Hill

Your Key to Financial Wealth and Power

INTRODUCTION

This best book in finance has inspired a number of businessmen from the United States of America to empower themselves for success. The author has not included only his success story and principles he has also included success stories and principles of the businessmen who have made a successful real world lesson. It is also acknowledged as one of the greatest self-help books of all times.

BOOK REVIEW

You can definitely gain valuable insights from this book in finance by reading real-world lessons of not just the author but also other successful and powerful US businessmen. It teaches you everything you need to know and to empower yourself with financial success. This is a self-help book for every financial situation.

KEY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS TOP FINANCE BOOK

Your thoughts are the most powerful things as they are the best motivational factor for you. Conversion of these burning thoughts into wealthy richness can never be explained better by any other writer ever

5. THE AUTOMATIC MILLIONAIRE by David Bach

A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich

INTRODUCTION

After being asked a million times the secret of being rich the author finally wrote this top finance book, yes that’s right the captioned book. This book in finance is focused on the story of an average American couple whose income never exceeded more than $55000 annually. As you go further the story reveals the facts of becoming rich and its requirements.

BOOK REVIEW

The author very smartly and efficiently conveys the fact of becoming rich and ending rich easily from the convenience of your home. Setting up a plan in an hour without having a budget, the willpower the motive alone of making a lot of money can help you get there. He has given real-life examples in for you to understand.

KEY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS BEST FINANCE BOOK

Look beyond your paycheck to paycheck system of payment. David Bach explains the actions of transforming the financial life easy and full of fun.

6. THE INTELLIGENT INVESTOR by Benjamin Graham

A Book of Practical Counsel

INTRODUCTION

The philosophy that is timeless is value investing. Is one of the best finance books ever written for people investing in stocks. The concept of investing and growing differ for different people. The author offers sound and safe principles of investing which have worked for more than 40 years which is since the 1st edition was published.

BOOK REVIEW

This book in finance is a classic example of sound work offered for safe principles of investments. It is the best book in finance ever written for investors who like to invest in stocks, bonds, debentures or anything related to the stock market. The best book you can ever read to make your investments a success.

KEY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS TOP FINANCE BOOK

This book in finance helps and prevents the investors in making a substantial error in investing and helps them in developing long term investment strategy making it comfortable for them in the later run.

7. JIM CRAMER’S GET RICH CAREFULLY by - James J. Cramer

INTRODUCTION

This finance book warns you of getting rich quickly promises that can lead you to careless decisions which according to the author can be a stepping stone to a poor house. His does it differently that is carefully or cautiously. Putting in 35 years of his investment the author brings to the captioned title..

BOOK REVIEW

Making use of his own knowledge of the stock market the author wrote this book Get Rich Carefully. 35 years of experience with his downfall and the success based on the losses and profits he made in his journey of profits are jotted down in his own unique style of writing. For him, it is a straightforward accumulation of wealth by turning your savings into a long-lasting wealth

KEY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS BEST FINANCE BOOK

Do not take reckless decisions with a promise of making you rich quickly that is not the way. Play it differently think about lasting wealth you do not want to make a poor’s home.

8. ONE UP ON WALL STREET by - Peter Lynch

How To Use What You Already Know To Make Money In The Market

INTRODUCTION

The author Mr. Lynch is a legendary mutual fund manager and has sold over a million of copies of this book. He also states that the average investor has an advantage of investing in funds more than professionals and that they use this to their advantage to gain their financial success. Investment opportunities are everywhere from supermarkets to workplace.

BOOK REVIEW

The author confirms that an average investor can become a specialist in his own field by picking up winning stocks effectively. All they need to do is take notice of the existing market, look for a potentially successful company, and grab the opportunity before professional grabs it. Easy to follow directions are mentioned in this captioned book.

KEY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS TOP FINANCE BOOK

Ignore the ups and downs of the market and focus on the long-term returns to get a handsome reward on your investments. Your long-term should be anywhere between 5 to 15 years.

9. THE MILLIONAIRE FASTLANE: by - MJ DeMarco

Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime

INTRODUCTION

He somehow does not believe in the slow lane for it will get you to retire rich after 65. The slow lane only gives you restriction rather financial restriction of all that you cannot do for yourself and your family. However, the fast lane is an alternative route to wealth which can fulfill your dreams today and not when or after you grow old.

BOOK REVIEW

This best finance book is a shortcut proved by mathematics to live rich today instead of dying rich tomorrow. Do not let the financial gurus brainwash you and convince you to take the slow lane drill in the dream of dying rich in your head. Instead, switch your lane to the fast lane and live rich today by converting your dreams into reality.

KEY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS BEST FINANCE BOOK

Sacrificing all your dreams today in order to die rich is definitely wrong. You have to live today for you would want to live rich instead of dying rich.

10. SPIRIT DRIVEN SUCCESS by - Dani Johnson

Learn Time Tested Biblical Secrets to Create Wealth While Serving Others!

INTRODUCTION

This best finance book is based on the author’s personal experience of becoming a millionaire in a couple of years and not just a millionaire but a young millionaire and a successful businesswoman. But applying her principles the author has created success not just for herself but for thousands of others purely based on the ageless principle.

BOOK REVIEW

The author who is a self-made multi-millionaire know how to turn your financial life around easily. She is also one of the most sorts after success coaches and she has helped thousands of people to achieve great results in their business and their personal lives. In this book, she has used time-tested biblical secrets to gain financial success along with spiritual keys that unlock the doors to the true wealth. There is a lot to read about uncovering habits that lead to poverty and financial struggle.

KEY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS TOP FINANCE BOOK

Enlightens and guides to the true wealth. The barrier to our financial success is our habits that lead us to poverty and financial struggle.

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How to Write Good Instagram Captions: Tips, Ideas, and Tools

Compelling Instagram captions will lead to more engagement. And engagement is one of the key three factors the Instagram algorithm considers when ordering content in users’ feeds.

Get more likes and comments, and your followers will see your photos and videos more often.

Read on for a list of winning Instagram caption ideas and get tips on how to write your own.

Table of contents

What makes a great Instagram caption?

11 tips for crafting the perfect Instagram caption

Instagram caption ideas

Instagram captions tools

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps an adventure photographer used to grow from 0 to 110,000 followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.

What makes a great Instagram caption?

A great Instagram caption will add context, show off your brand’s personality, entertain the audience, and/or compel people to take action. Captions can be up to 2,200 characters in length, include emoji, and up to 30 hashtags. Of course that doesn’t mean your captions should be hashtag-ridden essays stuffed with cryptic emoji messages. As with any piece of good web writing, your Instagram caption should be attention-grabbing and easy to read and follow. It should also speak to the content and the audience.

Here’s how to write your own captions to boost engagement.

11 tips for crafting the perfect Instagram caption

1. Know your audience

Who of Instagram’s 1 billion million users fit your business’ target customer profile? Instagram demographics show us that the platform is used by people in all income brackets, and is slightly more popular among women than it is with men.

But those are the broad strokes. The better you know your audience, the easier it is to tailor your Instagram marketing strategy to their needs and expectations.

To that end, we recommend building audience personas. These archetypes outline basic details about your target customers, their goals, and their pain points.

Our guide to creating audience personas outlines the questions you need to ask yourself to determine who your customers are. How old are they? Where do they live? What sorts of jobs do they have? What do they do outside of work?

Once you know who you’re speaking to, you can answer questions that will inform what you put in your captions:

Will my audience understand this reference?

Are emojis and netspeak appropriate to use here? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Do I need to add more context to this post?

Answer those questions, and actioning on the next step will be much easier.

2. Identify your brand voice

If you haven’t identified your brand voice as part of a broader social media marketing strategy, ask yourself: ‘What are the qualities and values I want my brand to embody?’ Make a list and use it to shape your voice.

You might also try jotting down a few adjectives that describe your business and use those to find the right tone. “Bold,” “curious,” and “authoritative” might make sense for a travel brand, for example.

In general, Instagram users don’t expect a formal or serious tone. Of course it depends on the industry and audience, but you should strive to keep things light, use humor where appropriate, and show personality.

The people behind Lego’s instagram account do a great job of this, combining humor and whimsy to tell the brand’s story.

Can you imagine it’s been 50 years since the first LEGOLAND park opened! ???? Where was it again? ???????? #LEGOMinifigures #LEGOLAND #celebration

A post shared by LEGO (@lego) on Jun 7, 2018 at 2:16am PDT

3. Consider length

Remember that most people scroll through their Instagram feeds at a brisk pace. If there’s any doubt as to how long your caption should be, keep it brief. Give context where you need to, but if the post speaks for itself, let it.

Note: for posts in feeds, only the first three lines of a caption will be displayed. For captions longer than three lines, people will have to tap “More” to read the whole thing

If you want your entire caption to display, Instagram recommends using 125 characters or fewer.

Camping with Model X

A post shared by Tesla (@teslamotors) on Jun 14, 2018 at 9:21am PDT

That said, if there’s an interesting story to tell behind the photo, take the the time (and the generous character limit) to tell it.

National Geographic’s Instagram account is one of the best at longer-form captions. As impressive as the brand’s visuals are, the accompanying text always adds value.

Photograph by @PaulNicklen // The relationship between wildlife-based conservation and tourism is a complex one – one that the popular island of Isla Mujeres knows well. Hundreds of whale sharks congregate these warm, tropical waters every summer to feed on plankton and fish spawn. As filter feeders, these docile giants jut out their sizeable jaws and passively filter everything in their path near the waters surface. #FollowMe as @CristinaMittermeier and I, along with @Sea_Legacy, explore the potential ramifications of dealing with hundreds of tourists, and their boats, in these feeding grounds. #Ocean #Conservation #Tourism #Underwater #WhaleShark #Mexico

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Jul 21, 2018 at 3:00am PDT

For further reading on this point, check out our guide to the ideal social media post length for every network.

4. Place the most important words at the beginning of the caption

Again, captions are cut off in users’ feeds after a few lines of text, so you need to convey your key point or call to action right away. Put any @mentions and hashtags (more on those later) at the end.

Also, leading with the most important words is just good writing. Hook the reader in and give them a reason to tap “More.”

5. Edit and rewrite

Take your time and don’t be afraid to go through several drafts, especially if your captions are more than a few lines long. Great writing—whether you’re aiming humor or education—takes multiple drafts and edits

Make sure every word supports the content and message you’re trying to convey. Cut out words that are clearly unnecessary to keep it as concise as possible.

You should also have someone else edit your work. A fresh pair of eyes will pick up mistakes you may have gone blind to after spending so much time staring at the text.

With a social media management tool like Hootsuite, you can set up your teams and workflows for post review and approval before any content is published.

More editing tips for social media marketers here.

6. Use hashtags, but use them wisely

Use hashtags that are relevant to your post and target audience. And don’t use so many that they crowd your copy and make it difficult to read.

If you don’t want to clutter your captions, there are two ways to “hide” your hashtags:

Separate your hashtags from the rest of your caption by burying them beneath periods and line breaks. Once you’ve finished composing your caption, tap the 123 key. Select Return and then enter a period, dash, or asterisk. Repeat those steps at least five times. Because Instagram caps off captions after three lines, the hashtags won’t be viewable to users unless they tap the “More” option.

Don’t put hashtags in your captions at all. Instead, write them in the comment section right after you publish the post. Once other people leave a few comments, the hashtags won’t be viewable unless the option to “See all” is selected.

7. Pose a question

One of the easiest ways to get more comments on your photo is by using the caption to pose a question to your followers.

It could be a skill-testing question, an open-ended question, or multiple choice.

Looking for the perfect summer outfit? We’ve put together a list of the best online Korean retailers to shop from this summer! And because we know you’d rather spend your money a cool vacay with friends or on margaritas at the beach, there are some GREAT affordable options. Tap the link in bio to get shopping. Then tell us which outfit is your fave: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6? ???? ????: @mixxmix_usa @66girls @chuu_official @stylenanda_korea @aland_store @8seconds_official . #theklog #fashion #fashionblogger #kfashion #outfitstyle #outfitinspo #outfittoday #outfitstyle #fashionistas #koreanoutfits #koreanoutfit

A post shared by The Klog (@theklog) on Jun 23, 2018 at 8:02am PDT

You could also use the caption to get tips or recommendations from the audience.

8. Give a shout-out with an @mention

Does your post feature another Instagram user? Include their username in the caption so your followers can check out their profile too.

By mentioning another user in the caption, you’ll likely compel that user—and possibly some of their followers—to comment on, like, or share your content.

This Montreal loft's architecture coupled with simple, tasteful style mix to make a warm, modern, and industrial home. See the full tour via the link in our bio. (Image: @happymagicwindow | Home: @maggwil)

A post shared by Apartment Therapy (@apartmenttherapy) on Jun 22, 2018 at 9:29am PDT

9. Encourage engagement with a call to action

Want to drive engagement? Ask for it by inviting people to leave a comment, tag their friends, or weigh in with an opinion.

Intel’s #CES2016 #Ninebot robot butler wants a new name! Post your suggestions in the comments and we’ll reveal the best name tomorrow.

A post shared by Intel Corporation (@intel) on Jan 8, 2016 at 11:32am PST

Of course, the content of your post will have to be compelling for them to want to do that. So be sure to put your best foot forward before you put your hand out. It will reflect poorly on your brand if you try to solicit engagement but receive only silence in return.

Alternatively, you could make your call to action too good to refuse. Run a comment-to-win contest with a cool prize.

10. Don’t be afraid to use emoji

The animated icons can help draw the reader’s eye in and are a great way to add a bit of personality.

The great marketing showdown: ????️????????️

A post shared by MailChimp (@mailchimp) on Feb 8, 2018 at 3:21pm PST

Emoji can also stand in for entire words, keeping your copy short and fun.

#LoveIsLove is ❤️ is ❤️. #Pride ????️‍????

A post shared by Starbucks Coffee ☕ (@starbucks) on Jun 18, 2018 at 8:18am PDT

11. Try using quotes

Not the cliché inspirational variety, but ones that are specific to the post. Maybe it’s a quote from the person who captured the photo, as GoPro often does with their user-generated content.

#GoPro Featured Photographer: @rorykramer "I am often asked how I got to where I am so quickly in my career.  A few DJs saw my personal youtube videos and asked me to tour with them.  I quit my job on my 30th Birthday and pushed myself every second and every opportunity I got.  I went places on stage I wasn't supposed to be, I shot in a perspective that was different yet true to myself, and I always put my content out the very next day.  Many of my videos I wasn't asked or hired to shoot, I knew I had to get the content in front of the right eyes so I would just shoot it and see what happened.  That resulted in a music video for @avicii , lyric videos for @thechainsmokers , + 2 music videos for Justin Bieber. #Runit" #GoPro #GoProMusic #dvbbs # Settings:  Burst Mode set to 30/3, handheld.

A post shared by GoPro (@gopro) on Aug 26, 2016 at 6:43pm PDT

Or it could be a quote from the person featured in the post, as Nike has done with this video starring soccer star Neymar da Silva Santos.

“If my football brought me to where I am, then I don’t need to change” -@neymarjr #JustDoIt

A post shared by nike (@nike) on Jun 22, 2018 at 12:05am PDT

Instagram caption ideas from the brands that do them best

Now that you know how to write great captions, let’s look at some of the most effective caption types and how successful brands use them to engage the audience.

The follow-the-link CTA caption

Airbnb uses captions to compel followers to click the always-rotating link in their bio for more information, and/or check out their latest Instagram Story.

What started as “A Good Night” became so much more. @JohnLegend turned an intimate poolside concert at a historic Bevery Hills villa into an unforgettable party with a purpose. All fees went to his @letsfreeamerica campaign for justice reform. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Watch our Instagram Story to see how the night went and click the link in our bio for more #AirbnbConcerts that feature extraordinary artists in unique spaces.

A post shared by Airbnb (@airbnb) on Jun 23, 2018 at 9:26am PDT

The behind-the-scenes caption

Instagram is a great platform for behind-the-scenes content. Lush Cosmetics often explains how their products are made in their captions.

We use real, fresh bananas in our Jungle Solid Conditioner to deep condition and smooth curly, dry, or frizzy hair. #welcometothejungle

A post shared by Lush Cosmetics North America (@lushcosmetics) on Jul 26, 2016 at 4:03pm PDT

The informative caption

General Electric’s Instagram captions are full of compelling facts about science, nature, and company initiatives.

61 GE turbines dot this mountainous landscape in British Columbia, Canada. Part of the Meikle Wind project, these turbines help generate 180 megawatts of renewable electricity, enough to power more than 50,000 homes. But these turbines are not all the same—two different models match local wind conditions to capture energy more efficiently. #Meikle #Canada #renewables #wind #turbines #energysmart

A post shared by GE (@generalelectric) on Mar 26, 2018 at 9:02am PDT

The instructional caption

Tasty, BuzzFeed’s food channel, pairs step-by-step cooking videos with the recipe itself. Simple + useful = a great caption.

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Potatoes Servings: 4 – 6 INGREDIENTS 3 russet potatoes, sliced 4 tablespoons olive oil Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon paprika ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded Parsley, chopped PREPARATION 1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F / 200˚C. 2. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil and toss to coat. 3. In a small bowl, mix salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Sprinkle seasoning on potatoes and toss to coat. 4. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from the oven, sprinkle with parmesan and pepper, then bake for an additional 20 minutes. 5. Sprinkle potatoes with fresh parsley and serve while hot. 6. Enjoy!

A post shared by Tasty (@buzzfeedtasty) on Sep 6, 2016 at 5:10pm PDT

The contest or giveaway caption

There are few things on Instagram more appealing than the promise of free stuff. If you’re running an Instagram contest, promote it in the caption by explaining to the audience how to enter and what they can win.

Introducing a new take on Secret Santa ????????. Twelve Instagrammers plus all of you. Here's how it works. 1. We'll reveal each Instagrammer's Secret Santa on our feed 2. You tag a friend that you want to surprise in the comments (tell us a little about them) 3. We'll pick one person in each post to receive a gift ————————— To start things off our dear friend @kimathomas got @katewinsy our Cotton Tank and a pair of Leather Street Shoes. Congratulations to @white_lux, your Secret Santa is @carrielondon.

A post shared by Everlane (@everlane) on Dec 15, 2015 at 9:00am PST

The storyteller caption

If your post needs context, then by all means take advantage of Instagram’s generous character count.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find any brand on Instagram that tells more compelling stories than Humans of New York.

“Obama had been president for six days. The old timers in the twelve-step program tell you to associate the memory with something—so that’s how I remember it. The weather was just like this, even though it was November. It was sixtyish degrees. I was sitting on a stoop, having my morning beer and cigarette, and feeling disgusted with myself. I was wheezing so bad that it felt like I’d swallowed a whistle. And I had this moment of clarity. I knew I was done. So I took a couple more swigs, threw the pack of Newports into traffic, and walked over to Project Renewal on 3rd Street. I’ll be ten years sober if I can make it until November 10th. That was my day. And it still is my day. Even if I fail, I’ll remember that on that day I succeeded. And if I did it then, I can do it again.”

A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on Jun 15, 2018 at 10:33am PDT

The minimalist caption

We’ve already stated it in this post, but it bears repeating: if your content is attention-grabbing and speaks for itself, a short caption is best.

Glowing words from @andrewling ✨

A post shared by Adobe (@adobe) on Jul 13, 2018 at 4:28pm PDT

Instagram caption tools

Here are a few apps and tools to help you write the very best Instagram captions.

Captiona

Captiona will help you come up with ideas for your captions.

It works like a predictive search engine. Enter a keyword that relates to the content, and the app will deliver a list of suggested captions.

While you should always strive for originality, if you’re stuck you can use it as a creative springboard. Riff off the suggestions, but don’t copy them verbatim. Be original to standout from the crowd.

Hemingway app

Named for Ernest Hemingway, the desktop tool promises to make your writing “bold and clear.” It analyzes text and, with color-coded highlights, points out where your writing has become sloppy or indulgent. This allows you to easily cut down run-on sentences and swap out needlessly difficult words for simpler alternatives.

Readability is key, especially on a medium like Instagram where users scroll through content quickly. The Hemingway app will help you craft clear, punchy copy that draws in a scanning set of eyes.

Grammarly

Grammarly will catch errors that most traditional spell check tools miss—everything from inconsistent use of tense to missing commas. The tool will even offer synonym suggestions to help add variety to your writing.

And that’s it. You have the ideas, tips, and tools to write compelling Instagram captions of your own. Now get posting.

Easily manage your Instagram presence using Hootsuite. From the same dashboard that you run all your other social profiles from, you can schedule and publish posts, monitor performance, and much more. Try it free today.

Get Started

The post How to Write Good Instagram Captions: Tips, Ideas, and Tools appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

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Trump Reverses Course on the Release of JFK Files

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Trump Reverses Course on the Release of JFK Files

The Fox Mulders of the world will have to wait a little longer for the full official account of John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

President Trump ordered the National Archives not to release part of the final batch of federal documents on the 1963 slaying of his predecessor on Thursday night, citing national-security concerns. The directive ran counter to Trump’s announcement earlier this month that all remaining files would be released.

“This temporary withholding from full public disclosure is necessary to protect against harm to the military defense, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or the conduct of foreign relations that is of such gravity that it outweighs the public interest in immediate disclosure,” Trump said in a memo to federal agencies.

Related Story

Conspiracy Theories Are for Underdogs

According to the White House, federal archivists have released 2,800 documents in full on Thursday while the remainder will be released “on a rolling basis” after security vetting. “The President has demanded unprecedented transparency from the agencies and directed them to minimize redactions without delay,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. “The National Archives will therefore release more records, with redactions only in the rarest of circumstances, by the deadline of April 26, 2018.”

The official account of Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963 is largely accepted by historians: that the president was slain by Lee Harvey Oswald, a disaffected former Marine who was enamored with Soviet ideology, and that Oswald had no co-conspirators. The president’s death was a watershed moment in modern American history, remembered as vividly by those who lived through it as the Japanese Empire’s raid on Pearl Harbor or the September 11 attacks.

But that explanation—that a misguided 20-something killed the most powerful man in the world for no clear reason—never quite stuck with the American public. Skepticism toward the Warren Commission’s conclusions only deepened over the next decade as the Vietnam War and Watergate sapped faith in government institutions. Today, only one-third of Americans believe that a single gunman killed Kennedy.

Congress set a ticking clock in motion for the federal government to release all its files on the assassination in 1992 when it passed the JFK Records Act. Lawmakers set a deadline to address the public’s appetite for full disclosure after the release of Oliver Stone’s film JFK in 1991. The movie casts Kennedy’s murder as part of a larger conspiracy by Lyndon B. Johnson and American intelligence agencies to seize power. The film ends with a caption stating the government’s files on the matter wouldn’t be released until 2029.

Under the JFK Records Act, the files must instead be made public by October 26, 2017, exactly 25 years after the law went into force. The National Archives has released almost 320,000 documents either in full or with redactions since then. However, a provision allows the president to keep some documents secret if their release would endanger American national security. Transparency advocates have questioned why files about one of the most important moments in modern American history should be kept from the American people.

Historians and JFK experts are largely skeptical that any bombshells linger in the government’s remaining cache. “I’ve always thought that the release of these documents is going to be something like what happened on New Year’s Eve 2000,” author Josiah Thompson told my colleague Adrienne LaFrance earlier this month. “A great big zero of happening!” Why the remaining documents would still be secret after more than a half-century may be the greater mystery. One hypothesis is that their release could expose sources and methods used by U.S. intelligence agencies in Mexico and the Soviet Union to investigate Oswald’s movements and motives.

For Trump, the sudden reversal on Thursday night squashes a moment he had publicly hyped. “Subject to the receipt of further information, I will be allowing, as President, the long blocked and classified JFK FILES to be opened,” he wrote on Twitter earlier this month, although the deadline had been established by federal law. Another tweet sent on Wednesday built the suspense as if it were a reality-television plot twist: “The long anticipated release of the #JFKFiles will take place tomorrow,” the president wrote. “So interesting!”

Trump himself is no stranger to alternative theories about Kennedy’s assassination. During the presidential campaign last year, he latched onto a National Enquirer report to suggest Rafael Cruz, the father of then-opponent Ted Cruz, may have played a role in the president’s slaying—a suggestion not backed by evidence. The elder Cruz is a Cuban emigrant who relocated to the United States in the 1950s. His son, a Texas senator, dismissed those allegations about his father as “another garbage story in a tabloid full of garbage.” Cruz told NBC he hopes the files would reveal the claim to be “beyond ludicrous.”

The National Archive will publish the final records on its website as they are released to the public.

Original Article:

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[bizmediaweb]

How to Write The Best Instagram Captions: Ideas, Tips, and Strategy

Compelling visuals may be what Instagram is all about, but an effective Instagram caption will push the engagement needle, getting you more Likes and comments. And engagement, dear readers, is key.

The Instagram algorithm displays posts in a user’s feeds “based on the likelihood [that person] will be interested in the content.” That means that a photo or video with lots of comments and Likes has a better chance of appearing at or near the top of your followers’ home streams.

In this guide we’ll show you what goes into a great caption and how to go about crafting your own. We’ll also serve up a collection of Instagram caption ideas and examples from the brands that do them best so you can learn from the pros.

If you need help adding, editing, or deleting the caption of an existing post, check out Instagram’s quick how-to guide.

Table of contents

What makes a good Instagram caption?

12 tips for crafting the perfect Instagram caption

Instagram caption ideas from the brands that do them best

Instagram caption tools

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps an adventure photographer used to grow from 0 to 110,000 followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear. Plus we’ll show you how you can use Hootsuite to grow your own following on Instagram and other platforms.

What makes a good Instagram caption?

A great Instagram caption will add context, show off your brand’s personality, entertain the audience, and prompt your followers to take action. Captions can be up to 2,200 characters in length, include emoji, and up to 30 hashtags.

Of course that doesn’t mean your captions should be hashtag-ridden essays with lots of distracting emoji. As with any piece of good web copy, your Instagram caption should be attention-grabbing and easy to read. It should also speak to the content and your audience.

12 tips for crafting the perfect Instagram caption

1. Know your audience

Who of 700 million monthly active users are your customers and prospects? As explained in our post, The Top Instagram Demographics That Matter to Social Media Marketers, the platform is used by people in all income brackets and is slightly more popular among women than it is with men.

But those are the broad strokes. The better you know your audience, the easier it is to engage them with your Instagram marketing.

Because you can’t possibly know every prospect, we recommend building audience personas. These archetypes outline basic details about your target customers, their goals, and their pain points.

Our guide to creating audience personas outlines the questions you need to ask yourself to determine who your customers are. How old are they? Where do they live? What sorts of jobs do they have? What do they do outside of work?

Once you know who you’re speaking to, you can answer questions such as:

Will my audience understand this reference?

Are emojis and netspeak appropriate to use here? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Do I need to add more context to this photo?

Answer those, and you’re well on your way to satisfying tip number two.

2. Identify your brand voice

If you haven’t identified your brand voice as part of a broader social media marketing plan, ask yourself: what are the qualities and values I want my brand to embody? Make a list and use it to shape your voice. You might also try jotting down a few adjectives that describe your brand and use those to refine the voice.

You might also try jotting down a few adjectives that describe your business and use those to refine the voice. “Bold,” “curious,” and “authoritative” might make sense for a travel brand, for example.

In general, Instagram users don’t expect a formal or serious tone. Of course it depends on the industry and audience, but you should strive to keep things light, use humor where appropriate, and show your personality.

The social media marketing team at Oreo do a great job of this, combining humor and whimsy to tell the brand’s story.

One very small step for snacks.

A post shared by OREO (@oreo) on May 19, 2015 at 9:45am PDT

3. Consider length

Remember that most people scroll through their Instagram feeds at a brisk pace. If there’s any doubt as to how long your caption should be, keep it brief. Give context where you need to, but if the post speaks for itself, let it.

Let's camp ✨ #TeslaRoadTrip

A post shared by Tesla (@teslamotors) on Aug 25, 2016 at 8:53pm PDT

That said, if there’s an interesting story to tell behind the photo, then share it. National Geographic’s Instagram account is one of the best at the longer-form caption. As impressive as the magazine’s visuals are, the accompanying text always adds value.

Photo by @BrianSkerry. A rare encounter with a mother and calf Northern Right Whale Dolphin in the waters of Cortes Banks, located 100-miles off of San Diego, California. These elusive dolphins have a stunning black-and-white coloration and also lack a dorsal fin. The rich marine ecosystem here is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including many species of fish and invertebrates living near the sea floor and pelagic animals – like these Dolphins – in the waters above. The unique habitat of kelp forest and surf grass at Cortes Banks, along with the influence of ocean currents, creates an oasis for animals that thrive in these special waters. Coverage from an upcoming story in @NatGeo about special marine ecosystems in US waters. @thephotosociety #cortes #banks #northern #right #whale #dolphin #nature #photography #underwater #california #on #assignment #san #diego #national #geographic

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Aug 26, 2016 at 3:34pm PDT

4. Place the most important words at the beginning of your caption

Captions are cut off in users’ feeds after a few lines of text, so you need to convey your key point or call to action right away. Put any @mentions and hashtags (more on those later) at the end.

Also, leading with the most important words is simply good writing practice. Hook the reader in and give her a reason to tap more.

5. Edit and rewrite

Take your time and don’t be afraid to go through several drafts, especially if your captions are more than a few lines long. Great copy—whether it be humorous or inspirational—always comes on the rewrite.

Make sure every word supports the content and message you’re trying to convey. Cut out words that are clearly unnecessary to keep it as concise as possible.

You should also have someone else edit your work. A fresh pair of eyes will pick up mistakes you may have gone blind to after spending so much time staring at the text. With a social media management tool like Hootsuite, you can set up your teams and workflows for post review and approval before any content is published.

6. Use hashtags, but use them wisely

Instagram posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6 percent more engagement than those with no hashtags, according to a study by Simply Measured. So use them when they are relevant to your post and target audience—but don’t use so many that they crowd your copy and make it difficult to read.

As we explain in The Complete Instagram Hashtag Guide for Business, if you don’t want to clutter your captions, there are two ways to “hide” your hashtags:

Separate your hashtags from the rest of your caption by burying them beneath periods and line breaks. Once you’ve finished composing your caption, tap the 123 key. Select return and then enter a period, dash, or asterisk. Repeat those steps at least five times. Because Instagram caps off captions after three lines, the hashtags won’t be viewable to users unless they tap the more option.

Don’t put hashtags in your captions at all. Instead, include them in the comment section below your post. Once other people leave a few comments, the hashtags won’t be viewable unless the option to See all is selected.

7. Pose a question

One of the easiest ways to get more comments on your photo is by using the caption to pose a question to your followers.

It could be a yes or no question, a skill-testing question, or an open-ended question.

Fun and feminine with a contemporary dose of cool. How will you interpret autumn's new look? #HM

A post shared by H&M (@hm) on Aug 26, 2016 at 3:42am PDT

You could also use the caption to solicit your audience for tips or recommendations.

8. Give a shout-out with an @mention

Does your post feature another Instagram user? Include their handle in the caption so your followers can check out their profile too. By mentioning another user in the caption, you’ll likely compel that user—and possibly some of his followers—to also engage with your content.

9. Encourage engagement with a call to action

Want to drive engagement? Ask for it by inviting people to leave a comment, tag their friends, or weigh in with an opinion.

Intel’s #CES2016 #Ninebot robot butler wants a new name! Post your suggestions in the comments and we’ll reveal the best name tomorrow.

A post shared by Intel Corporation (@intel) on Jan 8, 2016 at 11:32am PST

Of course the content of the post will have to be compelling for them to want to do that—so be sure to put your best foot forward before you put your hand out. It will reflect poorly on your brand if you try to solicit engagement but receive only silence in return.

Alternatively you could make your call to action too good to refuse. Ask your followers to enter a contest to win a prize.

10. Don’t be afraid to use emoji

Are emoji appropriate to use within an Instagram caption? 💯

The animated icons can help draw the reader’s eye in and are a great way to add a bit of personality to your caption.

🍍 🍊 🍈 🍍 🍉

A post shared by MailChimp (@mailchimp) on Aug 2, 2016 at 2:55pm PDT

Emoji can also stand in for entire words, keeping your copy short and fun.

August suddenly tastes like Hawaii. 🌴🏄🏼🌞-infused #Kopelani blend is here! #CupOfHawaii Shop the link in our bio! 👆

A post shared by Starbucks Coffee ☕ (@starbucks) on Aug 9, 2016 at 9:56am PDT

11. Try using quotes

Not the clichéd inspirational variety, but ones that are specific to the post. Maybe it’s a quote from the person who captured the photo, as GoPro often does with their user-generated content.

#GoPro Featured Photographer: @rorykramer "I am often asked how I got to where I am so quickly in my career.  A few DJs saw my personal youtube videos and asked me to tour with them.  I quit my job on my 30th Birthday and pushed myself every second and every opportunity I got.  I went places on stage I wasn't supposed to be, I shot in a perspective that was different yet true to myself, and I always put my content out the very next day.  Many of my videos I wasn't asked or hired to shoot, I knew I had to get the content in front of the right eyes so I would just shoot it and see what happened.  That resulted in a music video for @avicii , lyric videos for @thechainsmokers , + 2 music videos for Justin Bieber. #Runit" #GoPro #GoProMusic #dvbbs # Settings:  Burst Mode set to 30/3, handheld.

A post shared by gopro (@gopro) on Aug 26, 2016 at 6:43pm PDT

Or it could be a quote from the person featured in the post, as Nike has done with this Instagram video starring Paralympian Scout Bassett.

“The only person that’s going to have power over me, is me.” ⠀ @scoutbassett doesn’t just push limits. She sets them. #justdoit

A post shared by nike (@nike) on Aug 30, 2016 at 9:16am PDT

12. Schedule your Instagram posts for optimal engagement

Once you’ve crafted the perfect caption to go along with your picture-perfect post, it’s time to publish that bad boy. Or is it?

Depending on your audience and region, there might be more optimal times to post on Instagram. As we preach in our guide The Best Time to Post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, consider your target audience and what parts of the day they would most likely be scrolling through their feeds.

What time are they waking up for a first-thing-in-the-morning browse? When do they break for lunch? And when would they be passing time on their commutes home?

With Hootsuite, you can upload an Instagram photo or video, add a caption, and schedule it for publishing later.

And scheduling your post in advance will give you more time to make further changes. Give your brain a rest between drafts and you might come up with an even better caption or a way to improve the phrasing.

Instagram caption ideas from the brands that do them best

Now that you know how to write the perfect caption, let’s look at some of the most effective caption types and how brands use them to engage their audiences.

The follow-the-link CTA caption

Airbnb uses Instagram to preview accommodations and encourages their fans to click the link in their Instagram bio (which is always changing) to be taken to the listing for more information.

“Work from home” takes on a whole new meaning when your office is inside this craftsman gem in Venice, California. Vine covered interior walls coat this cozy back cottage for a day filled with natural light and inspiration. Listing details for this unique, rustic space are in the link in our bio. Photo cred: @whitneyleighmorris

A post shared by Airbnb (@airbnb) on Aug 29, 2016 at 10:26am PDT

For more tips on how to optimize your Instagram bio for engagement, check out our post Instagram Bio Ideas for Business.

The behind-the-scenes caption

Instagram is a great platform for giving your audience a behind-the-scenes look at your brand. Lush Cosmetics does a great job at this, using their captions to explain how their products are made.

We use real, fresh bananas in our Jungle Solid Conditioner to deep condition and smooth curly, dry, or frizzy hair. #welcometothejungle

A post shared by Lush Cosmetics North America (@lushcosmetics) on Jul 26, 2016 at 4:03pm PDT

The informative and educational caption

General Electric’s Instagram captions are full of compelling facts about science, nature, and company initiatives.

This week, #GE is going under the microscope to celebrate the #lifesciences and feature some cool #nanograms. Here, we can see a low-magnification image of the upper body region of a common fruit fly, which can carry serious diseases and destroy crops. But they can also be useful: housefly larvae feed on a wide range of decaying matter and waste. Research suggests that this adaptation could be used to combat ever-increasing amounts of waste and trash. Does that make them a friend or a foe? #biology #instascience #cellimaging #GEcellfies

A post shared by GE (@generalelectric) on Jun 27, 2016 at 9:44am PDT

The instructional caption

Tasty, BuzzFeed’s food channel, pairs step-by-step cooking videos with the recipe itself. Simple + useful = a great caption.

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Potatoes Servings: 4 – 6 INGREDIENTS 3 russet potatoes, sliced 4 tablespoons olive oil Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon paprika ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded Parsley, chopped PREPARATION 1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F / 200˚C. 2. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil and toss to coat. 3. In a small bowl, mix salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Sprinkle seasoning on potatoes and toss to coat. 4. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from the oven, sprinkle with parmesan and pepper, then bake for an additional 20 minutes. 5. Sprinkle potatoes with fresh parsley and serve while hot. 6. Enjoy!

A post shared by Tasty (@buzzfeedtasty) on Sep 6, 2016 at 5:10pm PDT

The contest or giveaway caption

There are few things on Instagram more appealing than the promise of free stuff. If you’re running an Instagram contest, promote it in the caption by explaining to the audience how to enter and what they can win.

Introducing a new take on Secret Santa 🙊🎅. Twelve Instagrammers plus all of you. Here's how it works. 1. We'll reveal each Instagrammer's Secret Santa on our feed 2. You tag a friend that you want to surprise in the comments (tell us a little about them) 3. We'll pick one person in each post to receive a gift ————————— To start things off our dear friend @kimathomas got @katewinsy our Cotton Tank and a pair of Leather Street Shoes. Congratulations to @white_lux, your Secret Santa is @carrielondon.

A post shared by Everlane (@everlane) on Dec 15, 2015 at 9:00am PST

The cross-platform promotion caption

If there’s more to the story than what you’re able to post on Instagram, encourage the audience to check out one of your other social profiles for a closer look. Mercedes Benz used this tactic to promote their behind-the-scenes Snapchat strategy.

That moment when you travel on the #Transalpina through #Romania and get stopped by a group of donkeys.🐴 That's what actually happened today on our #ChasingStars tour with the new #GLC #Coupé! 🚙😂 For more live impressions make sure to check out 👻mercedesbenz on #snapchat! #iaaa #stoppedbydonkeys #MercedesBenz #MBcar #RoadTrip #GLCCoupe #SUV #Mercedes #Benz #4MATIC

A post shared by Mercedes-Benz (@mercedesbenz) on Sep 1, 2016 at 6:07am PDT

The storyteller caption

As we noted in tip number three, if your post calls for context then by all means take advantage of Instagram’s generous character count.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find any brand or publisher on Instagram who consistently publishes more impactful captions than Humans of New York, which of course are always stories from the subjects of the images.

“I’ve always lived off my artwork all my life. I’ve lived all over the world. I’ve had fourteen common law wives. I’ve never needed money because I’m talented. Talent is better than money because it’s always with you. Let me give you an example. Back in 1970 I was getting dinner with a Japanese model at the Sao Paulo Hilton in Brazil. This guy from Texas was sitting at the table next to me, and he’s trying to order a steak, but he keeps sending it back to the kitchen. He keeps saying: ‘The steaks are better in Texas.’ After the second time he sends it back, the master chef comes out, and I hear him say in Portuguese: ‘I’m going to kill this man!’ Now being a Galician myself, I know the character of the Latin American people. If a French person says he’s going to kill you, you don’t have to worry. The French are lovers and all lovers are cowards. Trust me—several of my former wives are French. I know this. But when a Latin American tells you that he’s going to kill you, it’s time to leave. So I walked over to the man’s table and bought him a bottle of wine, and I talked with him about Texas. I knew all about Texas because I competed in fishing tournaments there. After a few minutes of talking, I tell the man: ‘If you order one more steak, you’re going to get killed with a machete.’ So he took my advice and he left. The entire restaurant staff came out and started singing to me with tambourines. They brought out free wine and a full spread. They said, ‘Your money is no good here.’ The Japanese model was so impressed. See what I mean? Talent.”

A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on Aug 7, 2016 at 2:56pm PDT

The minimalist caption

We’ve already stated it in this post, but it bears repeating: if your content is attention-grabbing and speaks for itself, a short—or even no caption—is best.

Now that's a breakfast spot. 🏃: @_felipecamargo_ & @sashadigiulian 📷: @marcelomaragni #brazil #adventure #climbing

A post shared by Red Bull (@redbull) on Sep 7, 2016 at 3:09am PDT

Instagram caption tools

A couple of apps to help improve your captions—from concept to copy.

Captiona

A tool that generates ideas for Instagram captions. While you should always strive for originality, if you’re really stuck with what to write you can use Captiona as a creative springboard.

The app is basically a search engine for social media captions. All you need to do is enter a keyword that relates to the content of your post, and the app will deliver a list of suggested captions.

Again, we suggest you use it to get your creative juices flowing. Riff off the suggestions, but don’t copy them verbatim. Be original to standout from the crowd.

Hemingway app

Named for Ernest Hemingway, the desktop tool promises to make your writing “bold and clear.” It analyzes text and, with color-coded highlights, points out where your writing has become sloppy or indulgent. Easily cut down on run-on sentences and swap out needlessly difficult words for simpler ones.

Readability is key, especially on a medium like Instagram where users scroll through content quickly. The Hemingway app will help you craft clear, punchy copy that draws in a scanning set of eyes.

Grammarly

Grammarly will catch errors that most traditional spellcheck tools miss—everything from inconsistent use of tense to the misuse of a comma. The tool will even offer synonym suggestions to help add variety to your writing.

Now that you’ve mastered the caption, you’re ready to start driving engagement on Instagram with Hootsuite. From within the dashboard you can easily upload a photo or video, add a caption, and schedule it for publishing later.

Learn More

The post How to Write The Best Instagram Captions: Ideas, Tips, and Strategy appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

How to Write The Best Instagram Captions: Ideas, Tips, and Strategy published first on http://ift.tt/2u73Z29

[coturesocial-blog]

Taylor Swift, is officially making her comeback and the world is going CRAZY for it! The 27-year-old ‘Bad Blood’ singer went completely MIA before this, so we made it our mission to find out what had been going on. However, we were confident that Taylor was working on top secret projects; we were right! Tay-Tay fans, prepare yourselves for the neck chick set to rock the world! Let’s take a look.

“Ooh, look what you made me do!”

The mood for Taylor’s new music and identity has officially been set. We’re sensing some ‘edgy bad gal’ vibes and it’s about time for her to step away from her old Disney-like character, right? And of course, her album is called ‘Reputation’! Her brand new single, ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ is super catchy but she got caught up in a little bit of drama…

Firstly, she claims that the old Taylor is dead and can’t come to the phone right now which people are assuming is a dig at Kanye. This is because of their camera-recorded disputes regarding his Famous track with an allegedly unapproved lyric about Taylor.

Secondly, the chorus of her new single has thrown the world back into the 90s with Right Said Fred’s ‘I’m too sexy’. If you give both tunes a listen you’ll get it straight away. What do you think? Are you feeling her new stylish aesthetic… we sure are intrigued!

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She has also completely revamped her social media, more specifically Instagram with the promos for her new music. Exciting times, right?! We’ll keep you updated with what’s yet to come.

But what was she up to when she went MIA before her comeback?

Firstly, Taylor was holding concerts and performing all over the world for many months. In addition to this, her and Zayn Malik released a track back in February for Fifty Shades Darker. This actually became extremely popular as it was all you could hear on the radio!

We’re wondering if she may have also worked on even more music for the next year too. Did you know: the second and third films were actually recorded together? No matter what happens, this chick sure knows how to produce number one hits like there’s no tomorrow!

She’s an extremely busy girl and it’s no wonder because the amount of friends she has is crazy! A phone-book of A-listers and dreamy ex-lovers… we’d love to take a peek! Taylor has also shown us that she is a big supporter of the LGBT+ community!

In other words, we spotted her hanging out with YouTube sensation Todrick Hall and ‘Orange Is The New Black’ actress Uzo Aduba! She was supporting Todrick’s drag role in a musical and she performed with Uzo whilst on her tour.

Chill-out Time for Taylor

She was also spending her time hanging out with many of her fellow girlfriends whilst enjoying some time off. Lorde, Gigi Hadid, Selena Gomez, Blake Lively and Cara Delevigne are just some of the few famous faces we spotted her with. We wouldn’t mind trading places sometime soon, that’s for sure!

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Whether she took the time off to chill with family or enjoy the world’s nature we’re sure good things are yet to come. We predicted that this country-turned-pop princess would be finding a new style to make a big comeback and we’re slowly starting to see it now.

With money to burn and time to kill, maybe she’s also enjoying time with a new boyfriend; could he be the perfect man? Before we reveal the newest rumoured romance, check out this round up of her previous beaus…

Taylor’s Love Life: If he’s an ex, who comes next?

This crazy cat lady has had a few whirlwind romances in the past but is there still time for someone to melt her heart as much as her cats!?

1. Joe Jonas – One of her earliest relationships that unfortunately ended via an alleged phone call. Oops!

2. Taylor Lautner – This gorgeous pair met on the film set of Valentine’s Day in 2009. They were obviously much better off as friends!

3. John Mayer – This alternative American singer-songwriter and guitarist just wasn’t quite compatible enough with Miss Swift!

4. Jake Gyllenhaal – This blue-eyed hunk was a few years older but still couldn’t capture Taylor’s heart.

5. Harry Styles – Her most infamous relationship as of yet with the gorgeous former 1-D member. Did we hear someone say they are never ever getting back together, like ever?

6. Calvin Harris – This Scottish record producer was apparently #MajorlyJealous of her fame. She’s a female boss, an adorably cute one, but she knows what she’s doing!

7. Tom Hiddleston – Finally, the most recent breakup. Once again, a guy that couldn’t quite handle Taylor’s popularity!

The Results: Who came out on top?

Having reminisced on her previous unfortunate failures in the love department, it’s time to get back to reality. Drumroll, please… Taylor’s rumoured current new boyfriend is Joe Alwyn. The 26-year-old British actor has definitely caught her attention as we spotted them having a cheeky coffee on the balcony on one of her lavish homes.

With this being her newest ‘relationship’, there have been reports of her strutting around North London (where she rents an apartment) in a wig to disguise herself! The life she has built for herself is incredible and she deserves to enjoy it peacefully when she can.

Maybe he could have been the inspiration for her new style, we have a feeling there is something special about him.

Fame & Fortune: Just how much is Taylor really worth?

Last year, she topped Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list with a reported earning of $170 million! We know, it’s hard to get your head around but this girl is incredibly successful and knows how to make a buck or two! When earning this amount of money, some would struggle with what to do with it. Well, Taylor is at the top of her game as she has invested in buying multiple properties all over the world!

That’s right! This beauty owns homes in Beverly Hills, Rhode Island, New York City and Nashville. From $17 million mansions to $40,000-a-month apartments, she sure is living one breathtaking life.

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Taylor Swift is always at the top of her game and we are #PowerCrushing on her 100%! In addition to this, she recently won a sexual assault case against a DJ which is just something else to add to her female boss status. Whats more is that this stunning young idol who teaches young girls to go after their dreams!

Cr: Instagram @taylorswift Cr: Instagram @joealwyn1989 Cr: Business Insider Cr: Daily Mail

Taylor Swift: Her Insta-Revamp, New Secret Boyfriend & Making More Music Taylor Swift, is officially making her comeback and the world is going CRAZY for it! The 27-year-old 'Bad Blood' singer went completely MIA before this, so we made it our mission to find out what had been going on.

[artsvark]

SAMA award winners BLK JKS to rock Soweto

The March edition of Sounds of Soweto – is going to be explosive when post rock group BLK JKS take to the stage.

BLK JKS (photo: Rebecca Smeyne)

BLK JKS (pronounced “black jacks”) defy description. With a wrecking crew rhythm section, debonair vocals, and guitar concoction of one part shred and two parts soul, BLK JKS shoot an African music sensibility through the tenets of rock. The band’s fresh, forward rhythm, layered harmony and elliptical guitar vernacular reveal the urban Zulu blues of Mbaqanga that is the centre of BLK JKS songwriting.

BLK JKS

Teaching themselves guitar on the same block where they both grew up, childhood friends Linda Buthelezi and Mpumi Mcata formed the band in 2000, and early BLK JKS shows garnered attention for their stacks of guitar drone and head-nodding beats. After the band’s current line-up took shape with the addition of bassist Molefi Makananise and drummer Tshepang Ramoba, both of Soweto, they embarked on a heavy touring schedule throughout South Africa that earned them a national following.

Signed to Secretly Canadian, one of America’s premier indie rock labels, BLK JKS have graced the cover of the trendsetting magazine FADER, and mounted tours of both the United States and Europe, including appearances at the enormous Rock al Parque festival in Bogota, Colombia, the South by Southwest and Big Chill festivals to mention a few.

Sounds of Soweto

Sounds of Soweto – which occurs on the last Friday of the month – is an opportunity for the theatre to celebrate music legends of yesterday while also discovering the musical voices of tomorrow that will be born of this historic township. The platform showcases bands that either come from Soweto or have a close relationship with Soweto in terms of their musical journey. For this event, Soweto Theatre has partnered with His and Hers Jams – a multimedia platform that focuses on artists that have been overlooked by the mainstream media but have a huge support in the alternative youth culture Space.

The event forms part of a partnership between Sounds of Soweto and the J&B Hive Johannesburg – which came about through an open call in November 2016 to help entrepreneurs to either turn their revolutionary idea into a reality or to take their existing business to the next level. Over 400 applications from various disciplines were received and after a rigorous selection process, Sounds of Soweto was among the region’s brilliant business minds that were chosen to become a part of the ever-growing J&B Hive Johannesburg community.

Doors open at 18:30 and the show starts at 20:00. Tickets are R130 and are available through www.sowetotheatre.com, by calling 0861 670 670 or via Webtickets. For group bookings of 10 or more, please contact the theatre directly on 011 930 7461/2/3. Special pension discounts are available.

Don’t miss Sounds of Soweto with BLK JKS on Friday, 31 March at the Soweto Theatre. Doors open at 18:30 and the show starts at 20:00.

Sounds of Soweto is supported by J&B Hive, Arts and Culture Trust, Nedbank Arts Affinity and Nine Nine Production.

SAMA award winners BLK JKS to rock Soweto was originally published on Artsvark

[unifiedsocialblog]

How to Write The Best Instagram Captions: Ideas, Tips, and Strategy

Compelling visuals may be what Instagram is all about, but an effective Instagram caption will push the engagement needle, getting you more Likes and comments. And engagement, dear readers, is key.

The Instagram algorithm displays posts in a user’s feeds “based on the likelihood [that person] will be interested in the content.” That means that a photo or video with lots of comments and Likes has a better chance of appearing at or near the top of your followers’ home streams.

In this guide we’ll show you what goes into a great caption and how to go about crafting your own. We’ll also serve up a collection of Instagram caption ideas and examples from the brands that do them best so you can learn from the pros.

If you need help adding, editing, or deleting the caption of an existing post, check out Instagram’s quick how-to guide.

Table of contents

What makes a good Instagram caption?

12 tips for crafting the perfect Instagram caption

Instagram caption ideas from the brands that do them best

Instagram caption tools

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps an adventure photographer used to grow from 0 to 110,000 followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear. Plus we’ll show you how you can use Hootsuite to grow your own following on Instagram and other platforms.

What makes a good Instagram caption?

A great Instagram caption will add context, show off your brand’s personality, entertain the audience, and prompt your followers to take action. Captions can be up to 2,200 characters in length, include emoji, and up to 30 hashtags.

Of course that doesn’t mean your captions should be hashtag-ridden essays with lots of distracting emoji. As with any piece of good web copy, your Instagram caption should be attention-grabbing and easy to read. It should also speak to the content and your audience.

12 tips for crafting the perfect Instagram caption

1. Know your audience

Who of 700 million monthly active users are your customers and prospects? As explained in our post, The Top Instagram Demographics That Matter to Social Media Marketers, the platform is used by people in all income brackets and is slightly more popular among women than it is with men.

But those are the broad strokes. The better you know your audience, the easier it is to engage them with your Instagram marketing.

Because you can’t possibly know every prospect, we recommend building audience personas. These archetypes outline basic details about your target customers, their goals, and their pain points.

Our guide to creating audience personas outlines the questions you need to ask yourself to determine who your customers are. How old are they? Where do they live? What sorts of jobs do they have? What do they do outside of work?

Once you know who you’re speaking to, you can answer questions such as:

Will my audience understand this reference?

Are emojis and netspeak appropriate to use here? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Do I need to add more context to this photo?

Answer those, and you’re well on your way to satisfying tip number two.

2. Identify your brand voice

If you haven’t identified your brand voice as part of a broader social media marketing plan, ask yourself: what are the qualities and values I want my brand to embody? Make a list and use it to shape your voice. You might also try jotting down a few adjectives that describe your brand and use those to refine the voice.

You might also try jotting down a few adjectives that describe your business and use those to refine the voice. “Bold,” “curious,” and “authoritative” might make sense for a travel brand, for example.

In general, Instagram users don’t expect a formal or serious tone. Of course it depends on the industry and audience, but you should strive to keep things light, use humor where appropriate, and show your personality.

The social media marketing team at Oreo do a great job of this, combining humor and whimsy to tell the brand’s story.

One very small step for snacks.

A post shared by OREO (@oreo) on May 19, 2015 at 9:45am PDT

3. Consider length

Remember that most people scroll through their Instagram feeds at a brisk pace. If there’s any doubt as to how long your caption should be, keep it brief. Give context where you need to, but if the post speaks for itself, let it.

Let's camp ✨ #TeslaRoadTrip

A post shared by Tesla (@teslamotors) on Aug 25, 2016 at 8:53pm PDT

That said, if there’s an interesting story to tell behind the photo, then share it. National Geographic’s Instagram account is one of the best at the longer-form caption. As impressive as the magazine’s visuals are, the accompanying text always adds value.

Photo by @BrianSkerry. A rare encounter with a mother and calf Northern Right Whale Dolphin in the waters of Cortes Banks, located 100-miles off of San Diego, California. These elusive dolphins have a stunning black-and-white coloration and also lack a dorsal fin. The rich marine ecosystem here is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including many species of fish and invertebrates living near the sea floor and pelagic animals – like these Dolphins – in the waters above. The unique habitat of kelp forest and surf grass at Cortes Banks, along with the influence of ocean currents, creates an oasis for animals that thrive in these special waters. Coverage from an upcoming story in @NatGeo about special marine ecosystems in US waters. @thephotosociety #cortes #banks #northern #right #whale #dolphin #nature #photography #underwater #california #on #assignment #san #diego #national #geographic

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Aug 26, 2016 at 3:34pm PDT

4. Place the most important words at the beginning of your caption

Captions are cut off in users’ feeds after a few lines of text, so you need to convey your key point or call to action right away. Put any @mentions and hashtags (more on those later) at the end.

Also, leading with the most important words is simply good writing practice. Hook the reader in and give her a reason to tap more.

5. Edit and rewrite

Take your time and don’t be afraid to go through several drafts, especially if your captions are more than a few lines long. Great copy—whether it be humorous or inspirational—always comes on the rewrite.

Make sure every word supports the content and message you’re trying to convey. Cut out words that are clearly unnecessary to keep it as concise as possible.

You should also have someone else edit your work. A fresh pair of eyes will pick up mistakes you may have gone blind to after spending so much time staring at the text. With a social media management tool like Hootsuite, you can set up your teams and workflows for post review and approval before any content is published.

6. Use hashtags, but use them wisely

Instagram posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6 percent more engagement than those with no hashtags, according to a study by Simply Measured. So use them when they are relevant to your post and target audience—but don’t use so many that they crowd your copy and make it difficult to read.

As we explain in The Complete Instagram Hashtag Guide for Business, if you don’t want to clutter your captions, there are two ways to “hide” your hashtags:

Separate your hashtags from the rest of your caption by burying them beneath periods and line breaks. Once you’ve finished composing your caption, tap the 123 key. Select return and then enter a period, dash, or asterisk. Repeat those steps at least five times. Because Instagram caps off captions after three lines, the hashtags won’t be viewable to users unless they tap the more option.

Don’t put hashtags in your captions at all. Instead, include them in the comment section below your post. Once other people leave a few comments, the hashtags won’t be viewable unless the option to See all is selected.

7. Pose a question

One of the easiest ways to get more comments on your photo is by using the caption to pose a question to your followers.

It could be a yes or no question, a skill-testing question, or an open-ended question.

Fun and feminine with a contemporary dose of cool. How will you interpret autumn's new look? #HM

A post shared by H&M (@hm) on Aug 26, 2016 at 3:42am PDT

You could also use the caption to solicit your audience for tips or recommendations.

8. Give a shout-out with an @mention

Does your post feature another Instagram user? Include their handle in the caption so your followers can check out their profile too. By mentioning another user in the caption, you’ll likely compel that user—and possibly some of his followers—to also engage with your content.

9. Encourage engagement with a call to action

Want to drive engagement? Ask for it by inviting people to leave a comment, tag their friends, or weigh in with an opinion.

Intel’s #CES2016 #Ninebot robot butler wants a new name! Post your suggestions in the comments and we’ll reveal the best name tomorrow.

A post shared by Intel Corporation (@intel) on Jan 8, 2016 at 11:32am PST

Of course the content of the post will have to be compelling for them to want to do that—so be sure to put your best foot forward before you put your hand out. It will reflect poorly on your brand if you try to solicit engagement but receive only silence in return.

Alternatively you could make your call to action too good to refuse. Ask your followers to enter a contest to win a prize.

10. Don’t be afraid to use emoji

Are emoji appropriate to use within an Instagram caption? 💯

The animated icons can help draw the reader’s eye in and are a great way to add a bit of personality to your caption.

🍍 🍊 🍈 🍍 🍉

A post shared by MailChimp (@mailchimp) on Aug 2, 2016 at 2:55pm PDT

Emoji can also stand in for entire words, keeping your copy short and fun.

August suddenly tastes like Hawaii. 🌴🏄🏼🌞-infused #Kopelani blend is here! #CupOfHawaii Shop the link in our bio! 👆

A post shared by Starbucks Coffee ☕ (@starbucks) on Aug 9, 2016 at 9:56am PDT

11. Try using quotes

Not the clichéd inspirational variety, but ones that are specific to the post. Maybe it’s a quote from the person who captured the photo, as GoPro often does with their user-generated content.

#GoPro Featured Photographer: @rorykramer "I am often asked how I got to where I am so quickly in my career.  A few DJs saw my personal youtube videos and asked me to tour with them.  I quit my job on my 30th Birthday and pushed myself every second and every opportunity I got.  I went places on stage I wasn't supposed to be, I shot in a perspective that was different yet true to myself, and I always put my content out the very next day.  Many of my videos I wasn't asked or hired to shoot, I knew I had to get the content in front of the right eyes so I would just shoot it and see what happened.  That resulted in a music video for @avicii , lyric videos for @thechainsmokers , + 2 music videos for Justin Bieber. #Runit" #GoPro #GoProMusic #dvbbs # Settings:  Burst Mode set to 30/3, handheld.

A post shared by gopro (@gopro) on Aug 26, 2016 at 6:43pm PDT

Or it could be a quote from the person featured in the post, as Nike has done with this Instagram video starring Paralympian Scout Bassett.

“The only person that’s going to have power over me, is me.” ⠀ @scoutbassett doesn’t just push limits. She sets them. #justdoit

A post shared by nike (@nike) on Aug 30, 2016 at 9:16am PDT

12. Schedule your Instagram posts for optimal engagement

Once you’ve crafted the perfect caption to go along with your picture-perfect post, it’s time to publish that bad boy. Or is it?

Depending on your audience and region, there might be more optimal times to post on Instagram. As we preach in our guide The Best Time to Post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, consider your target audience and what parts of the day they would most likely be scrolling through their feeds.

What time are they waking up for a first-thing-in-the-morning browse? When do they break for lunch? And when would they be passing time on their commutes home?

With Hootsuite, you can upload an Instagram photo or video, add a caption, and schedule it for publishing later.

And scheduling your post in advance will give you more time to make further changes. Give your brain a rest between drafts and you might come up with an even better caption or a way to improve the phrasing.

Instagram caption ideas from the brands that do them best

Now that you know how to write the perfect caption, let’s look at some of the most effective caption types and how brands use them to engage their audiences.

The follow-the-link CTA caption

Airbnb uses Instagram to preview accommodations and encourages their fans to click the link in their Instagram bio (which is always changing) to be taken to the listing for more information.

“Work from home” takes on a whole new meaning when your office is inside this craftsman gem in Venice, California. Vine covered interior walls coat this cozy back cottage for a day filled with natural light and inspiration. Listing details for this unique, rustic space are in the link in our bio. Photo cred: @whitneyleighmorris

A post shared by Airbnb (@airbnb) on Aug 29, 2016 at 10:26am PDT

For more tips on how to optimize your Instagram bio for engagement, check out our post Instagram Bio Ideas for Business.

The behind-the-scenes caption

Instagram is a great platform for giving your audience a behind-the-scenes look at your brand. Lush Cosmetics does a great job at this, using their captions to explain how their products are made.

We use real, fresh bananas in our Jungle Solid Conditioner to deep condition and smooth curly, dry, or frizzy hair. #welcometothejungle

A post shared by Lush Cosmetics North America (@lushcosmetics) on Jul 26, 2016 at 4:03pm PDT

The informative and educational caption

General Electric’s Instagram captions are full of compelling facts about science, nature, and company initiatives.

This week, #GE is going under the microscope to celebrate the #lifesciences and feature some cool #nanograms. Here, we can see a low-magnification image of the upper body region of a common fruit fly, which can carry serious diseases and destroy crops. But they can also be useful: housefly larvae feed on a wide range of decaying matter and waste. Research suggests that this adaptation could be used to combat ever-increasing amounts of waste and trash. Does that make them a friend or a foe? #biology #instascience #cellimaging #GEcellfies

A post shared by GE (@generalelectric) on Jun 27, 2016 at 9:44am PDT

The instructional caption

Tasty, BuzzFeed’s food channel, pairs step-by-step cooking videos with the recipe itself. Simple + useful = a great caption.

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Potatoes Servings: 4 – 6 INGREDIENTS 3 russet potatoes, sliced 4 tablespoons olive oil Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon paprika ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded Parsley, chopped PREPARATION 1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F / 200˚C. 2. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil and toss to coat. 3. In a small bowl, mix salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Sprinkle seasoning on potatoes and toss to coat. 4. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from the oven, sprinkle with parmesan and pepper, then bake for an additional 20 minutes. 5. Sprinkle potatoes with fresh parsley and serve while hot. 6. Enjoy!

A post shared by Tasty (@buzzfeedtasty) on Sep 6, 2016 at 5:10pm PDT

The contest or giveaway caption

There are few things on Instagram more appealing than the promise of free stuff. If you’re running an Instagram contest, promote it in the caption by explaining to the audience how to enter and what they can win.

Introducing a new take on Secret Santa 🙊🎅. Twelve Instagrammers plus all of you. Here's how it works. 1. We'll reveal each Instagrammer's Secret Santa on our feed 2. You tag a friend that you want to surprise in the comments (tell us a little about them) 3. We'll pick one person in each post to receive a gift ————————— To start things off our dear friend @kimathomas got @katewinsy our Cotton Tank and a pair of Leather Street Shoes. Congratulations to @white_lux, your Secret Santa is @carrielondon.

A post shared by Everlane (@everlane) on Dec 15, 2015 at 9:00am PST

The cross-platform promotion caption

If there’s more to the story than what you’re able to post on Instagram, encourage the audience to check out one of your other social profiles for a closer look. Mercedes Benz used this tactic to promote their behind-the-scenes Snapchat strategy.

That moment when you travel on the #Transalpina through #Romania and get stopped by a group of donkeys.🐴 That's what actually happened today on our #ChasingStars tour with the new #GLC #Coupé! 🚙😂 For more live impressions make sure to check out 👻mercedesbenz on #snapchat! #iaaa #stoppedbydonkeys #MercedesBenz #MBcar #RoadTrip #GLCCoupe #SUV #Mercedes #Benz #4MATIC

A post shared by Mercedes-Benz (@mercedesbenz) on Sep 1, 2016 at 6:07am PDT

The storyteller caption

As we noted in tip number three, if your post calls for context then by all means take advantage of Instagram’s generous character count.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find any brand or publisher on Instagram who consistently publishes more impactful captions than Humans of New York, which of course are always stories from the subjects of the images.

“I’ve always lived off my artwork all my life. I’ve lived all over the world. I’ve had fourteen common law wives. I’ve never needed money because I’m talented. Talent is better than money because it’s always with you. Let me give you an example. Back in 1970 I was getting dinner with a Japanese model at the Sao Paulo Hilton in Brazil. This guy from Texas was sitting at the table next to me, and he’s trying to order a steak, but he keeps sending it back to the kitchen. He keeps saying: ‘The steaks are better in Texas.’ After the second time he sends it back, the master chef comes out, and I hear him say in Portuguese: ‘I’m going to kill this man!’ Now being a Galician myself, I know the character of the Latin American people. If a French person says he’s going to kill you, you don’t have to worry. The French are lovers and all lovers are cowards. Trust me—several of my former wives are French. I know this. But when a Latin American tells you that he’s going to kill you, it’s time to leave. So I walked over to the man’s table and bought him a bottle of wine, and I talked with him about Texas. I knew all about Texas because I competed in fishing tournaments there. After a few minutes of talking, I tell the man: ‘If you order one more steak, you’re going to get killed with a machete.’ So he took my advice and he left. The entire restaurant staff came out and started singing to me with tambourines. They brought out free wine and a full spread. They said, ‘Your money is no good here.’ The Japanese model was so impressed. See what I mean? Talent.”

A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on Aug 7, 2016 at 2:56pm PDT

The minimalist caption

We’ve already stated it in this post, but it bears repeating: if your content is attention-grabbing and speaks for itself, a short—or even no caption—is best.

Now that's a breakfast spot. 🏃: @_felipecamargo_ & @sashadigiulian 📷: @marcelomaragni #brazil #adventure #climbing

A post shared by Red Bull (@redbull) on Sep 7, 2016 at 3:09am PDT

Instagram caption tools

A couple of apps to help improve your captions—from concept to copy.

Captiona

A tool that generates ideas for Instagram captions. While you should always strive for originality, if you’re really stuck with what to write you can use Captiona as a creative springboard.

The app is basically a search engine for social media captions. All you need to do is enter a keyword that relates to the content of your post, and the app will deliver a list of suggested captions.

Again, we suggest you use it to get your creative juices flowing. Riff off the suggestions, but don’t copy them verbatim. Be original to standout from the crowd.

Hemingway app

Named for Ernest Hemingway, the desktop tool promises to make your writing “bold and clear.” It analyzes text and, with color-coded highlights, points out where your writing has become sloppy or indulgent. Easily cut down on run-on sentences and swap out needlessly difficult words for simpler ones.

Readability is key, especially on a medium like Instagram where users scroll through content quickly. The Hemingway app will help you craft clear, punchy copy that draws in a scanning set of eyes.

Grammarly

Grammarly will catch errors that most traditional spellcheck tools miss—everything from inconsistent use of tense to the misuse of a comma. The tool will even offer synonym suggestions to help add variety to your writing.

Now that you’ve mastered the caption, you’re ready to start driving engagement on Instagram with Hootsuite. From within the dashboard you can easily upload a photo or video, add a caption, and schedule it for publishing later.

Learn More

The post How to Write The Best Instagram Captions: Ideas, Tips, and Strategy appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

How to Write The Best Instagram Captions: Ideas, Tips, and Strategy published first on http://ift.tt/2rEvyAw

[bizmediaweb]

How to Write The Best Instagram Captions: Ideas, Tips, and Strategy

Compelling visuals may be what Instagram is all about, but an effective Instagram caption will push the engagement needle, getting you more Likes and comments. And engagement, dear readers, is key.

The Instagram algorithm displays posts in a user’s feeds “based on the likelihood [that person] will be interested in the content.” That means that a photo or video with lots of comments and Likes has a better chance of appearing at or near the top of your followers’ home streams.

In this guide we’ll show you what goes into a great caption and how to go about crafting your own. We’ll also serve up a collection of Instagram caption ideas and examples from the brands that do them best so you can learn from the pros.

If you need help adding, editing, or deleting the caption of an existing post, check out Instagram’s quick how-to guide.

Table of contents

What makes a good Instagram caption?

12 tips for crafting the perfect Instagram caption

Instagram caption ideas from the brands that do them best

Instagram caption tools

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps an adventure photographer used to grow from 0 to 110,000 followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear. Plus we’ll show you how you can use Hootsuite to grow your own following on Instagram and other platforms.

What makes a good Instagram caption?

A great Instagram caption will add context, show off your brand’s personality, entertain the audience, and prompt your followers to take action. Captions can be up to 2,200 characters in length, include emoji, and up to 30 hashtags.

Of course that doesn’t mean your captions should be hashtag-ridden essays with lots of distracting emoji. As with any piece of good web copy, your Instagram caption should be attention-grabbing and easy to read. It should also speak to the content and your audience.

12 tips for crafting the perfect Instagram caption

1. Know your audience

Who of 700 million monthly active users are your customers and prospects? As explained in our post, The Top Instagram Demographics That Matter to Social Media Marketers, the platform is used by people in all income brackets and is slightly more popular among women than it is with men.

But those are the broad strokes. The better you know your audience, the easier it is to engage them with your Instagram marketing.

Because you can’t possibly know every prospect, we recommend building audience personas. These archetypes outline basic details about your target customers, their goals, and their pain points.

Our guide to creating audience personas outlines the questions you need to ask yourself to determine who your customers are. How old are they? Where do they live? What sorts of jobs do they have? What do they do outside of work?

Once you know who you’re speaking to, you can answer questions such as:

Will my audience understand this reference?

Are emojis and netspeak appropriate to use here? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Do I need to add more context to this photo?

Answer those, and you’re well on your way to satisfying tip number two.

2. Identify your brand voice

If you haven’t identified your brand voice as part of a broader social media marketing plan, ask yourself: what are the qualities and values I want my brand to embody? Make a list and use it to shape your voice. You might also try jotting down a few adjectives that describe your brand and use those to refine the voice.

You might also try jotting down a few adjectives that describe your business and use those to refine the voice. “Bold,” “curious,” and “authoritative” might make sense for a travel brand, for example.

In general, Instagram users don’t expect a formal or serious tone. Of course it depends on the industry and audience, but you should strive to keep things light, use humor where appropriate, and show your personality.

The social media marketing team at Oreo do a great job of this, combining humor and whimsy to tell the brand’s story.

One very small step for snacks.

A post shared by OREO (@oreo) on May 19, 2015 at 9:45am PDT

3. Consider length

Remember that most people scroll through their Instagram feeds at a brisk pace. If there’s any doubt as to how long your caption should be, keep it brief. Give context where you need to, but if the post speaks for itself, let it.

Let's camp ✨ #TeslaRoadTrip

A post shared by Tesla (@teslamotors) on Aug 25, 2016 at 8:53pm PDT

That said, if there’s an interesting story to tell behind the photo, then share it. National Geographic’s Instagram account is one of the best at the longer-form caption. As impressive as the magazine’s visuals are, the accompanying text always adds value.

Photo by @BrianSkerry. A rare encounter with a mother and calf Northern Right Whale Dolphin in the waters of Cortes Banks, located 100-miles off of San Diego, California. These elusive dolphins have a stunning black-and-white coloration and also lack a dorsal fin. The rich marine ecosystem here is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including many species of fish and invertebrates living near the sea floor and pelagic animals – like these Dolphins – in the waters above. The unique habitat of kelp forest and surf grass at Cortes Banks, along with the influence of ocean currents, creates an oasis for animals that thrive in these special waters. Coverage from an upcoming story in @NatGeo about special marine ecosystems in US waters. @thephotosociety #cortes #banks #northern #right #whale #dolphin #nature #photography #underwater #california #on #assignment #san #diego #national #geographic

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Aug 26, 2016 at 3:34pm PDT

4. Place the most important words at the beginning of your caption

Captions are cut off in users’ feeds after a few lines of text, so you need to convey your key point or call to action right away. Put any @mentions and hashtags (more on those later) at the end.

Also, leading with the most important words is simply good writing practice. Hook the reader in and give her a reason to tap more.

5. Edit and rewrite

Take your time and don’t be afraid to go through several drafts, especially if your captions are more than a few lines long. Great copy—whether it be humorous or inspirational—always comes on the rewrite.

Make sure every word supports the content and message you’re trying to convey. Cut out words that are clearly unnecessary to keep it as concise as possible.

You should also have someone else edit your work. A fresh pair of eyes will pick up mistakes you may have gone blind to after spending so much time staring at the text. With a social media management tool like Hootsuite, you can set up your teams and workflows for post review and approval before any content is published.

6. Use hashtags, but use them wisely

Instagram posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6 percent more engagement than those with no hashtags, according to a study by Simply Measured. So use them when they are relevant to your post and target audience—but don’t use so many that they crowd your copy and make it difficult to read.

As we explain in The Complete Instagram Hashtag Guide for Business, if you don’t want to clutter your captions, there are two ways to “hide” your hashtags:

Separate your hashtags from the rest of your caption by burying them beneath periods and line breaks. Once you’ve finished composing your caption, tap the 123 key. Select return and then enter a period, dash, or asterisk. Repeat those steps at least five times. Because Instagram caps off captions after three lines, the hashtags won’t be viewable to users unless they tap the more option.

Don’t put hashtags in your captions at all. Instead, include them in the comment section below your post. Once other people leave a few comments, the hashtags won’t be viewable unless the option to See all is selected.

7. Pose a question

One of the easiest ways to get more comments on your photo is by using the caption to pose a question to your followers.

It could be a yes or no question, a skill-testing question, or an open-ended question.

Fun and feminine with a contemporary dose of cool. How will you interpret autumn's new look? #HM

A post shared by H&M (@hm) on Aug 26, 2016 at 3:42am PDT

You could also use the caption to solicit your audience for tips or recommendations.

8. Give a shout-out with an @mention

Does your post feature another Instagram user? Include their handle in the caption so your followers can check out their profile too. By mentioning another user in the caption, you’ll likely compel that user—and possibly some of his followers—to also engage with your content.

9. Encourage engagement with a call to action

Want to drive engagement? Ask for it by inviting people to leave a comment, tag their friends, or weigh in with an opinion.

Intel’s #CES2016 #Ninebot robot butler wants a new name! Post your suggestions in the comments and we’ll reveal the best name tomorrow.

A post shared by Intel Corporation (@intel) on Jan 8, 2016 at 11:32am PST

Of course the content of the post will have to be compelling for them to want to do that—so be sure to put your best foot forward before you put your hand out. It will reflect poorly on your brand if you try to solicit engagement but receive only silence in return.

Alternatively you could make your call to action too good to refuse. Ask your followers to enter a contest to win a prize.

10. Don’t be afraid to use emoji

Are emoji appropriate to use within an Instagram caption? 💯

The animated icons can help draw the reader’s eye in and are a great way to add a bit of personality to your caption.

🍍 🍊 🍈 🍍 🍉

A post shared by MailChimp (@mailchimp) on Aug 2, 2016 at 2:55pm PDT

Emoji can also stand in for entire words, keeping your copy short and fun.

August suddenly tastes like Hawaii. 🌴🏄🏼🌞-infused #Kopelani blend is here! #CupOfHawaii Shop the link in our bio! 👆

A post shared by Starbucks Coffee ☕ (@starbucks) on Aug 9, 2016 at 9:56am PDT

11. Try using quotes

Not the clichéd inspirational variety, but ones that are specific to the post. Maybe it’s a quote from the person who captured the photo, as GoPro often does with their user-generated content.

#GoPro Featured Photographer: @rorykramer "I am often asked how I got to where I am so quickly in my career.  A few DJs saw my personal youtube videos and asked me to tour with them.  I quit my job on my 30th Birthday and pushed myself every second and every opportunity I got.  I went places on stage I wasn't supposed to be, I shot in a perspective that was different yet true to myself, and I always put my content out the very next day.  Many of my videos I wasn't asked or hired to shoot, I knew I had to get the content in front of the right eyes so I would just shoot it and see what happened.  That resulted in a music video for @avicii , lyric videos for @thechainsmokers , + 2 music videos for Justin Bieber. #Runit" #GoPro #GoProMusic #dvbbs # Settings:  Burst Mode set to 30/3, handheld.

A post shared by gopro (@gopro) on Aug 26, 2016 at 6:43pm PDT

Or it could be a quote from the person featured in the post, as Nike has done with this Instagram video starring Paralympian Scout Bassett.

“The only person that’s going to have power over me, is me.” ⠀ @scoutbassett doesn’t just push limits. She sets them. #justdoit

A post shared by nike (@nike) on Aug 30, 2016 at 9:16am PDT

12. Schedule your Instagram posts for optimal engagement

Once you’ve crafted the perfect caption to go along with your picture-perfect post, it’s time to publish that bad boy. Or is it?

Depending on your audience and region, there might be more optimal times to post on Instagram. As we preach in our guide The Best Time to Post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, consider your target audience and what parts of the day they would most likely be scrolling through their feeds.

What time are they waking up for a first-thing-in-the-morning browse? When do they break for lunch? And when would they be passing time on their commutes home?

With Hootsuite, you can upload an Instagram photo or video, add a caption, and schedule it for publishing later.

And scheduling your post in advance will give you more time to make further changes. Give your brain a rest between drafts and you might come up with an even better caption or a way to improve the phrasing.

Instagram caption ideas from the brands that do them best

Now that you know how to write the perfect caption, let’s look at some of the most effective caption types and how brands use them to engage their audiences.

The follow-the-link CTA caption

Airbnb uses Instagram to preview accommodations and encourages their fans to click the link in their Instagram bio (which is always changing) to be taken to the listing for more information.

“Work from home” takes on a whole new meaning when your office is inside this craftsman gem in Venice, California. Vine covered interior walls coat this cozy back cottage for a day filled with natural light and inspiration. Listing details for this unique, rustic space are in the link in our bio. Photo cred: @whitneyleighmorris

A post shared by Airbnb (@airbnb) on Aug 29, 2016 at 10:26am PDT

For more tips on how to optimize your Instagram bio for engagement, check out our post Instagram Bio Ideas for Business.

The behind-the-scenes caption

Instagram is a great platform for giving your audience a behind-the-scenes look at your brand. Lush Cosmetics does a great job at this, using their captions to explain how their products are made.

We use real, fresh bananas in our Jungle Solid Conditioner to deep condition and smooth curly, dry, or frizzy hair. #welcometothejungle

A post shared by Lush Cosmetics North America (@lushcosmetics) on Jul 26, 2016 at 4:03pm PDT

The informative and educational caption

General Electric’s Instagram captions are full of compelling facts about science, nature, and company initiatives.

This week, #GE is going under the microscope to celebrate the #lifesciences and feature some cool #nanograms. Here, we can see a low-magnification image of the upper body region of a common fruit fly, which can carry serious diseases and destroy crops. But they can also be useful: housefly larvae feed on a wide range of decaying matter and waste. Research suggests that this adaptation could be used to combat ever-increasing amounts of waste and trash. Does that make them a friend or a foe? #biology #instascience #cellimaging #GEcellfies

A post shared by GE (@generalelectric) on Jun 27, 2016 at 9:44am PDT

The instructional caption

Tasty, BuzzFeed’s food channel, pairs step-by-step cooking videos with the recipe itself. Simple + useful = a great caption.

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Potatoes Servings: 4 – 6 INGREDIENTS 3 russet potatoes, sliced 4 tablespoons olive oil Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon paprika ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded Parsley, chopped PREPARATION 1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F / 200˚C. 2. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil and toss to coat. 3. In a small bowl, mix salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Sprinkle seasoning on potatoes and toss to coat. 4. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from the oven, sprinkle with parmesan and pepper, then bake for an additional 20 minutes. 5. Sprinkle potatoes with fresh parsley and serve while hot. 6. Enjoy!

A post shared by Tasty (@buzzfeedtasty) on Sep 6, 2016 at 5:10pm PDT

The contest or giveaway caption

There are few things on Instagram more appealing than the promise of free stuff. If you’re running an Instagram contest, promote it in the caption by explaining to the audience how to enter and what they can win.

Introducing a new take on Secret Santa 🙊🎅. Twelve Instagrammers plus all of you. Here's how it works. 1. We'll reveal each Instagrammer's Secret Santa on our feed 2. You tag a friend that you want to surprise in the comments (tell us a little about them) 3. We'll pick one person in each post to receive a gift ————————— To start things off our dear friend @kimathomas got @katewinsy our Cotton Tank and a pair of Leather Street Shoes. Congratulations to @white_lux, your Secret Santa is @carrielondon.

A post shared by Everlane (@everlane) on Dec 15, 2015 at 9:00am PST

The cross-platform promotion caption

If there’s more to the story than what you’re able to post on Instagram, encourage the audience to check out one of your other social profiles for a closer look. Mercedes Benz used this tactic to promote their behind-the-scenes Snapchat strategy.

That moment when you travel on the #Transalpina through #Romania and get stopped by a group of donkeys.🐴 That's what actually happened today on our #ChasingStars tour with the new #GLC #Coupé! 🚙😂 For more live impressions make sure to check out 👻mercedesbenz on #snapchat! #iaaa #stoppedbydonkeys #MercedesBenz #MBcar #RoadTrip #GLCCoupe #SUV #Mercedes #Benz #4MATIC

A post shared by Mercedes-Benz (@mercedesbenz) on Sep 1, 2016 at 6:07am PDT

The storyteller caption

As we noted in tip number three, if your post calls for context then by all means take advantage of Instagram’s generous character count.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find any brand or publisher on Instagram who consistently publishes more impactful captions than Humans of New York, which of course are always stories from the subjects of the images.

“I’ve always lived off my artwork all my life. I’ve lived all over the world. I’ve had fourteen common law wives. I’ve never needed money because I’m talented. Talent is better than money because it’s always with you. Let me give you an example. Back in 1970 I was getting dinner with a Japanese model at the Sao Paulo Hilton in Brazil. This guy from Texas was sitting at the table next to me, and he’s trying to order a steak, but he keeps sending it back to the kitchen. He keeps saying: ‘The steaks are better in Texas.’ After the second time he sends it back, the master chef comes out, and I hear him say in Portuguese: ‘I’m going to kill this man!’ Now being a Galician myself, I know the character of the Latin American people. If a French person says he’s going to kill you, you don’t have to worry. The French are lovers and all lovers are cowards. Trust me—several of my former wives are French. I know this. But when a Latin American tells you that he’s going to kill you, it’s time to leave. So I walked over to the man’s table and bought him a bottle of wine, and I talked with him about Texas. I knew all about Texas because I competed in fishing tournaments there. After a few minutes of talking, I tell the man: ‘If you order one more steak, you’re going to get killed with a machete.’ So he took my advice and he left. The entire restaurant staff came out and started singing to me with tambourines. They brought out free wine and a full spread. They said, ‘Your money is no good here.’ The Japanese model was so impressed. See what I mean? Talent.”

A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on Aug 7, 2016 at 2:56pm PDT

The minimalist caption

We’ve already stated it in this post, but it bears repeating: if your content is attention-grabbing and speaks for itself, a short—or even no caption—is best.

Now that's a breakfast spot. 🏃: @_felipecamargo_ & @sashadigiulian 📷: @marcelomaragni #brazil #adventure #climbing

A post shared by Red Bull (@redbull) on Sep 7, 2016 at 3:09am PDT

Instagram caption tools

A couple of apps to help improve your captions—from concept to copy.

Captiona

A tool that generates ideas for Instagram captions. While you should always strive for originality, if you’re really stuck with what to write you can use Captiona as a creative springboard.

The app is basically a search engine for social media captions. All you need to do is enter a keyword that relates to the content of your post, and the app will deliver a list of suggested captions.

Again, we suggest you use it to get your creative juices flowing. Riff off the suggestions, but don’t copy them verbatim. Be original to standout from the crowd.

Hemingway app

Named for Ernest Hemingway, the desktop tool promises to make your writing “bold and clear.” It analyzes text and, with color-coded highlights, points out where your writing has become sloppy or indulgent. Easily cut down on run-on sentences and swap out needlessly difficult words for simpler ones.

Readability is key, especially on a medium like Instagram where users scroll through content quickly. The Hemingway app will help you craft clear, punchy copy that draws in a scanning set of eyes.

Grammarly

Grammarly will catch errors that most traditional spellcheck tools miss—everything from inconsistent use of tense to the misuse of a comma. The tool will even offer synonym suggestions to help add variety to your writing.

Now that you’ve mastered the caption, you’re ready to start driving engagement on Instagram with Hootsuite. From within the dashboard you can easily upload a photo or video, add a caption, and schedule it for publishing later.

Learn More

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