How to write something on instagram


How to Post Text on Instagram Using Create Mode

  • You can post a text-only image on Instagram by accessing the "Create Mode" in Instagram stories. 
  • From there, you'll be able to create images with text, with access to other creative tools like gifs and stickers. 
  • Once created, you can either save the image for use as a regular post, or simply post it to your stories.
  • Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

If you've ever seen text-only images on other people's Instagram stories or or posts, you may have wondered exactly how they made those. Are those images made by a third-party app? Or are they something you can do within Instagram?

The answer is text-only images are actually a built-in, if not immediately obvious, feature on the platform. You just have to know where to find it.

Here's how to post images with text on Instagram, either in a story or a post.

How to post a text-only image on Instagram using Create Mode

1. Open the Instagram app on your phone.

2. Tap the camera icon in the top-left corner of the home screen.

Use the camera icon to generate a story text post. Devon Delfino/Business Insider

3. Slide the bottom toolbar from "Normal" until you see "Create."

Select "Create" mode by sliding the bottom menu bar. Devon Delfino/Business Insider

4. Tap the screen to add your text. If needed, you can cycle through different font options by tapping the top middle button, or change the size via the slide bar on the left-hand side. When completed to your liking, click "Next"

Adjust and customize your text. Devon Delfino/Business Insider

5. You'll now be able to edit your text image as you would normally do with a story. Another helpful hint: You can tap the colorful circle toward the top-left side of the screen to change the background color.

Edit your story image to post to "Your Story" or save it to your camera roll. Devon Delfino/Business Insider

6. When the text and image is to your liking, you can either tap the "Send to" button to add it to your stories, or select the "Save" icon at the top of the screen to save it to your phone's camera roll. 

If you save the image, you will be able to see and select it when you go through the usual posting process for a standard grid post.

Post your story-generated text to your grid. Devon Delfino/Business Insider
  • How to put spaces in your Instagram bio using the mobile app or desktop site

  • How to change the font on your Instagram bio with a third-party app

  • How to put a link in your Instagram bio on desktop or mobile

  • How to add a location to your Instagram business page's bio

  • How to make your Instagram public using your phone or computer, so anyone can see your photos and stories

Devon Delfino

Devon Delfino is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist specializing in personal finance, culture, politics, and identity. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, Business Insider, and CNBC. Follow her on Twitter at @devondelfino.

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How to Add Text to an Instagram Photo

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If you’ve been on Instagram for some time, you may have noticed that some photos have text on them. Adding text to your Instagram posts can be very convenient for content creators and small business owners. Fortunately, you don’t need any special app to do this. You can add text, and many more features, to Instagram photos with the Instagram Story tools.

In this article, we’ll show you how to add text to an Instagram photo on iPhone and Android devices. We’ll also show you how to create text-only images using Instagram Story’s Create Mode.

How to Add Text to an Instagram Photo on an iPhone

From various color-enhancing filters to different layout options, Instagram allows you to get creative with your posts. While there are many photo editing apps you can use to add text to your Instagram photos, you can already do this within the app. Although some Instagram users like to write their text under the photo in the caption, some take advantage of Instagram Story’s tools and write the text on the photo itself. Not only is it simple, but you have lots of options when it comes to fonts and text colors.

To add text on an Instagram photo on an iPhone, follow the steps below:

  1. Launch Instagram on your iPhone.
  2. Open Instagram Story either by swiping to the right or by tapping on the “Your Story” bubble in the upper-right corner of your screen.
  3. Take a photo or upload a photo from your phone’s Gallery by swiping up and tapping on the photo.
  4. Tap on the “Aa” icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.
  5. Type in whatever you want.
  6. Edit the text with the tools.
  7. Select “Done” in the upper-right corner.
  8. Tap on the downward arrow icon to download the picture to your Gallery.

When it’s time to post the image, this is what you need to do next:

  • Tap on the “+” button at the bottom of your screen.
  • Find the photo you just edited. It should be the first one.
  • Select “Next” in the upper-right corner.
  • Edit the photo if you want.
  • Tap on “Next” again.
  • Make any necessary adjustments (for example, write a caption, add a location, tag someone, etc.).
  • Go to the “Share” button in the upper-right corner of your screen.

That’s all there is to it. When it comes to the text that you’ve added to the photo, there are many options to play with. For instance, you can choose:

  • The color of the text
  • The size of the text
  • The font of the text
  • Whether or not the text will have a background
  • The transition of the text
  • The alignment of the text

You can even match the color of the text to one that’s already present in the photo with the Bucket tool. When you’re done writing the text, you can move it around and place it anywhere you want. However, once the photo is saved to your device, you can’t make any more changes to it.

How to Add Text to an Instagram Photo on an Android

Adding text to a photo on Instagram on an Android is very similar. Follow the steps below to find out how it’s done:

  1. Launch Instagram on your Android device.
  2. Tap on the “Your Story” bubble in the upper-left corner of your screen or swipe to the right.
  3. Take a photo or upload one from your phone.
  4. Go to the text icon in the upper-right corner.
  5. Type in the text.
  6. Make any edits to the text. Change the color, size, font, background, position, transition, and similar.
  7. Tap “Done” in the upper-right corner of your screen.
  8. Save your Instagram Story by tapping on the downward arrow at the top.

Now that the photo is saved to your phone’s Gallery, you can post it any time you want. The text will be saved along with the photo. In other words, you won’t be able to add or delete the text after you’ve saved the photo.

Even though you can open and use Instagram on your web browser, you can only use this feature on your mobile device. If you want to add text to an Instagram photo on your computer, then you’ll need to use a third-party app to do this. Most photo editing apps have a text feature, so you shouldn’t have any problems finding one. One of the best apps you can use to add text to Instagram photos is Canva. For more professional effects, you can use Photoshop.

Once you’ve added the text via the third-party app, you need to transfer the photo to your mobile device to post it on your Instagram. You can’t post a photo on Instagram with the web browser.

How to Create Text-Only Instagram Photos

In some cases, Instagram users want to upload text-only photos to advertise something or make an announcement. This can be done with Instagram’s Create Mode that you can find in the Story section. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Open the app on your mobile device.
  2. Tap on the “Your Story” bubble in the upper-left corner of the app.
  3. Select the “Aa” icon or the “Create” option. This will transform the screen into a canvas.
  4. Tap on the screen.
  5. Write the text.
  6. Make any necessary adjustments to the text, such as color, font, size, and similar. You can even change the color of the background.
  7. Choose the “Next’” option in the upper-right corner of the screen.
  8. You can add even more text at this point.
  9. Tap on the downward arrow icon at the top of the screen.
  10. Go to the “+” icon at the bottom of your screen.
  11. Select the text-only photo you’ve just made and go to “blue right arrow.”
  12. Make any necessary changes and select “blue right arrow” again.
  13. Post the photo by tapping on blue checkmark to Share.

You can add more than just text to a photo on Instagram. You can add stickers, GIFs, special effects, and you can even write or draw something using the free tool. The fonts, colors, and features you should use depend on the type of content. Other useful features include hashtags, locations, mentions, music, polls, quizzes, questions, and many more.

Once you save the photo you’ve created, you can upload it to your Instagram account as a regular post or upload it as an Instagram Story that will disappear from your friends’ feed in 24 hours. You can even use the photo you’ve made on Instagram and post it to other social media platforms.

Use Instagram’s Text Feature to Your Advantage

There are many hidden creative tools and features you can find on Instagram. Adding text to posts is one of them. Whether you decide to post the photo as a Story or to your Instagram feed, you’ll have a wide selection of tools that can help you find the ideal color, size, font, and background of the text. You can even use Instagram’s Create mode to make text-only posts.

Have you ever added text to an Instagram photo before? Did you use Instagram Story’s text feature as well, or did you use a third-party app? Let us know in the comments section below.

How to write posts on Instagram*

InstagramProduct belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. It's not just about pictures. Many users read posts whose descriptions can tell a whole story. Learned how to write correct descriptions for posts on InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. and adapted an article from the Hubspot blog. Blogger Yulia Petrova helped us with this.

The quality of your photos will always be a determining factor in promotion on Instagram. The product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. Good descriptions explain the meaning of the photo, encourage subscribers to take action - it makes your content more enjoyable and accessible .

If you are thinking about texts for posts in InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the territory of the Russian Federation. as an optional part, then you are very mistaken: you are losing the opportunity to use an important communication format. Here are some tips to help you write the best captions for posts on InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation..

1. Write some ideas for the text

Surely it happened that the idea for a great description came up after you already published a post. What to do next time? Take your time. Instead, jot down a few ideas on paper or in a notepad on your phone.

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Algorithms play on Instagram The product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. an increasingly important role, so a well-written title and description are required attributes. Think about what text you would like to add so that subscribers would like to interact more with your post: like, comment, publish in their Stories, share with friends in Direct. Ultimately, how engaged your followers are will be the determining factor in 's success. See how algorithms affect content delivery in smart social media feeds.

And to publish to Instagram* directly from your computer without the hassle, use Amplifier - it will help you create a content plan and help you make text and a picture for publication

2. Put the most important things at the beginning

Get to know our basic post preparation checklist for social networks - there are some more useful tips

The maximum number of characters in Instagram The product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the territory of the Russian Federation - 2200. But this is a formality. "Titles" in the tape are "cut off" after 3-4 lines - this is approximately 125 characters. This doesn't mean you have to keep descriptions very short, but subscribers should see the most important in those 3-4 lines. Therefore, mentions and hashtags should be moved to the end. Take the softest part upstairs.

Yulia Petrova advises putting the facts and the title at the beginning of the subject of the post: “Display the topic of your text in the title. Try to hook them. If the content is useful, then immediately ask to save and like this post. And facts, if it suits the subject and content. Prices, addresses, other interesting facts - all this will involve the reader in your text even more.

3. Break the text into paragraphs

In InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. still cannot add blank lines. But without them, some posts look very heavy and sloppy. Don't forget to use the @text4instabot bot in Telegram. They will make the text more readable and slimmer.

Paragraphs help visually structure text and make it neat

4. Use a call to action

The best way to increase the reach of your post and engage your followers is with a call to action. Use active verbs to motivate people to engage with your post rather than passively scroll further. For example, you can write "Double tap if you think it's important" or "Share your story in the comments." Here are some more ideas for calls to action:

Ask a question . Encourage people to share their experience. This will help you find ideas for new posts and adjust your promotion strategy. To increase engagement, answer the questions and comments of subscribers, mark the ones you like with likes. Yulia Petrova agrees with this: "Use rhetorical questions in the text and be sure to write the question at the end of your text, so the reader is more likely not to forget about it and leave a comment under the post."

Direct people to the link in their profile description . Well promoted InstagramProduct belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. - profiles constantly update links in the account description. They indicate links to fresh content there: a new video on YouTube, a site with a new product announcement, a new blog article, and so on. And then they mention this link in posts and ask to click on it.

Encourage followers to tag their friends . Encourage your followers to share the post with their friends by inviting them to tag their friends in the photo. Here are some examples.

Invite people to participate in the contest. Contests are great for engaging and growing your brand on InstagramThe product belongs to an organization that is recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. For example, ask people to post their photos using a specific hashtag. Think over the rules of the draw and link to them in the profile description.

You may also find our material on sales texts for social networks useful.

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5. Use hashtags in moderation

Hashtags in InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. are needed to link user conversations into a single thread. If you have an open profile on Instagram, the product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation, then everyone who subscribes to a hashtag or simply watches posts mentioning it will be able to see the post. We talked about how to use hashtags on social networks, including InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the territory of the Russian Federation.

Hashtags connect people who are discussing or interested in the same topic. But use hashtags sparingly.

Some users Instagram The product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. add as many tags as possible to attract new subscribers, but the fact is that it usually looks like spam. If you use a ton of hashtags then people will think you are making poor quality content. Limit the number of hashtags to 3-4 and remember that you can use none at all if you wish.

View this post on InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation.

Volga? in our heart! Friends, we have released new mugs with prints of our beloved Volga, the great river. We are sure that our new enameled mugs will warm you up this winter ❄️ and become a companion of your interesting travels!. The circulation is small. You can order by writing to us in Direct! #mugdot on the map #enamelledmug

Posted by Point on the Map (@zhiguli_views)

If the hashtag is not organically embedded in the offer, then add it to the end of the post. Remember that InstagramProduct belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the territory of the Russian Federation. offers the most commonly used ones. Just start typing the name of the hashtag and the social network will display the number of mentions of it.

6. Tailor your brand's tone of voice to

InstagramProduct belongs to an organization recognized as extremist on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Each platform has a key that works better than the others. For example, a formal and formal tone will work well on LinkedIn, but not on Instagram. The product belongs to an organization that is recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. are written in a human, authentic, fun tone that is easy to read.

Therefore, you need to adapt the voice of your brand to the tone of InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation. Of course, some brands find it easier to do this than others. Try to find a balance between sincerity and seriousness.

View this post on InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation.

Life is good? Photo by @nikkivantoorn unsplash.com/nikkivantoorn

Shared by Unsplash (@unsplash)

It is important to know your audience and be on the same wavelength with it. Yulia Petrova advises: “Speak clearly, in the language of the audience. If the reader sees a lot of incomprehensible words, then he is unlikely to continue reading the text.

Connect Amplifer to manage all pages on social networks from one window: create a convenient content plan, evaluate efficiency and save time when working with social networks

7. Use emoji sparingly

How to use emoji on social media - Amplifer's guide

Emoticons can help add personality to your brand. That's why even big companies use them in their publications. You can also create chains of 3 emoticons that briefly and concisely describe your message. Yulia Petrova notes that emoji tell the reader what emotions to experience when reading your text.

View this post on InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation.

The feeling when you are the ONLY unbeaten team in away games in 2018 in the top-5 European Leagues? #ForzaJuve

Posted by Juventus Football Club (@juventus)

8.

If in doubt, keep the description short

If you haven't yet developed your brand voice on Instagram. The product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation.

Remember:

  1. Good content is the basis of promotion in InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the territory of the Russian Federation.
  2. A call to action in the description is a good way to motivate subscribers to interact more with your post.
  3. Use no more than 3-4 hashtags. If the tag doesn't fit organically into the offer, add them at the end.
  4. on InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist on the territory of the Russian Federation. works well for a light, natural tone. Adapt the tone of your brand to InstagramThe product belongs to an organization recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation..
  5. Use emoji in moderation - they will help subscribers better understand how to feel emotions from the publication.
  6. If you can't compose a long post, use a short description - it's a win-win strategy.
Post to Instagram* from your computer

Add photos, videos and hashtags, schedule posts to your feed.

How to write posts on Instagram

On March 4, 2022, Roskomnadzor decided to block Facebook, and on March 11, 2022, to block Instagram. If you are in Russia, most likely, both social networks are currently unavailable to you.

But we have some useful material for you.

(For those who have social networks working - the text of the article is below, under the list of links)

Telegram:

How to start a channel in Telegram

5 ways to monetize Telegram

How to make stickers for Telegram: a step-by-step guide complete guide

VK promotion: a large selection of tips and services

VK targeting: a complete setup guide

Odnoklassniki:

Are Odnoklassniki social networks useful for business

Yandex. Zen:

Yandex.Zen channel for small businesses: how is it useful

advertising in Zen

8 myths about Yandex.Zen for business

No kidding - just start writing like that, and then tell the idea you wanted to convey. Such an informal beginning will allow you to remove psychological clamps, fear of a blank sheet, and so on.

Don't forget to edit your post before posting!

If this opening seems too brash and rude to you, start with a more cultured version: "Imagine."

The remaining 17 tips may be less extravagant, but no less effective.

Write to a “friend” / understand CA

I sometimes encounter resistance from novice authors: “I don’t know what to write about, well, don’t write about the fact that I drank coffee.”

Tip: Start "chatting" with a "friend". It may be real, it may be fictional, but it must be similar to the target audience.

TOP 5 services for audience and competitor analysis on Instagram

Start “telling” a “friend” about what you do, for whom, why, what is the benefit of your product. Then copy everything that you wrote in the "correspondence" and combine it into one post.

Everyone can chat with friends - use this superpower to create cool texts.

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If you don't feel like writing, don't write

In courses on SMM or content marketing, it is recommended to publish posts daily. Such an attitude makes many people grind out content for Instagram, at best it turns out to be nothing.

You don't have to post every day to promote your account. It is not necessary to write to promote an account.

If you don't like to write, you can try another format. Record a video, shoot a screencast, draw a comic. Look for your format, your way of communication with subscribers, which will be comfortable and allow you to convey the necessary information.

Don't forget paragraphs

Any text will be easier to read if it contains paragraphs. Beat fragments with different semantic accents from each other with an empty line.

By the way, we recently mentioned a telegram bot that helps you create beautiful captions on Instagram with the right formatting.

Follow the rule: one thought = one post

The fewer ideas in the text, the easier it is perceived. Do a boring exercise:

  • Ask yourself: “Why is this post necessary?” / state the purpose of the post.
  • Ask yourself: "Does this text fit the purpose?"
  • Ask yourself, "Is this paragraph fit for purpose?"
  • Ask yourself: "Is this proposal fit for purpose?"
  • Everything that does not match - delete!

Send large text to the gallery

On Instagram, it is better to write small notes, shorter than 2,000 characters. Long text - shorten it.

If there's no way to shorten it, try putting it in the first comment or take a screenshot and send it to the gallery. Both options are not very good, but I would choose “put text on photos in the gallery”, because this way you can additionally involve your subscribers in reading the post, and the first comment is better to use for hashtags.

Photos, videos, stories: how to download content from Instagram

Use subtitles in videos

If you post videos in which what you say is important, put subtitles in the video. A lot of people watch videos without sound, and subtitles help to understand that "some important information is being transmitted."

Some mobile applications immediately record video and transcribe everything you say (eg Clipomatic, Clips). You can shoot a video immediately with a teleprompter, reading the prepared text, and then place it as subtitles in any video editor.

Work on the text constantly

Posting every day is useful, but not necessary, but you need to work with the text every day!

Creating text is like fitness. The winner is not the one who bought a gym membership for six months, went to the gym once, worked out on all the simulators, and after two weeks walked with dead hands. The winner is the one who does a little every day and each time monitors the exercise technique and increases the load.

It's the same with content - it's more important to accustom yourself to work on a daily basis. Analyze old posts, look for ways to improve. Analyze other people's posts, reflect on why they turned out good, while others turned out worse. Read books, take courses (for example, on SMM in TeachLine) and so on.

Write STA

Each post should contain calls to action, without this post and not a post at all! Call for different actions:

  • Ask subscribers for their opinion on some issue
  • Tell stories and find out if anyone has experienced something similar.
  • Ask to follow the links in the profile, make reposts and so on.

Always!

Read also

Designing the VKontakte group: the most detailed guide on the Russian Internet7 ideas for every day

Write about people

People like people, and most of all we like ourselves. When people read a text and recognize themselves in it, the text elicits more reactions. And it gives more coverage than the text is not about us.

Make a Powerful Intro

Instagram doesn't have headlines, but that doesn't mean you can skip a powerful intro. If the first sentence is about nothing, far fewer people will want to read on.

Delete 35% "without looking"

Any text can be shortened without losing its meaning. Remove verbal garbage, repetitions, interjections, gerunds, and so on. With a 99% chance, your text will become better if it is shortened.

Use imagery

If you find it difficult to start writing - you know what, but don't know how to approach - imagine yourself in the place of someone and ask: "What would he do in such a situation?" I like to ask myself: “So, Ilya, you don’t write, what would Martin Eden do in this situation?”

Decisions aren't always right, but I get off the ground and start writing.

Choose your favorite hero or the hero who would be able to act correctly in your situation.

Insert stories from the past

Use storytelling.

For example, first determine the purpose of the post, say: "I want people to buy subscriptions for 24 cups of coffee through direct, it will be cheaper than buying a subscription in coffee pods." Then identify the key association or thought you want to convey. Let's say "economy".

Next, take 5 minutes to meditate, take a deep breath and try to remember an incident from the past that would fall into this association. Tell this story and tie it to your goal.

Write from the end

Posts can be divided into different structures and models: someone writes using AIDA, someone uses the slippery slide of Sugarman.

But try to move away from the structure and first write the sentence that should be at the end. Then write a sentence that should come before the last one. If you still have time, write a sentence that should come before the penultimate sentence. And so on until the very beginning.

Auto-hello in Instagram Direct: why it is and how to set it up

Write as you speak

Just read everything you have written out loud. Really out loud, loud and with expression, rather than quickly mumbling under your breath. If there was not enough air or stumbled when they said something, rewrite it.

There is another option: first sketch out the abstract, then start explaining, and then transcribe it into text.

Light it up!

If you write posts just because you have to write them, you probably won't do well. It is much more profitable to write about things that you can't keep silent about, about those that you can't…

You can limit yourself to a choice and always write only on 2-5 topics that you understand, that are important to you.


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