Hello Partner-in-Growth,
How are you doing? It’s been a minute.
I didn’t send you a letter last week because I fell ill. It was crazy last week. It's good to be alive and able to write to you today after things went from 0-100 in a hurry.
I'm still on medication, but I'm doing much better now.
I learned a lot during my illness. I learned so much in that short period. Here are some highlights.
Be patient when making decisions. You only know today not tomorrow. Take your time today for tomorrow's sake because today's decision will affect tomorrow's outcome.
Know when to make quick decisions but do it with a clear head and not emotionally.
Don't build your life or business around people, build it around systems. (I saw this on Temilade Salami’s Whatsapp status. So good!)
When God gives you a word, He gives you Himself. - Stephanie Ike. This truth was a constant reminder to me while I was ill).
Take this and apply it to your life however you see fit.
Pause and Think ♟
What recent lesson have I learned that I need to document?
Write Captions Like A Pro
I did a series on LinkedIn about writing better captions. The feedback was amazing and I know not all my growth partners follow me on LinkedIn. Plus, this space gives you the resources to grow in different areas of your life, business and career.
Let me know if you find it helpful.
1. Write like a human
Fastest way to increase engagement with captions
Write like a human.
Think back on the captions that:
→ resonated with you
→ made you happy or sad
→ made you click the follow button
I bet those creators sounded human, not robotic.
The best kind of post is when someone speaks to you and makes you forget thousands of others will come across it as well.
They don’t write like they’re on a platform but in a conversation.
It’s like they’re right in front of you.
This is the reason you love your favourite creators.
It’s the reason you open specific newsletters.
It’s the reason you feel like you know a creator even though you’ve never met them.
Let your personality show in how you communicate with your audience.
Don’t sound complex. Sound human.
When next you write your captions, read it out loud and ask yourself, does this sound like a conversation?
2. Use Hooks
This is why you need hooks for all your posts.
If you want to catch anything, you need a bait
Everyone is fighting for attention.
Only the first two to three lines of your post are enough to convince your audience not to bother.
Give your audience a reason to care.
An amazing secret is to have at least three hooks for your post.
Use two hooks at the beginning
Then another in the middle to keep them to the end.
Hooks won’t take the place of good content
but it would help you convert your audience.
Here are some effective hooks to try:
- Call out your audience
- State a fact or a statistic
- Share inspiring quotes
- Ask a question
- Tell a story
- Start with a metaphor
- Exaggerate a problem
These hooks have been used by many creators to catch you.
When you find a hook that works, test it in different ways.
3. Use Call to Action
Feeling unmotivated to use a call to action in your captions?
Try this 👇🏽
Ask yourself, “What’s in it for my audience?”
A purposeful post will have a compelling call to action.
A Call to action (CTA) tells your audience what action you want them to take based on the value they’ve gotten from your post.
CTAs invite your audience to engage with you and your content.
Your CTAs should:
- Be actionable
- Provoke emotion
- Provoke enthusiasm
CTAs can help you get:
- Sales
- Followers
- Feedback on your content
Calls to action don't always have to be at the end.
And if you don't get a response right away, don't get discouraged.
Instead:
- Make sure your posts are valuable
- Be consistent in adding CTAs to your post
- Tweak them to be more actionable
- Look out for CTAs you’ve responded to and use them
Now steal these call-to-actions for your next post 👇🏽
- Like if you agree
- Tell me what you think below
- Let’s chat in the comments
- Share or repost this to inspire others
- Save for when you need it
- Don’t agree? Let me know in the comments
- Did you find this post helpful? Share in the comments
- Comment: Has this happened to you?
- Follow for more helpful posts about ___
- Tag a friend who needs this
- Send this to your bestie
- What’s one thing you’re struggling with right now?
- Will you try this? Let me know in the comments
- What else would you add?
4. Use Storytelling
I fell off my seat in public
Because of a man 🙈
That day was both hilarious and embarrassing.
I was invited to this event by a friend, and everything seemed serious until this man took the stage.
A comedian was performing? I didn't know.
One joke was all he told!
A childhood memory between him and his mum.
In the end, I couldn't stop laughing until I found myself on the ground.
I became the joke.
Everyone was laughing at my laughter.
My stomach was in knots from laughing so hard.
I have never laughed so hard at someone else's jokes.
Why was his joke so funny?
The storytelling and relatability.
He took me back to his childhood days and I could relate with all he shared.
The way he told the story was the icing on the cake.
He’s my favourite comedian to date.
I haven’t heard another joke from him but that joke will always make me laugh my head off.
You can do this with your audience.
- Tell them relatable stories
- Pass your message in an exciting way
- Become unforgettable
Here’s what to note when using storytelling in your captions:
- Start with the end in mind: What’s in it for them? What will they learn from your story? How does this solve their problem?
- Let your audience see themselves in your story: I bet you’ve had your embarrassing moments too, sharing mine with you would make you think of a similar situation.
- Open with a statement that makes them curious: It’s all about the hook guys!
- Keep it punchy but detailed enough: I could have said a lot more about this experience but focused on the information I needed you to know to get my point across.
Bonus tip: Your videos and pictures play a huge role in getting your message across. They should buttress your point.
I hope you found these tips helpful. Don’t hesitate to ask questions about this.
Wins Corner ✔
I’m alive! Grateful to God, family and friends. Their showing up for me made me see how blessed I am.
The consciousness of the lessons I’m learning! It is amazing to be aware of these things.
Got new subscribers, likes and restacks on my last publication. Thank you for the love on my previous post. I was shocked at the restacks. Looks like you guys would like gists about my son. Lol!
Special shout-out to 🌟 for being a consistent partner in growth here! Thank you! Guys check out her substack publication below.
That’s it from me this week!
I’m rooting for you.
Cheers to your growth!
Somebody, say “VALUE”✅.
Sis, thank you for sharing these timeless tips that every creator should be reminded of every now and again. So glad you're doing much better! Also, I appreciate the recommendation. Always such a delight being a partner in growth 😊.