How to write social media captions that stay accurate
Write every caption from a source you can point to. Lead with the main point, keep one idea per sentence, and check names, prices, dates, hours and any promise against your own pages before posting. If a fact cannot be confirmed, cut it.
Lead with the point
Put the most important information first, then the details. This is the inverted pyramid style from journalism, and Nielsen Norman Group recommends it for the web because readers who stop after one sentence still get the main point.
In a caption that means: the offer, the news or the answer in the first line, the details after, and the next step last.
Use plain language
Short words, short sentences and the terms your customers use. Digital.gov keeps a plain language guide series for writing content people can understand on the first read. The same habits make captions easier to check.
The pre-post fact check
Check each of these against your website or another source you trust:
- Names and spelling: people, products, places
- Prices, discounts and offer end dates
- Dates, times and opening hours
- Availability: is it in stock, bookable, still offered
- Results or health claims: can you show it is true
- Comparisons with competitors
- Quotes and reviews: do you have permission to share them
If you cannot confirm a fact in a minute, remove it. A shorter true caption beats a longer one you have to correct.
Respect each platform's format
Platforms count and display text differently. Mastodon's documentation, for example, gives a default limit of 500 characters and counts every link as 23 characters, so there is no need for a link shortener there. Check the help pages for each channel you use.
Once captions are drafted, review the whole post, image included, before approving it.
Key takeaways
- Write from a source you can point to; if a fact cannot be confirmed, cut it.
- Lead with the main point so even a one line read is useful.
- Check names, prices, dates, availability and claims before posting.
- Follow each platform's own format rules.
Frequently asked questions
What should I check before posting a caption?
Names and spelling, prices and offer dates, dates and opening hours, availability, any results or health claims, comparisons, and permission for quotes or reviews. Check each against your website or another trusted source.
How long should a social media caption be?
Long enough to make the point and the next step clear. Lead with the main point in the first line, and follow each platform's own limits and formatting.
Can I use AI to write captions?
Yes, as a first draft from your own sources. Then fact check it and read it in your own voice before it is approved.
Sources
- Inverted Pyramid: Writing for Comprehension, Nielsen Norman Group
- Plain language guide series, Digital.gov
- Posting to your profile, Mastodon documentation
- Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content, Google Search Central