Instagram line breaks aren’t new but they also don’t seem like the easiest things to figure out. Proof? There are over 14K searches for the term “Instagram line break” on Google each month. So, how do you create an Instagram line break, and how do you use them to make your posts more engaging?
Try IMH's Instagram Line Break Tool here:
In this blog post, I’ll answer both questions. This post won’t include links to line break tools because you won’t need them. When you’re done reading this, you won’t have to switch between apps to create posts to share on Instagram. You’ll have all you need to do it all on Instagram.
Line breaks alone won’t help you produce engaging posts. To help, I’ll share how to write posts that capture the hearts and minds of your followers, and take amazing images.
Ready? Let’s get started!
- What is an Instagram Line Break or IG linebreak?
- Why should you use Instagram line breaks?
- How do you create an Instagram line break?
- How many Instagram line breaks can you use?
- Where else can you use IG line breaks?
- How to Write Your Best Instagram Posts
- How to Take Better Photos
- 3 Image Editors to Enhance Your Instagram Images
- Wrapping Up
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Instagram Line Break or IG linebreak?
An Instagram line break is a space inserted between two lines of text in a caption. Most posts on Instagram use line breaks in various ways. Some include punctuation line periods, and on occasion, you’ll see emojis.
Why should you use Instagram line breaks?
It’s all about aesthetic appeal and engagement. Let me explain:
Captions don’t typically look unappealing, but the human eye is drawn to structure. We’re also drawn to simplicity. These elements translate Instagram posts as easily readable posts that we spend time on. And that's where the engagement matters. Social media platforms are designed to keep us as engaged as possible for as long as possible. That’s why your feeds are so busy.
Social media platforms also favor content that helps achieve great user engagement. So, the more time people spend reading your posts, the more likely they are to be promoted to a larger audience on Instagram, making them get more likes and shares, and so on.
How do you create an Instagram line break?
It’s easier than you think. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
First, tee up your post by opening up Instagram and selecting an image to share.
Next, in the caption area, type your caption. Don’t worry about spacing just yet. Instead, focus on what you want to communicate.
Once done, separate your message based on where you’d like line breaks to appear. Do this by placing your cursor at the end of the line. Now, some blog posts out there will tell you not to leave a space after the last character of your message where you want to create a line break, but that’s not accurate. You can have a space and still create line breaks. Instagram is smart enough to make it happen.
With your position for line break established, use the return button on your mobile phone’s keyboard.
See what just happened? You created a line break. And that’s all there is to it. If you want to include periods in your line breaks, simply type on in for each line break and tap the return button again. Continue this process until you’ve achieved the look you’re after.
How many Instagram line breaks can you use?
This is where things get a little interesting. There doesn’t appear to be a limit on the number of line breaks you can include. But there are a few caveats:
You Can’t Have More Than One Line Break Without a Character
Instagram doesn't like large blocks of open spaces or multiple line breaks without characters. When you type up your caption and include more than one line break without including a character, Instagram will automatically limit your published caption to one line break.
Character Limits Still Apply
Instagram captions have a 2200 character limit. So, no matter how carried away you want to get with line breaks, you’ll be capped at 2200 characters.
Line breaks are not Characters
When creating your line breaks, whether you include spaces before your line break, you still have up to 2200 characters to use. Note: a line break with a period or any other punctuation is considered a character.
Where else can you use IG line breaks?
Besides captions, bios are prime real estate, and using a line break or two can make your bio stand out. Line breaks in bios work a little differently, though. They are limited. Unlike caption line breaks, you must include a character in your line break or it won’t appear when you publish your updated bio.
How to Write Your Best Instagram Posts
Instagram, like all social media platforms, is a connection tool. It’s for engaging with other people. The most successful creators win on the platform because they understand that engagement is all about storytelling. The more interesting your stories, the more engaging they are, and the more likely your account will grow.
What You Need to Know About Storytelling
Storytelling is formulaic. You don’t need to be the best storyteller in the world, but you must follow a formula to grab attention, maintain it, and keep your audience coming back for more. And when you have the formula I’m about to share patted down, you’ll find it easier to generate more creative ideas for endless amounts of content.
The Storytelling Formula
There are more complex storytelling formulas out there. Take Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey framework. It’s based on a 12-stage process that follows the protagonist, our “hero”. From the start of the adventure to meeting a mentor, experiencing trials and failures, the lead moves through a complete transformation.
Your Instagram posts are not going to be nearly as complex or filled with as many twists and turns. They will, however, need to be enough to make your followers feel like they are part of your story. Here are 9 helpful steps to follow to write your best captions yet.
1. Make Your First Sentence Compelling
Instagram, like all social media platforms, is filled with tons of content. That content populates your followers’ feeds, making it hard to stand out without a compelling enough post. Your first line needs to work with your image or video. It has to pull your reader in and make them want to continue reading the rest of your story or watch your video.
Wine Library is really good at pulling its audience in. Their post shows you how powerful a first line can be.
Source: instagram.com
When you’re writing first sentences, be descriptive. Offer detail about the subject of your post. Use adjectives and tie your copy to your image.
2. Make a Difference in Your Follower’s Life
This sounds like a major undertaking and possibly more than you’d expect from a post, but this is what separates mediocre posts from great posts. The difference you make forms the middle of your story. It’s where you explain the value you have to offer.
Share something that will make their lives seem better just by reading your post. Wine Library achieves this by sharing 4 of their favorite rosé bottles of wine and tying them back to an idyllic winter experience.
Source: instagram.com
3. Include an Ask AKA a Call to Action
Your posts don’t have to be long like most you see today. They just need to capture attention and then close with a call to action. Now, not every post you create has to have a call to action. But for posts that you have created as part of a campaign to sell a product or service, you definitely need a call to action.
What is a call to action?
It’s a mechanism for getting followers or customers to take action and either inquire about your offer or make a purchase. Calls to action are as old as time, but they are also executed pretty poorly. To create your most effective call to action, here are some helpful tips:
Tie Your Call to Action to a Campaign
This sounds like a no-brainer, but there are many offers out there that are not related to messaging or a larger goal.
Make it Specific
Effective calls to action work because they tell readers exactly what to do. They must be explicit, detailing the action readers must take.
Make it Worthwhile
You will need to be reiterated. While your offer appears in your copy, it will need to be mentioned again in your call to action. This lets the reader know what they stand to gain from taking action.
Add Some Urgency
Time-bound calls to action offer readers more incentive. They emphasize potential loss which is a psychological trigger that people react to because we don’t like to miss out on great offers.
Like this post from Wine Library:
Source: instagram.com
It’s part of a series they started ages ago called Wine of the Day. Notice how readers are told to grab a bottle for $15, while they are still in stock. Now Wine Library relies on its followers’ understanding that they need to visit its website to make a purchase. When you create yours, be sure to include a mention of a link in your bio. And while you’re at it, it may be a good idea to upgrade your bio using a link in bio tool. They will let you include links to specific pages via a micro-landing page.
Source: linktr.ee
4. Be Conversational
Every brand has a voice and tone. That’s how they relate to their customers, making it easier to communicate in a way that will be easy for their customers to relate to and understand. To keep your captions conversational, focus on speaking to your ideal customer. If you haven’t any idea of who that is, you can easily establish your tone of voice by creating a persona. Personas are based on a list of attributes your ideal customer has.
These cover what drives them, what their interests are, and what problems they want to solve with a solution like yours. While completing your research, you’ll visit various sources. These will include forums and social pages people who meet your ideal customer profile will be a part of. You’ll be able to see how they communicate and the words they use.
5. Use Emojis
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, emojis bring a little bit of character to captions. And today, there are hundreds you can use to make your posts feel a little more unique. Emojis are also helpful when used with calls to action. But don’t get carried away with them. Although emojis seem almost universal, too many in one line can be too much and make it hard to understand what you’re trying to communicate.
6. Make it As Long As it Must Be but no More
Captions should only be as long as they need to be. Anything longer and you’ll find yourself waffling on. To keep your posts as lean and effective as possible, focus on this simple formula:
- Opening line: Make it compelling
- Middle: Share value and important information to and make your offer (keep this tied to one specific goal)
- Call to action: Share what readers must do to take action
7. Add Hashtags
Hashtags make Instagram posts easier to find. By including them in your posts, your content is able to show up in more feeds and help you attract more followers. But you have to pick the right hashtags. Use a combination of:
- Branded hashtags: Hashtags with your brand name or for your product names
- Add community hashtags: These are commonly used by your industry, clients, and even competitors
How to Take Better Photos
The quality of your photos has a major impact on how well your posts do on Instagram. To take your best pictures, you’ll need to know how to use light, frame your photos like a pro, find the right angle for your photos, and more. These tips will give you all you need.
1. Use Natural Light
Light makes or breaks photos. Too much and your pics will be overexposed. Too little and they will be too dark and unappealing. Light reflects off of surfaces. To get the best light for your photos, always have light fall on your subject.
2. Use Your Grid
The best images have subjects well-aligned in using a grid. Every smartphone image app has a grid that can be activated in your phone’s settings. The grid will segment your screen into 9 areas which you can use to frame your subject. The grid helps you find the perfect balance for your subject as shown below:
3. Find an Angle
Angles are used to create an emotional connection between your subject and the viewer. Pick angles that communicate the feel you’d like to pass along to followers. For example, a low-angle shot makes your subject look bigger than they are and is ideal if you want your subject to appear dominant in your image.
For a more intimate angle, capture your subject at eye level.
To make your subject appear smaller, use a high-angle shot.
And for shots that make your subject significantly smaller, use aerial shots.
4. Use Leading Lines
The term “leading lines” is used in photography as a way to draw the viewer’s attention to certain elements and add depth. Leading lines include trees, railroad tracks, roads, buildings, and even waves. Incorporating leading lines is as simple as having your subject interact with them. You could have your subject look up at a building or walk along a road.
5. Add Depth
Depth makes pictures more interesting. By including your subject in the foreground and other elements in the background, layers add a degree of sophistication that pulls viewers in.
3 Image Editors to Enhance Your Instagram Images
Shy of being a world-class photographer, editing pictures can be tough. The simpler route is to get your hands on one of these easy-to-use apps:
1. Snapseed
Snapseed is a Google photo editing app packed with loads of features and functionality, including a brush, an image tuner to adjust exposure, a cropping tool, the option to rotate pictures, adjust image perspectives for a balanced finished product, 8 filters, and more.
Snapseed is free for iOS and Android.
2. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC
Adobe is more famously known for its desktop design suite, but you can get your hands on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC for your mobile phone. It's a photo-taking app that also allows you to edit images. When done, you can share them on Instagram and other social media platforms. Other features include A tone curve for adjusting color, exposure, and contrast, bulk photo editing for consistency, and you can even edit a section of your image using a stylus.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC is free for basic features on iOS and Android. Premium features include sync across all devices.
3. VSCO
VSCO is a more advanced app and worth checking out. Along with editing features, the free version offers 10 presets and an extra 200 when you upgrade to premium membership. The app also has a video editor, making it a one-stop-shop for all your editing needs.
VSCO is available for iOS and Android.
Wrapping Up
Instagram line breaks are a smart way to create more vainly appealing posts. Line breaks help break up large walls of text, making it easier for readers to follow your ideas and get immersed in your content. As you use line breaks, be sure to apply as many of the 9 steps as possible for creating your best captions. These will help you add more dimension to captions to create fuller and more interesting posts. Also, make use of the 5 tips for taking great photos. They will take some practice to master, but when they become a part of your process, you'll start producing your best photos ever.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you create a line break on Instagram?
Type your complete caption and place your cursor where you want to insert a line break. Next, use the return button on your mobile phone’s keyboard to create a line break.
How do you put line breaks on Instagram with an iPhone?
Type your complete caption and place your cursor where you want to insert a line break. Next, use the return button on your mobile phone’s keyboard to create a line break.
What is the symbol for a line break?
There is no symbol for a line break. When creating Instagram captions with line breaks, you can include any form of punctuation instead of leaving it open.
What are the dots on Instagram posts?
Dots or periods used to create line breaks are included to add multiple line breaks after each other. Instagram doesn't allow multiple line breaks unless they include a character.
