Part of ✍️ MODULE 2: AI Content Creation for Social Media (Articles 6–10) in Crash Course: Managing Social Media with AI Tools as a Service
“Because no one has time to write another boring ‘Happy Monday!’ post ever again.”
So… AI Writes Captions Now?
Yep. Welcome to 2025, where you don’t need to stare blankly at a blinking cursor and a half-sipped iced coffee anymore, hoping divine inspiration will strike.
But hold up—before you let the robots take over your entire voice, let’s have a little real talk.
AI can help you write captions. But YOU still make them convert.
What do we mean by “convert”? Think clicks, saves, shares, comments, and DMs. Think of someone reading your caption and going, “Omg. Me. Literally me. I need this.”
Captions are about connection. And AI? It’s like your quirky assistant—super helpful, but definitely needs guidance or it might accidentally say something like “Greetings, fellow Instagram users.” Yikes.
Let’s break this down like we’re talking over a matcha latte.
Step 1: Start With the Human Stuff (Even If You Use AI)
Ask yourself this first:
Who are you writing for—and what do they actually care about?
Let’s say you’re posting for a skincare brand. AI might spit out:
“Glow up with our vitamin C serum today!”
Okay, cute. But also… meh. It’s like someone trying to flirt by complimenting your elbows. Technically correct, but not really doing the job.
Now imagine YOU feed the AI this kind of vibe:
“My audience is women in their late 20s who are juggling burnout, breakouts, and bad lighting on Zoom calls. They want glow, but they also want honesty, simplicity, and memes.”
Boom. Now you’re giving AI context. And the output will suddenly feel more like your brand’s quirky best friend and less like a brochure.
Step 2: Pick Your AI Poison (In a Good Way)
There are a lot of tools out there. The best one? The one that doesn’t make you want to throw your laptop out the window.
🧠 Tools that don’t suck:
- ChatGPT – Great for brainstorming, hooks, writing caption drafts, and even repurposing longer content.
- Copy.ai – Built specifically for marketing stuff. Fast, but sometimes too generic.
- Jasper AI – Polished and powerful, but watch your budget.
- Notion AI – A cozy all-in-one if you already live in Notion.
Pro tip? Don’t just take what it gives you. Tweak it. Add your own sauce. Think of it like sourdough starter—it gets better when you feed it your own style.
Step 3: Hook ‘Em Like Netflix (But In 3 Seconds)
Let’s not sugarcoat it. Attention spans are cooked. You’ve got maybe 1.5 seconds to convince someone not to keep scrolling.
That’s why your hook matters most.
Here’s a bland one:
“Here are 5 tips for growing on Instagram.”
Zzz.
Now here’s a scroll-stopper:
“You’re probably shadowbanned and don’t even know it. Let’s fix that.”
Or:
“I posted this at 2:13 PM and went viral. Here’s why the time matters.”
What changed? Tension. Curiosity. A dash of drama. That’s what AI doesn’t always get unless you guide it there. Give it direction like:
- “Make this spicy”
- “Use Gen Z slang”
- “Write like a relatable big sister who’s a little tired but killing it anyway”
Try prompts like:
“Write an Instagram caption hook for a life coach who helps burnt-out moms reclaim their time—with empathy and sass.”
You’ll be shocked how much better the outputs get when you give tone, emotion, AND audience info.
Step 4: Tell a Tiny Story (The Kind That Sticks)
Look—people connect to stories, not statements.
Even if it’s a 2-sentence caption, aim to say something real. Here’s a format I love:
HOOK: “I almost deleted my entire Instagram in March.”
STORY: “I was burnt out, tired of chasing trends, and comparing myself to 22-year-olds doing it ‘better.’”
INSIGHT: “Then I realized something: sustainable growth > sudden virality. So I made this tiny shift that changed everything.”
CTA: “Want to know what it was? 👇”
That’s a full caption, and AI can totally help generate versions of that if you:
- Tell it the story outline
- Ask it to mimic your voice
- Include slang or cultural references
Try a prompt like:
“Write a relatable Instagram caption for a solopreneur talking about burnout, with a funny but real tone. Use short sentences and end with a question to drive engagement.”
You’ll be surprised how solid the draft is—but you will still need to polish it. Why? Because AI doesn’t know what you sounded like when you cried in the car listening to Maggie Rogers and drinking iced oat milk in October. But your audience might.
Step 5: Use CTAs That Don’t Feel Like a Used Car Ad
“Click the link in bio!” works. Sometimes.
But if every single caption ends with that, people start to zone out. Like when your mom keeps saying “Let’s circle back.”
Try CTAs like:
- “Which one of these do you struggle with most? Be honest. 👀”
- “DM me ‘INFO’ and I’ll send you the guide. No gatekeeping.”
- “Have you ever tried this? I’m genuinely curious.”
Use AI to give you 10 fresh CTA options for one post. Then swap them out and test what works best. You’re a scientist now, too. 🧪
Step 6: Format Like a Freakin’ Designer
Even a fire caption will flop if it’s formatted like a Wikipedia entry.
Use:
- Line breaks
- Emojis (but not like you’re texting your uncle)
- ALL CAPS for impact (sparingly)
- Lists and spacing so people can scan fast
AI often outputs clunky blocks of text. Split that up! Make it breathe.
Think: “Can someone read this in 5 seconds while on the toilet?” Because… let’s be real.
Final Truth Bomb 💣
AI won’t replace your creativity.
It won’t replace your late-night insights or your morning voice notes that sound unhinged but brilliant. It won’t know your weird, lovable voice unless you train it.
But it WILL:
- Save you hours
- Spark ideas when you’re dry
- Help you show up consistently
- Take your “kinda good” caption and turn it into something that makes people feel something
You don’t need to be a genius copywriter. You just need to care about your audience, use the tools wisely, and keep showing up—even when your captions don’t “convert” right away.
Because the secret isn’t in the tool. It’s in you.
And yeah… also maybe a little in that spicy CTA AI wrote for you. 😉