Savi and Vid aren’t afraid to keep their captions bulky: “We’ve always been storytellers, so we love writing long and meaningful captions. I would say one should go with their instinct while penning captions. If you enjoy short and impactful captions, go the one-line route! But if words give you joy or you have valuable information to share, write a lengthy descriptive one.”
“Don’t forget to provide any context or background info that you couldn’t add in the reel,” say Revati and Charles. “Ask a question—it’s great to get more engagement and comments. Write in your own voice, and make sure you don’t use phrases that you’d never utter. Use hashtags and keywords for added discoverability, and put relevant information in (cost, location, timings, etc). Lastly, since it’s happened to us, please don’t copy someone else’s caption!”
Malhotra adds, “Crafting an engaging caption is an art in itself. Here’s the secret: Keep it concise and relatable. Always remember, that your caption serves as the second point of engagement. This means that if someone enjoys what they see in your reel, they’ll be inclined to delve deeper into your caption. So, make your caption an extension of the story your video tells.”
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What shouldn’t you do when making travel videos?
“Make sure your content isn’t being uploaded in low-resolution. Remember that timing is everything. Don’t post when your potential audience is catching the z’s and try avoiding non-trending audios,” says Malhotra.
Savi and Vid suggest that you do not “overdo the filters and colors, as overly processed reels tend not to do well. Avoid too much text [on the video itself]. It gets tough to read and people love watching and listening more than reading. And don’t just copy trends mindlessly. If it’s you, then go for it.”
Joshi says, “Copying someone else’s style might work for a while, but you need to develop your own aesthetic. We personally feel there are no strict no’s, except reels promoting irresponsible behavior that can cause societal harm, such as littering in public places, ignoring driving rules to film sensational content, or reinforcing sexist stereotypes,” say Savi and Vid.
Revati and Charles add, “Just post. Don’t wait to gold-plate it. The more you do it, the better you’ll get. Don’t worry so much about what people are going to think or how you look. You’re forgotten at the start of the next reel!”
A version of this article originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveller India.
