Caption Writer

Use when

• Writes social media captions for any platform from a brief. Generates 3 variations — short, medium, and long — with a hashtag set for each. Invoke when the user says "write a caption", "write captions for", "I need post copy for", "draft some caption options", or when a content brief is provided and the user needs caption text. Also invoke when working through a content calendar and post copy is needed for specific items.
• Use this skill when it is the closest match to the requested deliverable or workflow.

Do not use when

• Do not use this skill for graphic design, video production, software development, or legal advice beyond the repository's stated scope.
• Do not use it when another skill in this repository is clearly more specific to the requested deliverable.

Workflow

1. Collect the required inputs or source material before drafting, unless this skill explicitly generates the intake itself.
2. Follow the section order and decision rules in this

   SKILL.md

   ; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
3. Review the draft against the quality criteria, then deliver the final output in markdown unless the skill specifies another format.

Anti-Patterns

• Do not invent client facts, performance data, budgets, or approvals that were not provided or clearly inferred from evidence.
• Do not skip required inputs, mandatory sections, or quality checks just to make the output shorter.
• Do not drift into out-of-scope work such as code implementation, design production, or unsupported legal conclusions.

Outputs

• The requested copy asset or idea set in markdown, written to publish, review, or adapt without major rework.

References

• Use the inline instructions in this skill now. If a

  references/

  directory is added later, treat its files as the deeper source material and keep this

  SKILL.md

  execution-focused.
• Read

  references/cta-and-platform-hooks.md

  when the caption needs sharper hooks, better CTA wording, or cleaner platform-specific commitment levels.
• Read

  ../premium-commercial-writing/SKILL.md

  when captions must support premium positioning, executive buyers, high-ticket offers, or stronger proof and value framing.

How to Use This Skill

premium-commercial-writing

Required Input

• Client name / brand name — the business publishing the post
• Industry — sector (e.g. food and beverage, retail, professional services)
• Country / city — default Uganda/East Africa
• Primary goal — what the caption should achieve (awareness / engagement / enquiries / sales)
• Platform — Instagram / Facebook / LinkedIn / TikTok / WhatsApp broadcast / X (Twitter)
• Content type — photo / video / carousel / text post / Reel / Story
• Topic — what the post is about (one sentence)
• Key message — the single most important thing the audience should take away (one sentence)
• CTA — what the audience should do after reading (one clear action)
• Tone — professional / conversational / aspirational / educational (or specific brand tone words)
• Any keywords or phrases to include — mandatory phrases, product names, or campaign lines
• Any banned vocabulary — from 04-brand-voice-intake if available

Platform-Specific Rules

Instagram

• Hook in the first line — the first 125 characters appear before the "more" cut; everything depends on this line
• Use line breaks between paragraphs — Instagram compresses unbroken text
• Conversational or aspirational tone depending on the brand
• Optimal length: 125–150 characters for maximum reach; up to 300 words for educational or storytelling content
• Hashtags: 5–10, placed at the end of the caption or noted as suitable for first comment; mix niche, community, and 1–2 branded tags
• No more than 2 emojis in the hook line

Facebook

• Warm, community-focused tone; question-based CTAs perform well ("Have you tried this? Let us know below")
• Optimal length: 40–80 characters for highest organic reach; up to 250 words for storytelling or event posts
• If the post includes a link, include it in the caption text — not only in the link preview
• Hashtags: 1–3 maximum; Facebook hashtags add limited discoverability — use sparingly
• Write as if speaking to a neighbour, not an audience

LinkedIn

• Professional, evidence-based, direct
• First 2 lines carry the entire weight — they appear before the "see more" cut; make them count
• No emoji overuse — 0–2 per post, purposeful only
• Optimal length: 150–300 words for engagement; 50–100 words for reach-focused posts
• Hashtags: 3–5 maximum, placed at the end; industry-relevant only — never generic tags
• No buzzwords — no "synergy", "leverage", "game-changing", "disruptive"

TikTok

• Punchy, casual, hooks the first scroll — caption is secondary to the video but still matters
• Optimal length: 100–150 characters
• CTA drives comments: "Comment 'YES' if this resonates" / "Tell me in the comments"
• Hashtags: 3–5 — 1 niche + 1 trending or broad + 1 branded; placed at end or woven naturally into text
• Conversational tone; can be playful — match the energy of the video

WhatsApp Broadcast

• Personal and direct — write as if to one person you know
• Open with "Hi [first name]" or equivalent warm greeting
• Short paragraphs — one idea per paragraph; easy to read on a small screen
• No hashtags
• One clear action: reply / click link / visit store — not multiple options
• Optimal length: under 150 words; every word must earn its place

X / Twitter

• Punchy, take a position, conversational
• 240–280 characters for a single post; use thread format for longer content (indicate thread breaks with 1/, 2/, etc.)
• 1–2 hashtags maximum; weave them naturally into the text — do not stack them at the end
• Hook with a take or observation, not an announcement
• Conversational, opinionated, direct — not corporate

Caption Quality Standards

• Hook must work as a standalone sentence that creates curiosity or compels action
• One CTA per caption — never two competing actions
• British English: organisation, colour, programme, behaviour, analyse, recognise, centre, enquiry
• No banned vocabulary: leverage, game-changing, groundbreaking, revolutionary, delve, tapestry
• No filler phrases: "in today's world", "it's important to note", "at the end of the day", "we are excited to announce"
• Consistent with brand tone (from 04-brand-voice-intake if provided)
• Active voice throughout — not "great service is offered by us" but "we offer great service"

EA-Specific Hashtag Communities

Output Format

• [Any platform-specific recommendation — e.g. "For Instagram, consider placing hashtags in the first comment to keep the caption clean"]
• [Any timing recommendation if relevant — e.g. "Post between 7–9pm EAT for highest Facebook reach among Kampala audiences"]
• [Flag if the brief contained ambiguity — e.g. "CTA was not specified — assumed WhatsApp link. Confirm before scheduling."]

Example Application (Uganda — Food and Beverage)

Human Authenticity Gate

ai-content-humaniser

Quality Criteria

• Each variation genuinely differs in length and approach — not the same caption padded or shortened
• Hook line of each variation is distinct and compelling — three different strategies, not three versions of the same opener
• CTA is clear, specific, and matches platform convention (one action only)
• Hashtag count and placement match the platform rules specified in this skill
• No banned vocabulary in any variation
• British English spelling throughout all variations
• Tone matches the brand descriptor provided in the brief
• Output format follows the structure above — labelled, consistent, ready to copy
• Premium or high-ticket captions show specificity, proof, and value before asking for action