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# Best Practices for Captions, Hooks and CTA

# Captions, Hooks, and CTAs That Work

*Updated: 2026*

Three pieces of copy do 90% of the work in social content: the **hook** (gets the click), the **caption** (holds attention), and the **CTA** (drives action). Here's how to brief Mavic for each.

## Hooks

A hook earns the next 1 second. If yours doesn't, nothing else matters.

**Prompt:**
> Give me 15 hooks for [topic]. Mix formats: question, contrarian, stat, story, list, POV. Max 10 words each. Voice: @Writing Style.

**Hook formats that consistently work:**

| Format | Example |
| ---- |
| Contrarian | "Stop posting daily. Do this instead." |
| Stat shock | "94% of brand pages get under 100 views. Here's why." |
| List promise | "5 things I'd do if I started over today." |
| POV | "POV: your launch flopped and you don't know why." |
| Question | "Why does no one click your CTA?" |
| Story open | "Last month I lost a $40k client. Here's what I learned." |
| Mistake call-out | "If you're doing X, stop." |

**Test discipline:** Generate 15. Cut to 5. Post 3 across the week. Track saves and shares — those are the hook signal, not likes.

## Captions

Captions are not blog posts. They're a hook + a payoff + a CTA — usually under 150 words.

**Prompt:**
> Write a caption for [topic]. Structure: hook (1 line) + 1 line break + 2-3 short paragraphs + CTA. Use @Writing Style. Add 5 niche hashtags.

**Caption rules:**
* First line is the only line most people see — make it standalone
* Use line breaks between every 2 sentences (mobile readability)
* One CTA at the end — don't bury it
* Hashtags: 3-5 niche beats 30 generic

**The "save this post" trick:** End with a save trigger like "Save this for your next [moment]." Saves are the strongest reach signal.

## CTAs

Most Call to Actions are vague. "Click the link" doesn't work — say what's behind the link and what they'll get.

**Prompt:**
> Give me 10 CTA variations for [offer]. Mix: low-friction (DM, comment), medium (link tap, save), high (book, buy). Each under 12 words.

**CTA quality ladder:**
1. **Low friction** (engagement) — "Comment 'GUIDE' and I'll send it"
2. **Medium friction** (lead) — "Tap the link to grab the free template"
3. **High friction** (purchase) — "Book your strategy call — link in bio"

**Match CTA to platform:**
* Instagram feed/Reels: "Comment X" (DMs > link taps in feed)
* Stories: "Swipe up" / link sticker
* LinkedIn: "Read the full breakdown" + comment prompt
* X: thread CTA at end ("Bookmark this for later")
* Email: button copy in 3-5 words ("Get the template")

## Test discipline

Treat hooks, captions, and CTAs as variables. In one week, change ONE per post and track the result. After 4 weeks you'll know what your audience responds to — feed those learnings back into your **Writing Style** in Brand DNA so every future post benefits.

## Related articles

* [Writing Style](.https://mavic.crisp.help/en/article/writing-style-fzezr4/)
* [Creating Social Posts](https://mavic.crisp.help/en/article/creating-social-posts-19by1xx/)
* [Editing Assets in Chat](https://mavic.crisp.help/en/article/editing-assets-zlx06k/)