Instagram is used by millions of people all over the world, giving us the ability to share moments of our lives with all of our followers. However, having an Instagram account comes with the undeniable stress and pressure of picking and posting the perfect picture. If finding and editing the perfect picture isn’t hard enough, you must complete your post by writing the perfect caption that could make or break your Instagram.

In my opinion, there are five ways to go when choosing an Instagram caption:

1. Add value to the picture.

Think about it. Posting a totally candid picture of you on a mountain taking in the beautiful view needs a caption that adds to the purpose of this picture, not a caption that states how much you like hot dogs… save that for another picture. This candid mountaintop masterpiece deserves a caption about living life to the fullest or being an adventurer. This caption is going to make your picture mean something; it is going to give your followers insight on what this picture means to you.

“365 new days 365 new chances Happy New Years!”

I chose this caption because it’s a new year and to me, that means a year full of new chances and opportunities, and the caption paired with the picture show how happy I am with of one of my best friends, laughing and having a good time.

2. No caption at all.

If you want to be super risqué and follow in the footsteps of the Queen herself, Beyoncé, then no caption is the way to go. Now, I personally would not go caption-less for every picture, but some pictures are so strong and meaningful, the caption is communicated by the picture itself. This makes bold pictures even bolder, telling your followers you have said what you needed to say without saying anything.

I chose no caption for this picture because my popular location already adds to this picture, and the image itself is statement enough.

3. The Emoji caption.

Stars like Kendall Jenner are avid users of the emoji caption, making the caption and picture more fun and playful. This is also a good option when you just cannot think of a caption that justifies the picture so let an emoji do it. You can use a seashell emoji for a beach picture or the dancing girls emoji for a fun picture of you and your BFF.

However, don’t get too carried away. One emoji is just perfect, but when you put three or more emojis in one caption, it causes your followers to think, “Ok, that’s enough.” Use those emoji captions sparingly!

I chose an emoji for this picture because I am with some of my friends, and the red heel emoji makes the picture look fun and sassy.

4. The Funny Caption.

Another option is to bring a little humor into the post by adding a funny caption to the picture. If you are naturally witty when it comes to making comments or captions this option will be a breeze for you. If you struggle with thinking of on the spot funny comments then maybe get help from a friend who is or choose a different caption route.

It is always worth a try, though, sometimes when we post a funny picture it does not make a lot of sense to write a super serious caption or use just an emoji or no caption at all. The picture is already funny itself so adding your own sarcastic common about the moment it was taken could really bring the post together.

"Wait....that one has a butt warmer"

I choose to make this a funny caption because I feel that without a caption people would not have understood what exactly was going on in the picture. I also feel that by adding a funny caption it makes the picture look like I meant to be looking in that direction and that is what I was thinking in my head which to me was funny.

5. The Lyric Caption.

Sometimes song lyrics are the perfect captions for your picture. Whether its a line from your favorite rap song or your favorite song to listen to when you are down, song lyrics can really bring emotion or comedy to a picture.

"Mama said know you OUT"

I thought this line from LL Cool J's 1990 hit "Mama Said Know You Out" fit perfectly with this picture of me on Halloween wearing boxing gloves looking like I am going to know out the person taking this picture. The lyrics just fit so well I came up with the caption idea seconds after I took the picture and I think it adds a little humor to the picture.

I hope these ideas help you choose your next Instagram caption. Remember, your caption is just as important as your picture, and picking the right caption can help you get those extra few likes and comments. I mean, come on, who doesn’t like getting a lot of likes. I know I do!