The Three Words You Should Never Put in a Caption

There is a silent assassin in your captions.
A tiny cluster of words that looks harmless, sounds harmless, and feels harmless.
But the moment you post with them, your engagement flatlines.

You know that feeling when you hit publish, wait for the rush, and instead watch your analytics drop like a stone in a lake? There is a reason. And those three words are usually the culprit.

Before we crack them open, you need to understand this: captions are leverage. They’re the difference between someone scrolling past and someone stopping, reading, saving, sharing, following, or even buying. Captions turn strangers into warm leads and warm leads into fans.

So if three little words can sabotage all of that, you cannot afford to keep using them.

And yes, you have used them. Almost everyone does.

If you want captions that spark curiosity, trigger emotion, and pull people toward your brand, we can help you build a content strategy that works. Book your free setup call with us at Multipost Digital.

Let’s peel this open.

Why These Words Are Killing Your Captions

Think of the algorithms like hyperactive toddlers. They reward energy. They reward movement. They reward posts that make people react in under one second.

But these three words do the opposite. They slow everything down. They signal boredom. They drain momentum from your hook. They soften your punch. They take your reader out of the moment.

The worst part? You are probably using them at the start of your caption, which is the most dangerous place to lose steam.

Captions rise or die on the first line.
Your hook is oxygen.
These three words suffocate it.

If you want hooks that stop thumbs instantly, Multipost Digital specializes in crafting scroll-stopping content for every major platform. Let us build yours.

Now let’s name the villain.

The Three Words You Must Delete Forever

Ready?

Here they are:

“In this post…”

That’s it.
The most forgettable, disengaging, energy-draining phrase you could ever type.

You might think it sounds professional. You might think it sounds organized. You might think it prepares your audience for the value to come.

But on social media, it does something else entirely.

It kills curiosity.
It kills tension.
It kills the reason anyone should keep reading.

No one comes to Instagram or TikTok for a table of contents. They come for emotion. They come for drama. They come for story, tension, relief, surprise, validation, recognition, identity, inspiration, or even distraction.

When you begin with “In this post,” you tell your audience:

“Prepare to be bored. This will feel like homework.”

Social media is a battlefield. Attention is scarce. Boredom is fatal.

Why “In This Post” Hurts You More Than You Think

Let’s zoom into the psychology.

When someone scrolls, their brain is in rapid-scan mode, searching for something interesting, rewarding, or emotional. Hooks work because they create tension that begs to be resolved. They plant a question. They activate curiosity by building a gap between what the reader knows and what they want to know.

But “In this post” closes the gap instantly. It removes the mystery before it forms. It gives the payoff before the intrigue. It flattens the emotional arc you need to keep people reading.

Here is what your reader thinks subconsciously:

“I don’t need an intro. Just tell me something interesting.”

And if you don’t?
They bounce.

Captions need friction. They need contrast. They need a spark. “In this post” is the opposite of spark. It is the linguistic equivalent of beige.

The Ripple Effect: How One Phrase Tanks Your Entire Post

You might think it’s harmless.

You might think, “Who cares? It’s only three words.”

But here’s the domino effect it creates:

1. You lose the first second of attention.
The scroll continues.

2. Because attention drops, engagement drops.
The algorithm lowers your distribution.

3. Because distribution drops, fewer people see your post.
Your reach tanks.

4. Because the post underperforms, future posts suffer too.
The algorithm assumes you are less interesting than you actually are.

5. Because the algorithm dials you down, your brand becomes invisible.
No matter how good your content is later, it starts from a hole.

Three words can bury weeks of momentum.

This is why we hammer this point with clients: social media does not reward information. It rewards energy. It rewards emotion. It rewards clarity, boldness, and tension.

Our team is trained to build that tension into every hook we write for you across all seven platforms we manage. If you want daily captions that actually move your metrics, start with a free call.

The Better Alternatives to “In This Post”

So what do you write instead?

Anything that creates tension, surprise, or emotional charge.

Here are some examples that follow the same structure we use inside client content:

1. Start with a confession.
“I used to get zero engagement until I realized this one mistake.”

2. Start with a contradiction.
“You’re doing everything right and that’s exactly why your growth is stalled.”

3. Start with a challenge.
“Most people won’t finish this caption, but the ones who do will double their reach.”

4. Start with a problem.
“If your posts keep flopping, you’re probably missing this.”

5. Start with a promise.
“If you apply this today, your next post will outperform your last five combined.”

Notice something?
Every one of these openings creates a gap.
That gap is what pulls readers down the page.

Why This Matters Even More If You’re a Business

When you are a brand, captions are not decoration. They are sales copy. They guide behavior. They build trust. They shape perception. They warm your audience so that when you pitch something, they say yes instead of “maybe later.”

Multipost Digital exists because most businesses don’t have time to write captions that actually convert. They’re busy operating, building, hiring, fulfilling, improving, and trying to stay competitive. Social media becomes an afterthought, and captions become the first place quality slips.

But captions are where the relationship forms.

And relationships are the ROI.

When your captions feel cold, corporate, flat, or lifeless, people drift. They don’t save. They don’t share. They don’t comment. They definitely don’t buy.

We handle seven or more platforms for clients because your reach multiplies when your message is everywhere. And captions are the glue that holds your message together.

The Hidden Reason People Think Their Content Is “Not Working”

Most creators assume their posts flop because:

The algorithm hates them
Their niche is too crowded
They don’t have enough followers
They don’t have the best camera
They didn’t use the perfect audio
They didn’t post at the right time

But none of these matter if your caption is dull.

Your caption is your conductor. It directs energy where it needs to go. It tells people what to feel, what to think, and what to do. If the conductor is weak, the orchestra never gets loud.

This is why we optimize captions uniquely for every platform. Instagram captions can be longer. LinkedIn captions need sharper structure. TikTok captions need punch. Pinterest captions need clarity. Each network has rules, and we tailor captions to match them.

Your caption is not optional.
It is architecture.

How to Train Yourself Out of Using These Words

Here is a simple rule:

If your caption can be used by anyone, it should be used by no one.

“In this post” could open any caption, by any creator, in any niche.
Which means it communicates nothing unique.

Start every caption with one of these intentions instead:

Spark curiosity
Spark tension
Spark conflict
Spark revelation
Spark transformation

When you build every caption with one of these emotional anchors, your posts instantly become more noticeable and more memorable.

And remember: captions are content. They are not summaries. They are not disclaimers. They are not introductions.

They are your hook.
Your story.
Your sales engine.

This is how you grow a brand people recognize across seven platforms, which is exactly what we do for our clients every day.

Your Captions Are Costing You Growth, But They Don’t Have To

The moment you delete those three words, your captions improve.
The moment your captions improve, your engagement improves.
The moment your engagement improves, your reach expands.
The moment your reach expands, your brand becomes unforgettable.

Most people never get this far because they stay stuck repeating the same caption mistakes, hoping something clicks.

You don’t have to.

If you want us to write high performing captions for you, tailor them to every platform, schedule them daily, and manage your entire presence while protecting your passwords with tight security, we’re here.

Book your free setup call with Multipost Digital.

You focus on your business.
We focus on making the world pay attention to it.