Writing a Short Product Caption

You have one photo and three lines of text. That is a product caption. Most people fill those lines with words about the company. Below are two short models you can copy, plus one line on the mistake people make. The product here is a small desk lamp.

MODEL 1 — THE PROBLEM CAPTION Your desk light is too bright at night. This lamp has three levels. The lowest one is soft enough to read by at 11pm, with no glare on the screen. Warm white. Plugs into any USB port. Black or cream. Ships Friday. Link in bio.

Start with the reader's problem, not your product name. The first line must work alone, because that is all people see before they tap more. Give one number or one fact they can check: three levels, 11pm, Friday. End with one action. One caption, one action.

MODEL 2 — THE CUSTOMER CAPTION A nurse wrote to us last month. She works nights and studies in the morning. She said our lamp was the only one that did not wake her flatmate. We did not plan that. We just made it dim. Same lamp. Same price. Link in bio.

The second model borrows proof from a real customer. Use her words, not your own. Never invent the quote. If you have no customer yet, use your own week instead. Then keep both models in one file. Next time you fill in the blanks instead of staring at an empty box.