Instagram captions for small businesses, written from your own website
When you run a small business, Instagram is one more job at the end of a long day. Give this prompt your website link and your todo.is agent reads what you sell and who you serve, then writes two weeks of captions that sound like a real owner, not a marketing agency.
The prompt
- Read my website [WEBSITE LINK] and learn what my small business sells, who it is for and what makes it different. I also want to promote [CURRENT FOCUS]. Write 10 Instagram captions for the next two weeks: 2 product or service posts with a real benefit, 1 owner story about why I started (use [YOUR STORY]), 1 behind-the-scenes post, 2 customer posts built from these reviews: [REVIEWS], 1 FAQ post, 1 post about a mistake customers often make, 1 offer post with a deadline, and 1 thank-you or community post. Write in a [TONE] voice, under 80 words each, with one call to action per post. Add 6 hashtags each (local + niche) and a suggested photo for each caption. Save them in a Word document.
What to change
- [WEBSITE LINK]: Your site or online shop, e.g. "harlowcandleco.com". Your agent reads it.
- [CURRENT FOCUS]: e.g. "our new autumn scents", "booking slots in December", "the gift card".
- [YOUR STORY]: A few lines, e.g. "started pouring candles in my kitchen during maternity leave in 2021".
- [REVIEWS]: Paste 2 or 3 short customer reviews, or attach screenshots.
- [TONE]: e.g. "warm and down to earth", "dry and funny", "calm and premium".
Example result
- Harlow Candle Co. · Captions for two weeks
- 1. Product (photo: Ember candle lit on a windowsill)
- "Ember smells like a wood fire without the smoke alarm. Cedar, clove and a little orange peel, hand-poured in small batches of 40. Shop it at the link in bio."
- 2. Product (photo: three tins stacked)
- "Our travel tins burn for about 20 hours and fit in a coat pocket. Small enough for a desk, strong enough for a whole room."
- 3. Owner story (photo: you at the pouring table)
- "In 2021 I was on maternity leave, couldn't sleep, and started pouring candles in my kitchen at 2 am. My partner said the house smelled like a gift shop. Three years and one tiny studio later, I still pour every candle myself."
- 4. Behind the scenes (video: wax being poured)
- "Every candle cures for two weeks before it leaves the studio. It's the boring part, and the reason they smell strong all the way down."
- 5. Customer (photo: candle in a customer's home, with permission)
- ""I've bought Ember four times and gifted it twice. It's the only candle my husband doesn't complain about." — Lauren, Leeds"
- 6. Customer
- ""Arrived in two days with a handwritten note. That never happens." — Mo, Bristol. We still write every note by hand."
- 7. FAQ
- ""How long do your candles burn?" Our large jars burn for about 50 hours. Trim the wick to 5 mm each time for a clean flame."
- 8. Common mistake
- "The number one candle mistake: blowing it out after 20 minutes on the first burn. Let it melt to the edges, about 2 hours, or it will tunnel."
- 9. Offer (deadline)
- "Autumn scents are 15% off until Sunday at midnight. After that, they're full price until next year."
- 10. Community
- "This week we hit 1,000 orders. To everyone who ordered, shared, or told a friend: thank you. It's still just me, a ladle and a lot of wax."
- Hashtags (example set)
- smallbusinessuk #handpouredcandles #soycandles #shopsmall #yorkshiremakers #autumncandles
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt, add your website, current focus, your story, a few reviews and your tone.
- Send it in the todo.is app or to your agent on WhatsApp. Attach review screenshots if that’s easier.
- Your agent reads your site and sends 10 captions with photo ideas in a Word file.
- Every two weeks, send "new batch, focus on [X]" and your agent reuses what it learned about your business.
Tips for a better result
- Owner stories and behind-the-scenes posts are where small businesses beat big brands. Show your face sometimes.
- Quote real reviews word for word and ask the customer if you can use their first name and city.
- Give offers a real deadline and keep it. Fake urgency wears out fast.
- Ask your agent to remember your tone and products, so each new batch takes one short message.
Instagram captions for small businesses: FAQ
- What should a small business post on Instagram? A mix of products, behind-the-scenes, customer reviews, the owner’s story, helpful tips and occasional offers. Selling in every post tends to lose followers.
- How often should a small business post? Two to four times a week is realistic for most owners. Planning two weeks at once makes it much easier to stay consistent.
- Can it write captions from my website? Yes. Your agent opens your website, reads your products and about page, and uses those details in the captions.
- Will it schedule or post them? No. todo.is writes the captions and can remind you to post. You publish them yourself or paste them into your scheduling tool.
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