Why “big things coming” is a weak caption, and what to write instead

3 minute read · Updated 15 October 2026

Teaser captions are fun to write, but they don't give anyone a reason to stop, comment or come back.

An example

Caption: "big things coming 🚀"

Score: 2/10, "Vague promise, zero substance."

HAITE (dial 7): "It's the caption equivalent of a blank cheque written by someone with no money. 'Big things' tells me nothing, and the rocket emoji is doing all the work a real word should be doing. Say what the thing is, or don't say anything."

Why it doesn't work

People respond to specifics: a date, a price, an opinion, a question they have an answer to. "Big things coming" gives them nothing to respond to, and because anyone could post it, it doesn't tell anyone why to follow you in particular. The emoji sets a mood, but it can't say what you mean.

Things that work better

Say what it is and when: "[Thing] launches [day]. [One reason to care]."
Ask a question your followers have an opinion on: "[Option A] or [Option B] for [situation]?"
Use a real number: "[Number] [things] in [time period]. Here's what worked."
Share what actually happened: "We nearly didn't post this because [reason]."

The example, rewritten

"Our [product] goes on sale Friday at 6pm. [One plain reason someone would want it]. The first [number] orders get [a real offer]."

"Spent [time] making this. It does one thing: [what it does]. Out [date]."

A few smaller points

Put the main point first. Most apps cut captions off after a line or two.
Ask for one thing at a time, whether that's a comment, a save or a click.
A few relevant hashtags do more than a long list of generic ones.

Try it on your own work

Paste your work into HAITE and it will tell you what's wrong with it. You set how harsh it is, from 1 to 10. It's free to start.

Try HAITE free

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