A photo stops the scroll. The caption makes the sale. In Sri Lanka your buyers may read Sinhala, Tamil, English, or a mix of all three, so the caption that works is the one written the way they talk. This guide gives you a simple formula and examples you can copy and change.
You don't start from a blank page
Every MyKade product comes with ready-made captions in Sinhala, Tamil and English, and AI can write a fresh caption for you. Use them as a starting point, not the final word. A caption sounds better when you add one line in your own voice: where you would use it, who it suits, why you picked it.
Always check the price in the caption is your selling price before you post.
The five-part caption
Good captions for everyday products usually follow the same pattern:
- The hook: a problem or a moment the reader knows. "Phone sliding off the dashboard again?"
- What it is: one plain sentence.
- Two or three real points: size, material, what's in the box. Only facts from the product page.
- Price and how to pay: your price, plus delivery, cash on delivery.
- What to do next: "Message me to order" or "See more at my shop link".
Keep it short. On a phone screen, the first two lines matter most, because the rest is often hidden behind "more".
One product, three languages
Here is the same caption for an imagined car phone holder, as an example. Change the details to match your real product and price.
English
Phone sliding around while you drive? This holder clips onto the air vent and keeps your phone steady for maps. Fits most phone sizes. Turns sideways for videos. Rs 1,950 + delivery. Cash on delivery, island-wide. Message me to order.
Sinhala
ඩ්රයිව් කරද්දී ෆෝන් එක එහෙ මෙහෙ ලිස්සනවද? මේ හෝල්ඩර් එක A/C වෙන්ට් එකට සවි කරාම මැප් බලන්න ෆෝන් එක හොල්ලන්නේ නැතුව තියෙනවා. ගොඩක් ෆෝන් සයිස් වලට හරි. වීඩියෝ බලන්න හරහට කරකවන්න පුළුවන්. රු. 1,950 + ඩිලිවරි. ගෙදරටම ආවම සල්ලි (COD), දිවයින පුරා. ඕඩර් කරන්න මැසේජ් කරන්න.
Tamil
டிரைவ் பண்ணும்போது போன் அங்கும் இங்கும் வழுக்குதா? இந்த ஹோல்டரை A/C வென்ட்டில் மாட்டினால் மேப் பார்க்க போன் அசையாமல் இருக்கும். பெரும்பாலான போன் அளவுகளுக்குப் பொருந்தும். வீடியோ பார்க்க பக்கவாட்டில் திருப்பலாம். ரூ. 1,950 + டெலிவரி. கைக்கு வந்ததும் பணம் (COD), இலங்கை முழுவதும். ஓடர் செய்ய மெசேஜ் பண்ணுங்கள்.
Notice that the Sinhala and Tamil versions are not word-for-word translations. They use words people really type, like ඩිලිවරි, ඕඩර්, டெலிவரி, ஓடர்.
Which language should you use?
- Write for the people who will see it. If your WhatsApp contacts mostly chat in Sinhala, post in Sinhala.
- In mixed groups, two languages is fine. Put the main language first and a short second version below. Three full versions in one post gets long; it's often better to post separately.
- Everyday words beat formal ones. A caption that sounds like a government letter feels like an advert. One that sounds like a friend's message gets read.
- Numbers in digits. "Rs 1,950" is faster to read than the words.
Honest captions sell longer
- Only say what is true and on the product page. No "best in Sri Lanka", "100% original" or medical claims.
- Never use another brand's name to describe your product.
- Don't write "free delivery" unless it really is. The customer usually pays a delivery charge of around Rs 450, so mention it.
- Don't invent "only 2 left" or fake countdowns.
A customer who gets exactly what the caption promised is a customer who might order again. One who feels tricked sends the parcel back. See why parcels come back.
Small touches that help
- One or two emojis can help the eye, but don't fill the caption with them.
- Break the caption into short lines. Long paragraphs get skipped.
- Add your shop link at the end of Facebook and Instagram posts (see your MyKade shop link).
- Pair your caption with a clear photo: great product photos with just your phone.
Practise with the AI, then make it yours
Try this: ask the AI for a caption, then change the first line to something you would really say, check the price, and cut anything you can't confirm. After a few days you'll write your own just as fast.
Ready to write your first caption? Download the MyKade app, open a product and tap share.