Instagram marketing in Hebrew for Israeli businesses

Write in Hebrew, do not translate

Hebrew marketing copy is usually shorter, more direct and less formal than English. A translated English caption tends to sound stiff or oddly enthusiastic. Start from the message you want to send and write it in Hebrew.

• Decide how you address people. Hebrew verbs and adjectives are gendered, so choose plural address (אתם), which many brands use to speak to everyone, or a consistent inclusive form. Mixing forms looks careless.
• Keep it conversational but correct. Informal is fine; spelling mistakes and awkward word order are not.
• Decide how you treat English terms. Many Israeli brands mix in English words; write them consistently, and in Hebrew letters where that is how people say them.
• Keep sentences short and put the useful part first: what, when, how much, where.

Design right to left

Hebrew reads right to left, and your graphics should too. Align Hebrew text to the right, order carousel slides so the story reads naturally, and mirror arrows and step numbers. Do not mirror logos, product photos or charts.

Mixed text needs checking. Numbers, prices, English brand names and punctuation inside a Hebrew line can end up in the wrong place, especially a full stop or question mark at a line end. Preview every graphic and caption on a real phone before publishing, and check reel subtitles too.

Plan around the Israeli calendar

Jewish holidays follow the Hebrew calendar, so their Gregorian dates change every year. Put them in the plan early; the autumn holiday season in particular affects opening hours, delivery and staffing for weeks.

• Rosh Hashanah: greetings, gifts, holiday tables and new beginnings. Announce hours and delivery cut-offs early.
• Yom Kippur: a solemn day. Most businesses stay quiet; do not schedule promotions for it.
• Sukkot: holiday week, family outings and school breaks.
• Hanukkah: gifts, family activities and sufganiyot season for food businesses.
• Purim: costumes, parties and mishloach manot.
• Passover: cleaning, family meals and holiday travel. Food businesses should be precise about what is kosher for Passover.
• Holocaust Remembrance Day and Memorial Day: days of mourning. No promotions and no playful content; many brands post nothing or a quiet message of remembrance.
• Independence Day: celebratory, and it begins immediately after Memorial Day ends. Plan the transition with care.
• Shavuot: dairy dishes and harvest themes for food businesses.
• Seasonal moments: back to school in September, the summer holidays, and November shopping events that many Israeli retailers now run.

Respect the Israeli week

The Israeli week starts on Sunday, and the weekend runs from Friday afternoon to Saturday night. Many businesses close for Shabbat, and part of your audience will not use their phones then. Decide whether to publish or reply on Shabbat based on your customers and your own practice, and if you pause, say when you will be back.

Reply the way Israelis message

Many Israeli customers are used to messaging businesses the way they message friends: short questions, quick answers, no formalities. "כמה עולה?" often arrives first. Answer with a real number or a clear range and what it depends on. Evasive replies and long scripts lose people quickly.

Keep replies short, one idea per message, and move to a concrete next step: an available time, a link, a phone call if they want one. If a customer prefers to continue by phone or on another messaging app, ask first and let them choose. Answer in the language they wrote in: many customers write in Hebrew, but some write in Russian, Arabic or English.

IGP one writes in Hebrew with right-to-left layout and can use plural address, so drafts and DM replies follow the same voice you approved.

Mind the rules on promotional messages

Israel's anti-spam law (Amendment 40 to the Communications Law) restricts sending advertising by email, SMS and similar channels without the recipient's prior consent. Replying to someone who contacted you is different from sending promotions they did not ask for. Keep your DM replies to what the customer asked, do not add people to marketing lists without explicit consent, and keep a record of consent where you collect it. Show full prices, as the customer will pay them.

Checklist

1. Copy written in Hebrew from the start, with one consistent form of address.
2. Graphics designed right to left; numbers and English names checked on a phone.
3. Holiday calendar updated for this year's dates, including Yom Kippur and the national days.
4. No promotions on Yom Kippur, Holocaust Remembrance Day or Memorial Day.
5. Shabbat publishing and reply policy decided and communicated.
6. DM answers short, with real prices or clear ranges.
7. Promotional messages sent only with prior consent.