You have your Instagram account and you post all the time, but you’re not getting enough likes on your posts or the right engagement for your account. Likes are the biggest currency on Instagram after all. They are sought by every social media influencer on the internet. When you get a lot of likes, it bumps your post up higher in people’s news feeds.
It also helps with future posts, so if you have a lot of likes on your old posts, you can expect the same amount if not more for any posts in the future, as the algorithm works by giving users similar posts that they have liked in the past.
Likes can give you a plethora of other benefits too. You can get more Instagram followers and traffic to your profile, as people will follow and share your posts if they like what you have to offer. Likes are the most important thing overall in the Instagram strategy.
But how do you get more likes? Well, this guide should help you increase your likes on your Instagram posts so you can reap the benefits and grow your following. Here are six tips to gain more likes.
6 Tips for Getting More Instagram Likes
If you have a few dollars to spare, you can now safely buy Instagram likes (use a reliable vendor like Buzzoid or Viral Race). But here are some free ways to earn more Instagram likes:
#1 Share images that work
The whole thing about Instagram is posting images, so you should obviously know they are one of the most important factors when trying to get likes.
You need to do a little research here and analyze all of your past Instagram-photos. What posts got the most likes? What post got the least likes? Then, compare them to others on the explore page.
If you are starting a new account, or haven’t posted very much to get enough data to figure out what works on your own profile, look to other peoples’ accounts who are similar in the content you want to post. See what they are doing that is making them successful. Once you figure out what works best, post similar posts, and post less of the stuff that doesn’t get that many likes.
There are in general two types of images you want to share: photos and pre-designed images. If you are posting just a photo, select a filter, and it’s ready to post. Research has shown that the Mayfair filter is the best option to get more interaction with your posts and the second is actually to use no filter at all.
For pre-designed images, however, you should add overlay text, like a quote or fact. Just something entertaining to get more likes. Studies have shown Instagram users like entertaining and informative texts with pre-designed images.
Also, consider adding other content types, too. Videos, Instagram stories, Instagram Live videos, selfies, and boomerangs are popular choices.
#2 Use call to actions and hashtags in captions
Don’t be afraid to just be blunt and ask for likes. Social Bakers found that on Twitter when people ask for retweets, they usually get more retweets. The same thing goes for Instagram in the terms of likes. If you want them, ask them to drop alike.
You can easily do this by saying something along the lines of “Like this if you agree!” or “Please like this post!”
Using the right hashtags can also greatly help you reach more people and get more interaction on your profile. Research shows you should be using 11 or more hashtags on each of your posts to maximize your likes and comments. Feel free to add more than 11 if you like but try not to go over 15 as it can be considered spammy and deter people from your posts.
Consider location tags too. If you use the location tags in conjunction with hashtags, you get way more exposure and new followers since they connect you to real people in your community.
Reach your target audience by using relevant hashtags to your site. If you need help coming up with Instagram hashtags search up a list of popular hashtags that can help draw in extra interaction.
#3 Schedule at best times
Now, you can’t just go posting at any time during the day and expect to get the same amount of likes. TrackMaven found that the best post times to maximize your interaction is between 10 PM and 3 AM.
There are a few reasons for this but the main reason is there is little competition at that time. You’ll have higher engagement when there is less competition available so when you post at that time while there isn’t much else being posted, you’ll see more attention to your posts.
More attention means more likes which will make the algorithm show it to more people and thus giving you even more likes. Overall, this is generally how it works but you should play around with posting times to make sure you are reaching your audience at the proper hour.
Instagram features a nice scheduling tool as well to help you be more precise with the times, that way if you’re planning to post at 3 AM you don’t actually have to stay up that late. This makes it easy to maximize the Instagram algorithm without wrecking your personal life.
#4 Reshare on other networks
Instagram isn’t the only social media platform out there, so why not utilize all of them? If you have accounts on other platforms such as Tumblr, Reddit, Facebook, or Twitter, try cross-sharing to those platforms.
People who found you on your other platforms will then be directed to your Instagram profile and thus bringing you more followers and likes. It doesn’t always work, but it can’t hurt either, and it is worth investigating. Download the Instagram app along with other social media apps.
#5 Like other posts
If you want more Instagram engagement, have you considered giving out more likes? Neil Patel tried this as an experiment. He randomly liked photos from people he didn’t follow and he found for every 100 likes he gave out he got about 22 likes in return and 6 follows back. People still followed him even if he didn’t follow them back. This same formula is seen on the Likezoid platform, where you can get free Instagram likes by liking other people’s photos.
If you’re going to do this, try targeting people that match your profile. Go to the Instagram feed and select the trending hashtags you regularly use. Like people’s Instagram content from there. You want people that will find your posts entertaining and useful to be seeing your stuff in order for them to want to like your posts and follow you back. You can also repost content.
It would be difficult to get that kind of retention if you just start liking peoples’ posts when they have nothing to do with your own content.
#6 Run like and tag to win contests
If you want a quick and easy way to get more likes and Instagram followers, you can try running contests or giveaways on your account. Instagram contests are a very easy way to drive engagement and get more double taps since everyone loves free stuff.
For a like photo contest, it’s rather simple. You just need to make a post asking people to like the post to apply in the contest for a chance to win whatever you want to give them. If your prize is good a lot of people will flock to the post to like it in order for a chance to win.
To take this contest to the next level, run a like and tag contest. It is generally the same concept, except you ask them to not only like the post but tag someone in the comments section as well. This will draw more interaction to the post because for every person that sees it and tries to win, they are sharing it with another person. On top of this, it adds to the comments as well as the likes which will show more interaction.
Like I said earlier, the prize will matter. Try to make it related to your actual profile so it draws in the right audience too. If you are a beauty guru, try giving away makeup or other things of the sorts.
You can use a hashtag strategy or incorporate Instagram influencers into the contest. Both hashtags and influencers will spread the word, helping the contest reach more Instagram users.
Conclusion
If you utilize all of these tips you should increase your engagement rates and with that, the number of likes you are getting. Remember to take all of these tips and cater to your audience. You don’t want to generalize it because even though more people will see it, they may not care about what you have to offer, so utilize your targeted audience.