I get tons of questions about Instagram every day, but I always come back to the old question: “How do I get more likes on Instagram?”! And honestly: who doesn’t want more interaction with their posts?
The problem is that we often overthink simple things and try to complicate the process to get more likes. So… instead of doing that, I saved you a lot of time by putting together my top 6 tips and tricks to get more likes on Instagram!
Why Instagram likes still matter
In 2019, Instagram launched an effort to hide likes from users in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Ireland, Italy and the United States. The aim is to reduce competition for competitiveness and popularity and thus promote a change in publishing behavior towards creativity, storytelling, and spontaneity. As Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said: “The idea is to take the pressure off Instagram, make it less competitive, and give people more space to focus on connecting with the people they love and doing things that inspire them.”
Hiding likes means that people viewing your posts won’t be able to see how many likes you have. As a result, people may engage more with brands they have a real connection with, rather than gravitating towards brands with a large number of likes. For brands, this means that every like you receive has been earned by a true fan. In this sense, likes are becoming more influential than ever, even if they remain hidden from the public.
Even though the likes are hidden, you can still access the numbers on the back. This way you can continue to monitor post performance and adapt your content to the Instagram algorithm, which always favors likes as a ranking signal. Whether the service launches permanently in the UK or not, likes to remain a key indicator of success, and achieving this requires high-quality content.
That said, let’s get to the advice.
Share high-quality photos
This seems obvious, but the importance of high-quality photos is often overlooked. If your photo is blurry, grainy, or too dark, you won’t get many likes! The same goes for images: if you use too many different fonts or try to cram a lot of text and images into a small square, your followers won’t like it.
Just focus on improving the quality of your messages, perhaps by upgrading your camera, sitting near a window for better lighting, or thinking more carefully about composition. All this helps to get more likes on Instagram!
Take high-quality photos
Although the current trend is to take more authentic photos on Instagram, the truth is that they are not as good as high-quality photos. High-quality photos are extremely attractive to Instagram users and satisfy our need to disconnect from reality. Don’t worry, you don’t have to rush to buy a very expensive camera. Most modern smartphones have fairly advanced cameras, so this should be enough. Pay attention to the lighting (preferably of course), be creative with filters, and in no time you will take an Instagram-worthy photo that will get you many more likes.
Use hashtags strategically
Hashtags allow you to expose your Instagram posts to a whole new audience. There are popular terms for every niche. The easiest way to find relevant hashtags is to type a few words related to your image or business into the Instagram search bar.
Alternatively, you can also enter # followed by keywords in your signature. The most popular hashtags on Instagram are listed here. Another way to find relevant hashtags is to use a hashtag generator site like All Hashtag. Enter a keyword in the search box and the tool will generate the best matching hashtags.
To reach as many people as possible with your post, use the most popular hashtags in your niche. Use geolocated hashtags to reach people near you. To find them, Google “popular Instagram accounts + [your city]” and find out what terms the most followed accounts in your area use.
Write compelling captions
Publishing high-quality photos is extremely important, but it is not enough: the caption must be equally interesting, engaging, and valuable. Avoid captions that contain single words or phrases and instead try to inspire and evoke emotions by telling a story, sharing sensitive statements, giving practical advice, or evoking feelings through humor, nostalgia, or inspiration. This is where the connection comes in: if your audience can relate to your message, they are more likely to leave the message Like or comment.
Don’t be afraid to be yourself and share everything with your audience because this is an important factor that will help you get more likes on Instagram!
Make your captions interesting
When you post something on Instagram, it’s tempting to take a photo, post it, and pray it gets likes quickly. You have to make an effort to communicate with your followers. A great way to do this, besides sharing great photos, is to write compelling captions for them. Some of the best Instagram captions tell the story of an image and help the viewer imagine themselves in the photo and experience it firsthand.
You can also try the following:
- Ask a question on the board.
- Tell a funny story from the meeting.
- Writing tips for the perfect photo.
- Add funny comments that reflect your personality.
Whatever you post, make sure it’s engaging and gives your followers a chance to join the conversation. This is a surefire way to get even more likes.
Run a contest or giveaway
Contests are one of the easiest ways to increase engagement on Instagram. To increase the number of likes, you can make the entry barrier as simple as “Like to win.” To increase engagement, you can up the ante by asking participants to follow you and tag a friend, as evidenced by this giveaway hosted by Diala’s Kitchen. To make an Instagram contest or sweepstakes attractive, make sure the prize is relevant to your brand and target audience and specific enough to attract followers in the long term.
For example, if you run a restaurant, offering a free meal for two or a gift certificate is something that will interest real followers. On the other hand, donating an iPad or a vacation to Disneyland can attract opportunists who have no interest in your brand.
