If there’s one Instagram metric that reigns supreme, it’s likes. Not only can the number of likes determine the overall success of a post, but having more of them can make you look more like an authority within your niche. If growing your number of Instagram followers and expanding your reach is the goal, you’ll want to pay close attention to your likes.
That said, now that Instagram has begun to reduce the visibility of likes, you might be wondering if likes are as important as they used to be. And the answer is yes, now more than ever.
Depending on your geographic location, you may no longer be seeing other users’ like counts. But even if only you can see the number of likes on your post, that number is still a crucial analytic tool for determining how your content is resonating with your audience. Since Instagram began hiding likes, some influencers have reported that fewer and fewer of their followers are liking their posts, which means you’ve got to work a little harder now to get your followers’ virtual approval.
You can, but we highly recommend that you don’t.
Not only is buying likes and followers incredibly shady, but it could also get your account shut down. Instagram’s Community Guidelines prohibit the use of “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” which essentially means any activity that is deemed misleading. Creating a fake account representing another person, buying followers, and buying likes fall within this category.
If you want to grow your Instagram presence in an authentic, real way, you have to get your likes organically. In other words, you can’t pay for them.
There is, however, one ethical way to pay for more exposure (and potentially more likes) on Instagram — boosting a post.
When you boost a post, Instagram will strategically place it in front of more eyeballs, including new followers. It runs like an ad, and you can pay anywhere from $1.00 to $1,000, depending on how many people you want to reach and how long you want to boost your post. You do have to have a professional account to boost a post. So, if your account is set to personal, you’ll need to switch it to a business or creator profile within your settings.
Here’s how to do that:
Now that you’re all set up with your professional account, here’s how to boost a post on Instagram:
And voila! Your post will be boosted in front of potential new followers for however long you like. Instagram will be happy, and you can sleep well at night, knowing you didn’t pay for fake accounts to like your photos.
So, how do you get more likes on Instagram without paying? Two words: active engagement.
Below, we’ll show you all of the tips and tricks used by top influencers to increase their likes and build a community of loyal followers.
Many creators get so focused on what they’re posting and sharing that they forget a crucial element of their social media platform — being social.
Not only should you be liking and replying to comments on your posts, but you should also be liking and commenting on posts from other accounts. Participate in the conversation. Reply to Stories. Share other people’s posts. Not only does Instagram’s algorithm reward those who really utilize all the features on the platform, but your followers will be more likely to interact with your content if they know you’ll make an effort to do the same.
We’re not going to state the obvious and tell you to post good content. Instagram is a visual platform, and it will come as a surprise to no one that high-quality photos receive more likes. However, in addition to posting great pictures, you can increase your likes by encouraging your followers to comment on your posts.
Here are a couple of ideas on how to do that:
Video creator @livia_adams_ provides some great examples of how to do this. She often asks her followers to “comment below” and tell her their favorite color to wear or their different places to get their clothes. It’s a simple yet effective way to encourage engagement and start building relationships with your online community.
Hashtags are a great tool to use if you want to get your posts in front of more people — but you have to know how to use them.
It doesn’t help (and, in fact, it could hurt) to overload your posts with a hundred hashtags that don’t fit into your niche audience. Instead, do your research, see which hashtags best represent the content you’re posting, and choose around nine of them.
When it comes to captions, it’s important that you’re not so broad that your post gets lost in the masses (for example, using #travel) but also not overly specific (for example, using #travelspotsforbirdowners). Doing some research within the “related hashtags” feature should help you find your sweet spot.
Geotagging provides yet another avenue for new followers to find your content. And while there are no guarantees, one study found that posts with geotags received about 79% more engagement from followers than posts without.
Even if you get just a few extra likes or comments, this is an easy way to expand your reach — and there’s a chance you’ll land a coveted spot on the geotag’s “Top” page.
While you want to be consistent with your content and continue posting within your niche to build authority, you can’t ignore what’s going on in the world. This doesn’t mean you have to follow every temporary trend that pops up, but if there’s a trending hashtag that you have something to say about, do it.
Overall, Instagram is all about conversations and engagement, so make sure you’re participating in the global and societal conversations that are always happening around us.
The best time to post on Instagram has long been debated among social media experts. But thanks to Instagram’s analytic tools, you can look into the exact times and dates when your followers are active.
Here’s how to find out your ideal posting times by using Instagram Analytics:
There, you’ll find a section called Most Active Times, where you can switch between hours and days to view the times and days of the week your followers are most often using the app. From there, you can curate your posting schedule to post only during those times, thus increasing the likelihood of gaining likes.
Your captions are just as crucial as your content. So before you hit Share, make sure you’re intentional with what you write below your beautiful photos. Tell a story, share an idea, or ask a question. But whatever you do, don’t just post a string of emojis and call it a day.
Whether you’re a fashion blogger or a travel photographer, people want to know the person behind the profile. Don’t be afraid to show your face and give your followers a peek inside your personal life, like health and wellness blogger @khill_fit often does.
It doesn’t take an expert to know that if someone is tagged in a photo, they’re more likely to share it with their followers via their Stories or by reposting it on their own feed. Beyond tagging your friends in a picture, you can expand your reach by tagging any brands you’re using or locations that are in your photo.
A word of warning: Don’t overdo it. Instagram (and your audience) will see a bunch of photo tags as spammy.
A good photo is one thing, but valuable content is another.
Before you post a photo, ask yourself, “Why will my audience care?” While your profile is your platform, the only way it’s going to grow is if your followers are engaged. Yet another photo from your exotic vacation might not pique their interest, but a photo from your vacation with a caption detailing the best spots you visited just might. Take digital creator @ashley_mae, for example.
When it comes to getting more likes on Instagram, quality is always better than quantity. It might not happen overnight, but if you focus on posting engaging content for your followers, your number of likes will steadily increase over time.