How to get likes on Instagram? How to get more likes on Instagram the right way? Well, first of all: don’t buy likes.
Getting more likes on Instagram just takes time and care to create high-quality posts that are worthy of real Instagram likes from real people.
Ultimately, the goal on Instagram is to show your best side by sharing content that people value. It takes work, but if you’re ready to up your game, we’ve got plenty of tips to get you started.
Is it really important to get likes on Instagram?
The answer is yes, of course. Getting more likes on Instagram matters as much as ever, getting likes on Instagram is important for your personal brand or business.
In case you missed it: in mid-2019, Instagram started experimenting with not showing the number of “likes” a post has received (aka “like count”) on feeds in certain regions. Although when you promote an Instagram post you will still be able to see all the stats internally, it doesn’t matter whether or not they show this publicly.
According to Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, the move was part of the company’s efforts to protect the mental health of the platform’s community. The idea was to make the whole experience healthier and less competitive for users. Instagram explained, “We want your friends to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many “likes” they get.”
The move met with mixed success: some people liked not having the pressure to keep up with the competition, while others felt they were left in the dark about what was popular.
Instagram’s solution was to announce in May 2021 that it would now give people the option to hide public “like” counts, i.e. hide counts on all posts or just your own feed so that others can’t see them.
But whether we can see Instagram likes or not, Instagram’s algorithm still works as usual, according to the platform. So whether they’re visible to the world or not, these are the best ways to get people to hit that heart button.
How to get more likes on Instagram?
Use the right hashtags
Tag relevant users. Hashtags are a great key to expanding your audience on Instagram. If you use a hashtag, your post (or story) will appear on that hashtag’s page.
People can also choose to follow hashtags, which means you could show up in a total stranger’s newsfeed.Surprise!
Tag relevant users
Whether you tag a contributor, a new acquaintance or your childhood hero, the goal is to highlight how much you value them and share that value with your audience.
And if it turns out that your audience can see your value in the process? So be it.
Cool Ruggings-an account dedicated to documenting cool rugs from around the world, of course-clearly tagged the designers of these modern camping chairs made in Brazil. It was an opportunity to share the love, but with the added bonus of a little potential attention from those Instagram users and their own fan bases. Getting likes on Instagram is easier if important people, famous or with some impact and influence, comment on or share your content.
Write convincing subtitles
Whether it’s better to write a novella that exceeds Instagram’s 2,200-character limit, or keep things mysterious and punchy with a single line, depends on your brand’s voice and message. But whether they’re long or short, captions are a vital ingredient to a successful post and being able to get likes on Instagram.
Good Instagram captions add context and personality, and compel your followers to act. Don’t rush this part.
Tag your location
More than just a humble statement about your excellent taste in breweries or coworking spaces, geotagging your location is a way for more people to find and like your photos.
It’s even more useful if you’re a brand with a physical location, as you build a sense of community with your regular and… potential customers. (Just remember to make sure your physical coordinates are correct so you show up on the map).
Exit to the Explore page
Behind that little magnifying glass icon, the Explore page is a cornucopia of beautiful and entertaining content customized for you by Instagram. Brands featured there get a lot of eyeballs.
But how do brands get featured on Instagram’s Explore tab in the first place? Simply put, you need a great engagement rate and an active community, and it doesn’t hurt to embrace whatever new features Instagram is currently pushing in the algorithm. (Have you noticed that Reels are everywhere? It’s no coincidence!)
Post at the right time
Instagram doesn’t display posts chronologically, but its algorithm does favor “recency.” This means that if you want to get in front of eyeballs, it’s important to know when your audience is actually looking at the app.
Well, every brand has its own sweet spot, based on its unique audience, so your own analytics will give you some guidance. But one tip to get likes on Instagram more safely is to post content during impact hours when most users have their phones in their hands and of course Instagram open.
Organize a “I like” contest to win
Contests can take a little planning…or a lot of planning. But a “like” contest is one of the easiest ways to increase engagement in a given period of time. Getting likes on Instagram is no easy task but with these little tricks you can at least improve that chance of increasing them.
The key is to make sure the prize is appealing to your audience, but also specific enough to attract real fans, not opportunists (i.e. don’t give away cash, iPhones or trips to Ibiza).
Participate outside your feed
In its ongoing attempt to give people what they want, the algorithm prioritizes Instagram posts from accounts it deems “close.” How does it measure closeness? By monitoring how many accounts interact with each other.
So, if you want to expand your reach and, therefore, your chances of getting likes, don’t be a shy one: go out and interact. Be generous with likes and comments.
Post good photos to get likes on Instagram
Lest we forget that photography was an art before it was a marketing tool, we all have to admit that sometimes our taste exceeds our skill.
On Instagram, there’s no room for “good enough” photos. It’s time to level up.
Whether it’s taking a photography course to develop your eye, or devoting some budget to upgrading your equipment, find out what the pros do differently than the amateurs in their posts to get likes on Instagram more often.
Publish user-generated content
Sharing content from your followers is a surefire way to generate engagement. For starters, it’s exciting for the user to be featured by a brand they like, but it also acts as social proof, confirming to your other followers that it’s more than okay to be a super fan.
It also shows your authenticity and your connection to the community. So go ahead: hit the share button and you’ll see how getting likes on Instagram isn’t that hard!
Publish behind-the-scenes content
Be a little vulnerable and show the final product that isn’t so glossy – it will reward you.
People love to see how something is made, get a behind-the-scenes look at a photo shoot and learn about the real struggles behind the glamorous photos in your feed.
Ask people for their opinion
“Ask a question in the caption” is a common tip to increase engagement for a reason: it’s a direct call to action for followers to add a comment. By interacting, it’s easier to get likes on Instagram because others will see that your content is more popular across the board.
And if they’re already engaging, the likelihood of them giving you a like in the process increases. TLDR: it never hurts to ask!
Organize a takeover to get likes on Instagram
If you’re comfortable handing over the keys to your account to a contributor, Instagram takeovers are a great way to attract a new audience to your page.
Of course, the brand or influencer taking over should be in line with your values: you want followers who migrate to your page to like what they see and stick around.
Multi-platform artist community Panimation is a great example: they invite a rotating cast of illustrators and animators to join their account to share their work with their audience of over 65,000 people.
See what works for your competitors
If you have your Instagram set up to see “likes”, you can take a look at what’s working (or failing) for your competitors again. Keep your eyes peeled… or better yet, do some competitor analysis to get likes on Instagram, more than them if possible.
Make social listening part of your social media marketing strategy to gauge sentiment and identify industry trends. You don’t want to get left behind or miss the opportunity to pick up where the competition has left off.
Asks people to tag their friends
Doing this all the time is a bit old hat… but initiating “tag a friend” along with the right post can result in a flurry of activity.
The key is to give them a good reason to tag a friend, whether it’s a joke or a gift.
Accept memes
There’s a reason why Instagram is full of memes and aggregator accounts: people can’t help but hit “like” and share funny gifs, poignant quotes or silly jokes. One of the ways to get likes on Instagram is to use memes from time to time in your posts.
While some can certainly be juvenile, there are tasteful ways for brands to jump on the meme bandwagon in a strategic and successful way – just keep the jokes appropriate for your voice, content and audience, and don’t overdo it. A little dash of meme goes a long way.