New Update: Boost Social Proof with Reviews & Automation
Introducing RafflePress's new leave-a-review giveaway actions. Boost customer engagement and build trust effortlessly by incentivizing reviews in WordPress.
New Update: Boost Social Proof with Reviews & Automation
Stacey Corrin
Stacey Corrin
John Turner
John Turner
I remember posting a giveaway teaser I thought would do really well, great lighting, good prize, even scheduled it during peak hours. But barely anyone liked it. I’d done everything I was “supposed” to, and still felt invisible.
Since then, I’ve tested just about every Instagram tip out there, from posting styles to Reels, hashtags, captions, even how I time announcements. Some tricks were a waste of time. But others made a noticeable difference fast.
If you’re trying to get more likes on Instagram without buying them or gaming the algorithm, this guide is for you. I’ll show you the 21 simple ways that actually worked for me, and how you can start using them right away.
Want to skip ahead? Click below to jump to each group of tips:
You don’t have to use every tip—just choose the ones that fit your style and goals, then build from there.
You don’t have to try all 21 at once. Just pick a few that fit your content and start experimenting. The more you test, the easier it gets.
If your post doesn’t catch someone’s attention in the first second, it gets skipped. These tips help you make content that earns the like.
Even though there’s a trend now towards taking more authentic Instagram photos, the truth is they don’t perform as well as high-quality photos.
Great quality photos are super attractive to Instagram users and feed into our need to escape reality for a while.
Don’t worry, you needn’t rush out to buy a super expensive camera for your photos. Most modern smartphones have pretty sophisticated cameras, so that should do the trick.
Pay attention to your lighting (natural light is best), get creative with filters, and you’ll have an insta-worthy photo in no time that nets you way more likes.
Another quick way to get more likes on Instagram is to use consistent filters on your photos.
Haven’t you noticed how some of the top Instagrammers have a feed full of images that all look like they come from the same photoshoot? What’s their secret? They use the same filters from the Instagram app throughout!
It might seem counter-intuitive but using the same filters for each mage helps cement your visual identity. It enables you to build a recognizable brand for your followers, which gets you a regular boost in likes.
Carousels on Instagram used to be limited to ads. Yet, now, anyone can add multiple images into a stylish carousel offering another way to make your posts stand out in a crowded feed.
There are plenty of ways you can use carousels to add interest and intrigue to your feed, including:
These ideas all contribute to getting even more likes on Instagram.
When you browse your Instagram feed, what stands out the most? Is it the pictures you scroll past endlessly? Probably not!
The chances are that the videos and Instagram reels make you stop scrolling. You should focus some of your efforts on video to get more Instagram likes.
In a crowded feed, video is far more engaging than a simple photo. So think about how you can use video to grab the interest of your followers and land on the explore page.
How-to videos that don’t rely on audio are a great place to start. You could also consider adding captions to videos so people in public places won’t need to turn on the sound to get the most out of your posts.
If you want people to pause and connect with your post, give them something real. Two of the easiest ways to do that are quotes and behind-the-scenes content.
Actionable quotes—ones that teach, inspire, or offer quick tips—stand out in the feed. They’re usually bold, easy to read, and give people a reason to double-tap or save.
Behind-the-scenes photos build trust. Show how you work, set up your shots, or even what your team does for fun. It’s a simple way to humanize your brand and connect with your audience emotionally.
You don’t need polished perfection here—just moments people relate to or learn from. These posts often earn more likes because they feel more personal and scroll-stopping.
While you work on making your Instagram posts more engaging, why not try injecting some fun into your photos and videos with Boomerang.
Boomerang from Instagram is a tool that lets you create a forward and backward loop of a short video clip. Think of it as something halfway between a video and a gif.
Many business accounts use Boomerangs to highlight a funny moment in their day. And quick, dramatic movements tend to make the most exciting boomerangs.
Think about how to use this in your Instagram strategy to get more likes and engagement.
Instagram wants people to interact, not just scroll. These ideas make your posts more inviting—and more likely to show up in the feed.
When posting on Instagram, it’s tempting to snap an image, publish it and pray that the likes will start rolling in. But that’s not how social media marketing works.
You need to make an effort to engage with your followers, and a great way to do that besides sharing awesome photos is to write engaging captions alongside them.
Some of the best Instagram captions tell a story about the image helping the viewer imagine they’re in the photo experiencing it for themselves.
You could also try:
Whatever you include, make sure it’s exciting and offers an opening for your followers to join in on the conversation. This is a sure-fire way to get even more likes.
If you pay attention to Instagram accounts that get a lot of engagement, you’ll notice they share some essential things in common. One of these is that they ask questions in the captions of their posts.
Asking questions is highly engaging and gets your followers thinking about a response. If someone has already left a comment, they’re more likely to double tap and like your photo.
Turning this thinking into a habit when putting together your content can net far more likes than a simple caption.
If you want more likes, start by being visible in the right places. Head to your Instagram Explore feed and look for posts from accounts in your niche—especially ones that already get a lot of engagement.
Like and comment on those posts with something thoughtful or funny. Then follow a few of those creators or commenters. This shows Instagram that you’re active in your community and puts your name in front of the kind of people you want to attract.
People often click through to your profile when they see your name pop up multiple times. And if your content speaks to them, you’ve just earned yourself a like—or a new follower.
Tagging is one of the easiest ways to increase your visibility on Instagram—when you do it with purpose.
Start by encouraging your followers to tag a friend in the comments. For example, if you’re announcing a product, ask, “Know someone who’d love this?” These kinds of posts often lead to more engagement and shares.
You can also tag relevant influencers or brands in your post. This adds your content to their “tagged” section and could get you noticed by their followers—especially if your content fits their audience.
Used together, these two tagging tactics help you reach new people and encourage more organic likes—without paying for ads or changing your content strategy.
Even the best content needs a little help getting seen. These tips help more people discover your posts—on Instagram and beyond.
A similar way to get more Instagram likes is to use popular hashtags relevant to your brand. These hashtags can tap into a larger audience than using local ones and can help your photos get seen by more people.
The critical thing to remember about popular hashtags is that they’re generally not high-quality likes. But they’re an excellent way to increase your credibility when growing your account.
A good practice is to pick a few of the most popular hashtags and sprinkle them with more highly targeted ones. That way, you reach a large ‘general’ group of users alongside a more targeted audience.
Did you know that using local hashtags is an excellent way to reach potential customers near you? Doing so can help you connect with people close by who may be interested in featuring or promoting you as a local business.
Do a quick Google search for popular Instagram accounts in your town or city and take note of the local hashtags they’re using. Then use these in your own posts to get more likes on Instagram.
Geotags are also a great way to increase engagement on Instagram. All you need to do is add your location when publishing a new post or allow Instagram to use your current location.
These tags let people find your photo anytime they click on the same geotag on another photo. It’s, therefore, a great way to grow your following and boost your likes because it’s another way to increase your visibility.
To get more likes consistently, you need to show up consistently. Posting a few times a week helps keep your profile active and makes sure your audience sees you often enough to engage.
But timing matters too. Posting when your followers are actually online gives your content a much better shot at getting seen—and liked.
Here are some general best times to post (in Central Time):
To get the most accurate times for your audience, check Instagram Insights. Once you know when your followers are most active, make it a habit to post during those windows.
Want to know how to boost your ROI on Instagram? Check out these handy tips.
Instagram makes it super easy to cross-promote your posts on other platforms. You’ve probably noticed that when you’re about to hit publish, a prompt asks if you’d also like to post to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.
Toggling these options will send that same post to those other networks reaching an audience that might not realize you have an Instagram account. This can prompt them to check your profile in response and maybe even like a few of your photos.
If you’re running an Instagram giveaway, as we mentioned earlier, you can also use the actions in RafflePress to get people to share your giveaway on other social platforms. For example, users can tweet to enter, follow you on TikTok, and more.
This increases the exposure of your giveaway and, as we just said, can get them to check out your Instagram profile. You never know; you may tap into a new audience of followers.
If you’re using Instagram to help grow your blog, this ultimate guide to Instagram for bloggers will help.
Like Facebook, Instagram has its own ad platform that allows you to promote posts. This can help you reach a large group of people who don’t already follow your account.
The targeting options on Instagram promotions are the same as Facebook’s ad platform and can take some time to get your head around. However, it can help you precisely target the type of audience you want to reach.
And if you make your content as engaging as possible using the methods we explained earlier, you’re bound to get more people interested in your brand and following you. This ultimately leads to more likes.
Embedding your Instagram feed on your website is an easy way to get more likes. Many people visiting your website are already fans of you, so they’re more likely to interact with your posts.
Using Instagram Feed Pro by Smash Balloon, you can easily add your Instagram feed anywhere on your WordPress site.
With Smash Balloon’s Instagram Feed Pro, you can display standard feeds, hashtag feeds, Instagram Stories, IGTV videos, “shoppable” feeds, and more.
The feeds are highly customizable; you can choose from different layouts, decide which posts will appear in the feed, design the feed to match your brand and more.
Plus, you can display your likes and comments, encouraging others to engage with your posts.
If you want faster results, try one of these growth boosters. Giveaways and influencer partnerships can multiply your reach overnight.
Another sure-fire way to get more likes on Instagram is to run a giveaway. Contests generate heaps of excitement and have the power of making your posts go viral on multiple social media platforms.
An easy way to run a giveaway on Instagram is to use RafflePress, the best giveaway and contest plugin on the market. RafflePress makes it super simple to run a viral contest that gets loads of free Instagram likes and comments.
You can even use the Grow Your Instagram Following template to make it easier to get set up. This template automatically adds the requirement for people to visit you on Instagram to enter your giveaway.
Then you can promote your contest on Instagram to get the most exposure for your account, which builds your audience and gets many more people to like your content.
Further Reading: 13 Amazing Instagram Examples to Try Now
Don’t forget to dive into your Instagram analytics to view your metrics and see which giveaway actions drove the most engagement.
Posts about discounts and special offers tend to get saved and shared—both of which boost your visibility and lead to more likes.
Use bold, easy-to-read text on a clear background to highlight the offer. Keep the message short so people can see it at a glance while scrolling.
Even if they don’t act on the offer right away, they might save the post to come back later—and those extra saves can help bump your post higher in the feed.
Further Reading: 18 Gym Promotion Ideas to Get More Clients Now
Working with influencers has fast become a popular way for brands to reach a wider audience and get more Instagram likes. Finding an influencer to work with helps you reach people in your target market and allows you to use social proof to increase conversions and improve your credibility.
People take the decisions of influencers into account a lot more than they would with a brand or business. This means that their followers are more open to buying your products as a direct result of the partnership.
In the same way, having that influencer take over your account for a brief period can expose you to more people in your niche.
Just be sure that the influencer lets their followers know they’ll be taking over your account so they can check out your profile and interact with the influencer there.
Again, this helps you increase the credibility of your profile and allows you to tap into the influencer’s established audience for more likes and followers.
I’ve tested every one of these tips on real accounts—some flopped, but others gave me instant results. What worked best for me? Consistency, strong visuals, and well-timed giveaways.
If you’re serious about growing your likes, start with one section above. Pick a few tips, try them for a week, and watch what happens. Even small changes can lead to big improvements over time.
And if you want a fast, reliable way to boost engagement, giveaways are still one of the best tools I’ve used. They get people talking, tagging, and liking—especially when you use something built for results.
Ready to get more likes and grow your audience? Get Started with RafflePress and launch your first Instagram giveaway today.
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