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How to Get More Likes on Instagram

How to Get More Likes on Instagram (31 Simple Ways)

Written By: author avatar Stacey Corrin
author avatar Stacey Corrin
Stacey has been writing about WordPress and digital marketing for over 10 years and on other topics for much longer. Alongside this, she's fascinated with web design, user experience, and SEO.
     Reviewed By: reviewer avatar John Turner
reviewer avatar John Turner
John Turner is the co-founder of RafflePress. He has over 20+ years of business and development experience and his plugins have been downloaded over 25 million times.

Do you want to learn how to get more likes on Instagram for your business?

It’s common to post Instagram content and barely get any engagement. Yet with the right hashtags and type of content, for example, you can make your Instagram marketing strategy a success.

In this article, we’ll show you how to get more likes on Instagram to beat the Instagram algorithm and boost your engagement rates.

Get More Likes on Instagram with Better Posts

To get more likes on Instagram, you first need to look at your Instagram post content. What you post plays a large part in who will like it, so getting this right is crucial.

Take a look at the following suggestions for improving your Instagram posts.

1. Take Great Quality Photos

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.

Take great quality photos for Instagram to get more likes

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.

2. Use Filters Consistently

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!

Use consistent filters to get more likes on Instagram

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.

3. Make Your Captions Interesting

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.

Use interesting and funny Instagram captions

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:

  • Asking a question about the image.
  • Sharing a funny story from the shoot.
  • Writing tips for getting the perfect shot.
  • Adding witty comments that reflect your personality.

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.

4. Share Behind The Scenes Photos

Instagram isn’t just a great place to help people escape reality. It’s also ideal for sharing your business’s more intimate and personal moments.

Not only will your followers go crazy for these behind-the-scenes snapshots it also helps you build an emotional connection with them.

share behind the scenes photos

Think about what your audience would enjoy knowing about the rarely seen aspects of your business. It could be you sharing images of how you shoot videos or your day-to-day work habits. That window into your everyday business life is the key to generating interest, Instagram engagement, and more likes.

5. Post More Videos

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.

Use video in Instagram to get more 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.

6. Make Posts Fun with Boomerang

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.

Use boomerangs to get more likes

Think about how to use this in your Instagram strategy to get more likes and engagement.

7. Make Use of Carousels

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.

Carousel instagram post

There are plenty of ways you can use carousels to add interest and intrigue to your feed, including:

  • A carousel of product images.
  • Collections of photos from a photoshoot.
  • A group of images from an event.
  • Photos grouped together to form a story.

These ideas all contribute to getting even more likes on Instagram.

8. Post Actionable Quotes

Posting quotes on Instagram might seem a little cliche, but they work wonders for getting loads of likes.

Quotes are usually posted on a clear background with bold text making them stand out from the rest of the feed. This makes them easy to read and attention-grabbing all at once.

Post actionable quotes

One way to get away from the more generally used quotes is to share more actionable quotes people can take value from. If you’re feeling super creative, you can come up with your own quotes that directly relate to your brand.

9. Repost Great Content

One of the biggest perks of having an active social presence is user-generated content. Instead of liking and commenting on posts, fans of active brands repost brand content to show their support. Moreover, they usually tag the original account in the post giving them credit.

You can do this, too, if you’re stuck on content ideas.

repost great Instagram content

Take the time to browse your follower’s feeds and pick out a post that aligns well with your brand and performs relatively well. Then repost the image making sure to mention the account that posted first. Remember to use trending hashtags and a good caption.

This is a two-pronged approach to getting more likes on Instagram. Not only are you re-sharing a popular piece of content, but the original poster will also get a notification and will likely engage with the re-post as a thank you for sharing it.

10. Run an Exciting Giveaway

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.

RafflePress Instagram giveaway example

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.

Instagram Giveaway actions in RafflePress

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.

11. Offer Discounts and Promotions

Providing ways for your followers to save money is a great way to turn them into solid leads. Offering discounts is straightforward to do on Instagram.

Offer discounts on Instagram to get more likes

A simple, eye-catching image with bold text highlighting your offer is often all you need because it’s easy to read, and chances are people will like and save it, so they don’t forget to use it later.

Posts like this help to increase your followers and make it more likely that those same people will like your posts in the future.

Further Reading: 18 Gym Promotion Ideas to Get More Clients Now

12. Make Use of Instagram Stories

Stories are Instagram’s version of the typical Snapchat Story. They let you share updates that last no longer than 24 hours and are generally more forgiving than the highly polished Instagram feed.

Post Instagram stories to get more likes

This means you can afford to be more fun and authentic without compromising the curated look of your main Instagram feed.

You can use stories to highlight new and upcoming promotions, customer feedback, and other interesting aspects of your business that people might find insightful.

Even better, you can cross-promote Instagram stories on Facebook stories using the same content to reach a different audience that might not follow you on Instagram.

13. Go Live on Instagram

You might think that going live on social media is limited to the likes of Twitter and Facebook, but broadcasting live streams on Instagram is an effective way to engage with your audience.

Going live on Instagram

Live streaming a question and answer session on Instagram allows your followers to get to know more about your business in a more unconventional format.

Try publishing several posts promoting the session in the lead-up to your live stream to generate more interest and awareness.

You can even offer prizes and discounts to people who show up, making your stream more desirable and more likely to receive a considerable number of likes.

14. Post Regularly

It might not seem so important at first but having a regular schedule of content on your Instagram page goes a long way to improving the number of likes you get overall.

Posting regularly means you’re constantly engaging with the followers you have while making your profile more attractive and active for future followers. This helps maintain a certain level of engagement while you try to grow further.

Plus going for a long time without posting anything can lead to people unfollowing you and decreasing engagement. Combat this by posting every couple of days, at the very least.

15. Ask Important Questions

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.

Ask questions on Instagram for more likes and engagement

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.

Another guaranteed way to get more likes on Instagram is to take advantage of trending topics.

Use memes and trends on Instagram

Let’s face it, we’ve all been caught up in the latest meme or craze sweeping the internet, and we know how powerful they can be for the original accounts that post them.

Every one of these trends is an opportunity for your business to jump on and use to boost your own social presence, especially if the trending topic is related to your field of interest. This keeps your brand top-of-mind and relatable to the people following you.

Get More Instagram Likes by Promoting Your Posts

Now that we’ve discovered some highly-effective ways to craft engaging Instagram posts, it’s time to find out how you can promote them.

Let’s look at simple ways to get more likes on Instagram by promoting your posts like a pro.

17. Cross-Promote on Other Platforms

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.

cross promote from instagram to other platforms

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.

18. Add Your Instagram Feed to Your Website

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.

smash balloon instagram feed pro

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.

add an instagram feed on your site and display likes and comments

Plus, you can display your likes and comments, encouraging others to engage with your posts.

19. Research and Use Local Hashtags

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.

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.

21. Add Hashtags to Your Bio

Another way to boost your profile and get more likes on Instagram is to include relevant hashtags in your bio. Doing this helps people find you more easily in search queries and makes your brand more recognizable.

Use hashtags in your Instagram bio

Using relevant hashtags in your Instagram bio shows visitors what your page is about and its purpose. Your bio description isn’t searchable, so using hashtags improves your visibility.

It’s also a great way to link tagged content together. For example, you could include a branded hashtag to promote and collect user-generated content for future posts for more likes.

22. GeoTag Your Location

geotagged Instagram photo

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.

Geotagging on Instagram helps you discover more location based content

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.

23. Promote Posts Using Ads

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.

Instagram

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.

24. Tag Influential Accounts

Want to know another way to reach more people in your target market who will like your content? Well, tagging influential accounts in your niche is an effective way to do this.

All you need to do is search for related influencers and tag them in your photos. This allows your posts to appear in their tagged in section and feed, turning it into a nifty way to reach other people in your target audience.

You never know, it could also get you featured on the influencer’s account, exposing you to a new audience of likes.

25. Encourage People to Tag-a-Friend

Sharing content related to your brand, products, and industry is one of the best ways to get more likes on Instagram. You can make it about any topic you think people will like, from funny memes and videos to promotions and discounts.

encourage people to tag a friend for organic instagram likes

For example, you could post a new product release announcement and ask your followers to tag a friend who they think would like it. This is a more organic way of raising awareness and opens your brand up to new followers.

26. Learn the Right Time to Post

You probably know by now that you tend to get more engagement on Instagram on certain days of the week.

Tap into this by learning the best times to post on Instagram so that you’ve got fresh content available when most people are browsing their feeds.

To help you out, here are some of the best average times we’ve found to post on Instagram:

  • Monday: 11 am – 5 pm Central Daylight Time (CDT)
  • Tuesday: 5 am, 9 am – 6 pm CDT
  • Wednesday: 5 am, 11 am, 3 pm CDT
  • Thursday: 5 am, 11 am, 3 – 4 pm CDT
  • Friday: 5 am, 9 am – 4 pm CDT
  • Saturday: 11 am CDT
  • Sunday: 10 am – 2 pm CDT

But to get more accurate times, look at your Instagram insights which will tell you exactly when your posts get the most likes and engagement.

Want to know how to boost your ROI on Instagram? Check out these handy tips.

Get More Likes by Working with Others on Instagram

There’s a famous saying that goes like this:

“Many hands make light work.”

And the same can be said for getting more likes on Instagram. Working with other people on Instagram can make the whole process of increasing your likes much easier.

Let’s look at how you can work with other people to great effect.

27. Team up With Influencers

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.

Team up with Influencers

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.

28. Host an Instagram Takeover

In the same way, having that influencer take over your account for a brief period can expose you to more people in your niche.

Host an instagram takeover to get more likes

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.

29. Partner up With Brands

Just like you’d partner with influencers, you can also partner up with a brand that has a complementary product to yours. That way, you get access to their audience, who are potential followers that might not be aware of you and vice versa.

An effective way to do this is to team up and host a giveaway, with the prize being a bundle of products from both brands. You can use RafflePress to host the giveaway on your websites and use the viral refer-a-friend action to reach more people naturally.

Viral refer a friend action in RafflePress

This is a win-win for both brands helping you share followers, get more likes on your posts, and eventually more sales for your products.

The Explore feed on Instagram is another handy way to find more content to engage with. If you follow a bunch of accounts specific to your niche, you’ll notice that it’s filled with content relevant to your brand.

Choose some of the most popular posts in this feed and add your comments, emojis, and insights to them. Other people who also interact with that post will see your comments which might lead to them clicking your profile to learn more about your brand.

You never know. You might get a few new loyal followers, which are highly valuable.

31. Follow More People in Your Niche

Our final strategy for getting more likes on Instagram is likely the simplest. And our tip is to take the time to follow more people in your field of interest. You can use the Explore feed to do this by identifying popular accounts related to your brand and interacting with them.

A good rule of thumb is to follow 2-3 new accounts daily to boost your follower count and show potential new followers that you’re a credible brand to engage with.

And that’s it!

Today we’ve gone through some of the simplest and most effective ways to get more likes on Instagram. All you need to do now is to put our tips into practice so you can grow your account, increase your likes and turn those followers into new sales.

And if you’re following our strategy of running a giveaway to get more likes, you’ll love these prize ideas for your contest. After all, a great prize makes your giveaway much more desirable.

We hope you liked this article. If you did, please follow us on YouTube for some great video tutorials. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter here.

author avatar
Stacey Corrin Writer
Stacey has been writing about WordPress and digital marketing for over 10 years and on other topics for much longer. Alongside this, she's fascinated with web design, user experience, and SEO.

Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. We only recommend products that we believe will add value to our readers.

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