Want to get more likes on Instagram? We've got your back. If you're posting great photos and videos on Instagram but not getting the engagement rates you want, your might just need a new strategy. We've found several tried and true tactics for increasing your Instagram likes, whether your account is public or private, business or personal. Read on to learn quick and easy ways to boost your Instagram likes!

1

Post when Instagram users engage the most.

  1. Instagram users are most likely to like and comment on posts at certain times of the day. If you create posts at peak engagement times, you're likely to get more engagement. The best times to post on Instagram for maximum engagement are weekdays, from mid-mornings to early afternoons.[1] [2] Instead of sharing your best content when fewer people will take notice, try posting at these peak Instagram engagement times:
    • Mondays: Around 12 PM.
    • Tuesdays: Between 8 AM and 10 AM, with peak engagement at 9 AM.
    • Wednesdays: Posts created around 11 AM on a Wednesday get more engagement than any other day and time of the week!
    • Thursdays: Between 11 AM and 2 PM, with 12 PM being the peak.
    • Fridays: Engagement is consistent between 7 AM and 2 PM.
    • Saturdays: Bright and early at 9 AM is the best time to post.
    • Sundays: Engagement is consistent between 12 PM and 8 PM, with 7 PM being the peak.
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2

Use hashtags to attract new followers.

  1. Trending and relevant hashtags help people find your posts. When you add a hashtag to your post caption, your post will be added to the page for that hashtag, making it easier for people to stumble upon. Always use 3 to 5 relevant and/or trending hashtags in every post so people searching for or following their favorite hashtags will find your content.[3]
    • Check out accounts similar to yours to see which hashtags they are using. Explore those hashtags and see if your content would be a good fit. If so, add those hashtags to your repertoire![4]
    • Niche hashtags work better than general hashtags. For example, if you're a beauty influencer, your posts could get lost in the #beauty hashtag. Try more creative tags like #cleanbeauty, #fallbeauty, #makeupaddict, #naturalhair, or #skincaretips instead.[5]
3

Write compelling captions.

  1. When you create a new post, treat the caption field with as much attention as you do the photo or video you're sharing. Ask your followers questions, tell a quick story, or provide some fun facts to get the conversation flowing. If someone lingers on your post to read your words, they'll be more likely to give you a like, and possibly even a comment.[6]
    • If been writing long captions and not raking in the likes, try dialing the caption length back a bit—short, witty, and sweet might go over better with some audiences.
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5

Cater to your target audience.

  1. Create content that your followers want to see. Whether you're running an Instagram account for your business, niche interests, or just for your friends, think about the content that brought your followers to you in the first place, and continue to improve on that content.[7]
    • Don't be repetitive, but don't stray too far from the content that your followers have responded well to in the past.[8]
    • Check your past posts and see which ones garnered the most likes, and share more content like that!
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6

Perfect your aesthetic.

  1. Create beautiful or unique photo and video posts that people want to look at. You don't have to have the world's greatest camera to take awesome photos, but you'll definitely want to edit photos that are dark, grainy, or improperly centered before posting them.
    • Take a look at your profile and see how your posts look together on the grid—do they look good together? Consider sticking to a color scheme or photographic technique to keep your brand consistent and aesthetically pleasing.
    • Use creative Instagram filters to make your photos stand out. Try to stick to the same one or two filters for all of your post to keep things consistent.
    • In addition to (or instead of) using Instagram filters, use other photo editing apps like Photoshop Express and Canva to make your photos picture-perfect before posting.
7

Share content when your followers are most active.

  1. Peak engagement times on Instagram are only one part of the puzzle. Depending on your niche, location, and content, your followers might be on a different schedule! If you have a Creator or Business profile, you can use your Insights panel to find out when your followers use Instagram most.[9] Just tap Insights on your profile and select the Audience tab to find out the best time to share new content with your unique followers.[10]
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9

Post consistently, but don't flood the feed.

  1. While it's important to post content regularly, don't post too much. Posting only once a day is a great way to satiate your followers without overwhelming them. If you make too many posts (or post too many similar things in a short period of time), your followers will be less likely to shower you in the likes you deserve.
    • If you have a ton of photos you want to share, create carousel posts instead of posting them one-by-one. Carousel posts are extremely popular right now (sometimes called "photo dumps") and are a great way to share lots of cool photos without overwhelming your followers.
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10

Be relatable.

16

Run a giveaway contest.

  1. For a quick engagement rate boost, offer a prize in exchange for likes. This is especially effective if you run a business through your Instagram account and your followers are interested in your products. Create a post that details the rules of your giveaway, and watch the likes roll in.
    • For example: "I'm giving away one free membership to my recipe database. To enter, like this post and comment with your favorite meal and the last time you ate it. I'll randomly choose a winner on Wednesday morning at 9 AM!"

Expert Q&A

  • Question
    How do I get more followers on Instagram?
    Jaclyn Selby
    Jaclyn Selby
    Social Media Expert
    Jaclyn Selby is a Social Media Expert and Director of Social Media at Ovello. Ovello is a female-owned & operated team of remote Executive Assistants and Social Media Managers who are passionate about helping entrepreneurs grow their personal businesses to maximum potential. With 4 years of social media experience, she specializes in helping her clients create a brand, a holistic strategy, and growth through various social media platforms.
    Jaclyn Selby
    Social Media Expert
    Expert Answer
    Make sure that you have a solid Instagram bio with a searchable name and title as well as a good link (or a Linktree, if you want to incorporate multiple links). Use Reels to bring new people to your profile and encourage them to follow you.
  • Question
    How do you get people to like your Reels on Instagram?
    Jaclyn Selby
    Jaclyn Selby
    Social Media Expert
    Jaclyn Selby is a Social Media Expert and Director of Social Media at Ovello. Ovello is a female-owned & operated team of remote Executive Assistants and Social Media Managers who are passionate about helping entrepreneurs grow their personal businesses to maximum potential. With 4 years of social media experience, she specializes in helping her clients create a brand, a holistic strategy, and growth through various social media platforms.
    Jaclyn Selby
    Social Media Expert
    Expert Answer
    Incorporate strong keywords into your Reel's text or captions—that helps Instagram categorize that content and get it to the right viewers. You can also ask people to like your Reel in a call to action.
  • Question
    How do I get more people to see my posts?
    Melissa Rodriguez
    Melissa Rodriguez
    Marketing & Advertising Specialist
    Melissa Rodriguez is a Marketing and Advertising Specialist and the Founder of Social Media Relations out of Los Angeles, California. With over 5 years of experience, she specializes in branding, content production, social media marketing, and public relations. Melissa holds BS degrees in Global Perspectives and Corporate Finance and Accounting from Bentley University.
    Melissa Rodriguez
    Marketing & Advertising Specialist
    Expert Answer
    You really want to make sure that you're using hashtags correctly and that you're selecting hashtags that are very likely to pop up in searches. I'd recommend looking at a recent list of trending hashtags, or drawing on inspiration from popular posters to see how they use the tags.
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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about Instagram photos, check out our in-depth interview with Jaclyn Selby.

References

  1. Jaclyn Selby. Social Media Expert. Expert Interview. 28 October 2022.
  2. https://blog.hootsuite.com/best-time-to-post-on-instagram/
  3. Jaclyn Selby. Social Media Expert. Expert Interview. 28 October 2022.
  4. Kasey Dunn. Social Media Expert. Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.
  5. https://www.lorealparisusa.com/beauty-magazine/makeup/makeup-trends/makeup-hashtags-for-instagram
  6. Kasey Dunn. Social Media Expert. Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.
  7. Kasey Dunn. Social Media Expert. Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.
  8. Jaclyn Selby. Social Media Expert. Expert Interview. 28 October 2022.
  9. Jaclyn Selby. Social Media Expert. Expert Interview. 28 October 2022.
  1. https://help.instagram.com/1533933820244654
  2. Kasey Dunn. Social Media Expert. Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.
  3. Kasey Dunn. Social Media Expert. Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.
  4. Kasey Dunn. Social Media Expert. Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.

About This Article

Jaclyn Selby
Written by:
Social Media Expert
This article was written by Jaclyn Selby and by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Jaclyn Selby is a Social Media Expert and Director of Social Media at Ovello. Ovello is a female-owned & operated team of remote Executive Assistants and Social Media Managers who are passionate about helping entrepreneurs grow their personal businesses to maximum potential. With 4 years of social media experience, she specializes in helping her clients create a brand, a holistic strategy, and growth through various social media platforms. This article has been viewed 3,386,329 times.
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Co-authors: 149
Updated: February 3, 2023
Views: 3,386,329
Categories: Instagram Photos
Article SummaryX

To get more likes on your Instagram photos, use multiple hashtags to get discovered by other users, which can generate more likes. For example, if you have a picture of your wiener dog, use hashtags like “wienerdog,” “dog,” and “pet.” Or, use some of the more popular hashtags, like “love” or “cute.” If you aren’t sure what hashtags are popular, search the list of trending hashtags and use one of them. Another way to generate more likes is to be an active member of the Instagram community by commenting on friends’ photos or liking the photos of random people, since this can lead to you getting likes in return. To learn the best times of day to post photos to Instagram, keep reading!

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