Keep reading with interesting tips to get more Instagram likes in this new year 2021.
5. Post More Video Content
Video is incredibly engaging and stands out in the midst of endless still images in crowded Instagram feeds. We suggest posting more video content, especially content that doesn’t depend on audio. How-to videos are particularly popular on Instagram. Including captions is essential for reaching users who don’t listen to audio when scrolling (and there are lots of them). Moreover, captions are great for accessibility, which is rightly becoming a mark of brands and influencers who are publishing content for more than just increased sales.
6. Use Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories are one of many Instagram marketing trends that just continues to increase in usage. They provide brands and influencers with an opportunity to be more candid and authentic. You don’t need video production for this popular Instagram content. Now you can also highlight Stories that you want to keep available longer than the standard 24 hours. This is totally helpful if you find yourself continually answering the same questions from followers or if you want to highlight user-generated content or share promotions. Let’s take a look at Danish comedian Sofie Hagen’s feed. He uses Story highlights to keep important stories, including an FAQ, a welcome highlight, and a whole lot more:
7. Write Engaging Captions
Your Instagram captions need to be engaging and interesting if you want to get more Instagram likes. While that beautiful photo is enough to grab attention, your followers are going to be expecting a little bit more than that. We suggest using your caption to share a story, your thoughts, or your feelings about the picture and make it personal, both sharing something of yourself with your followers or relating the image and your caption to them. You can also ask questions of your followers to gain engagement. Your photos get scrollers to slow down, however, your captions are what get them to engage.
8. Include a Call to Action
You should add on your Instagram posts a simple call to action. This could be something as simple as asking your followers to “double-tap” if they like your photos or follow the link in your bio. There are also tons of accounts out there that use their call to action to increase their reach by asking their followers to tag a friend. Michigan-based tattoo artist Leila D’Amato regularly includes a call to action to her followers letting them know the way to get in touch for an appointment:
9. Post Consistently (At the Right Time)
To give your content the perfect chance to reach your target audience, you will need to post when your audience is most active on Instagram. While the best time to post on Instagram can vary depending on the kind of content your post, your niche, and who your target audience is, there is research out there that can give you some great points to start:
- HubSpot research discovered that the perfect time to post is between 2 PM and 3 PM on Thursdays.
- According to Sprout Social, Wednesdays at 11 AM and Fridays between 10–11 AM are the perfect times to post.
- Expert Voice also found that Wednesdays are a great day, at 11 AM and 3 PM.
- Later doesn’t specify a day but found that the perfect time of day to post is 9 AM–11 AM EST.
We suggest testing your engagement for different times and days to seek out what works best for your specific audience. This doesn’t mean that you can’t ever post outside of the perfect time you find, however, your most essential content should be published around that time. Chances are, you’re going to be publishing posts more than just once each week, anyway.
10. Use the Right Hashtags the Right Way
Hashtags carry a lot of weight on Instagram. They’re an effective way to reach potential followers and customers and, if you’re a location-based business, you can even use targeted local hashtags to reach customers who are nearby. While the total number of hashtags to use tends to change, Chalene Johnson suggests using 10–20 hashtags, including your own branded hashtag. She tends to not use the hashtags in the post itself but instead adds them to the first comment on her posts:
You’ll need to include a mix of hashtags that’s relevant but not too niche. And, while it’s essential to stay up on trends and trending hashtags, don’t use them if they aren’t related to what you’re posting or related to your brand and niche. Using unrelated hashtags may get your content in front of more Instagram users, however, that doesn’t mean that they’re your target audience.
We also suggest adding hashtags to your Instagram profile to help customers discover you in searches and increase brand recognition. Since your bio itself isn’t searchable, hashtags are an effective way to show visitors what you’re all about.
11. Promote Using Paid Ads
If you have the budget for it, Instagram ads can be an effective way to reach people who don’t already follow you on the platform. Instagram and Facebook have the same ad platform that allows for highly targeted ad campaigns that can really extend your engagement for not much money. Using a combination of organic content and paid ads is one of the effective ways we’ve found to reach the people who are interested in your products and services however may not have heard of your brand or don’t know that you’re on Instagram.
Get More Instagram Likes Quickly and Easily
Getting more likes on Instagram will help your brand grow and reach a broader audience. While the 11 methods to get more Instagram likes we’ve included here are an excellent starting point, they aren’t the only things you can do. Teaming up with influencers and other brands is another great method to expand your audience and get more likes on the platform.
There’s additionally lots of benefit to engaging with your followers when they comment on your content as well as engaging with other influencers and brands on their own content. It’s social media, after all, so a big part of achieving success is being social. You can tag essential accounts in your content, comment on popular content from others, and follow more people in your niche to boost your own follower count—and an increased follower account brings more opportunities for getting likes!