Do you want to increase Instagram engagement? How about getting new followers? Trying to figure out how you can maximize your likes on your pictures?

On the Instagram app, popularity is determined by likes. The more likes your post receives, the higher up your post will appear in your follower's news feeds. Receiving more likes on one of your posts will help your future posts get more likes as well. The way the Instagram algorithm works is it shows users more of the posts from people that they have liked posts from in the past. 

The more likes you receive on Instagram, the more followers you will start getting. This will increase traffic on your profile as people are likely to scroll through your posts to see what you've got to offer before they choose if they want to follow. If you plan properly, the likes you receive on your posts can become the most important part of your Instagram strategy.

This guide will discuss six ways to increase your number of likes on Instagram to help you boost your follower engagement. Number six will help you re-engage followers you already have when you notice you aren't getting as many likes anymore.

6 Ways to Get More Instagram Likes and New Followers 

You don't have to be an influencer to get a lot of likes. 

Unless you want to buy Instagram likes, here are the best tips for creating Instagram content people want to double tap: 

1. Share Images that Work

Instagram is a visual social network. You need to post and repost pictures that people will want to see to get a high follower count. Go through your old posts and see which one got the most likes. Think about why it got the most likes, and how you can create more content similar to that post.

If your business profile is new, or you don't usually share much, then you won't have anything to compare against. Take a look at other accounts that are similar to the type of account that you want to start. Scroll through and look at their themes, which pictures get the most likes, and how often they post. When you get a good idea of what kind of posts get the most likes, you can get to work creating similar content. You can go to the explore page for more ideas. 

There are two types of images that you will want to share on your Instagram feed are designed images and real photos.

If you are sharing just a picture, you can add a filter to enhance your image. According to lifewire.com, the filter that receives the most likes (after the normal filter) is Clarendon, the filter that brightens and darkens in all the right places.

If you are sharing a pre-designed image, consider adding some overlay text, including a quote or a fact. Maybe put something that will entertain your followers. Entertaining and useful content will perform well, and you will receive more likes.

In addition to pictures, use other content types. Videos, Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, boomerangs, and selfies can add more content and diversity to your Instagram profile. Add clickable links, stickers, memes, and emojis too! Just because it is a business account doesn't mean it has to be boring. 

Regardless of the post, make sure that it is high-quality. Top posts are always refined and professional, even if they have a fun or conversational tone. Try to increase your brand awareness while only offering top-notch quality content. 

2. Use Call to Action and Hashtags in Instagram Captions

If you want more Instagram likes, you can basically ask for them by including relevant hashtags in your captions. Use hashtags to help you reach Instagram users that wouldn't normally find you. More so, they help you cater to your target audience. For a call to action, you can add a simple message that simply says, "Like if you agree" or "Like this post". This will bring people to your post if they search the word "like".

Depending on the type of content you are planning on publishing, you should research the most popular hashtags for type. Instagram breaks hashtags into nine distinct categories. Use these categories to create a hashtag strategy that works for you. 

For a product or service, use basic keywords that describe what you do, such as #handbag or #divebar is you sell bags or run a bar. If you have a niche, pick a relevant hashtag that fits your niche such as #travel or #food to bring people to your posts. Maybe even brand a hashtag to incorporate into your Instagram marketing and include in your Instagram bio. 

Some other specific hashtag types include: industry Instagram community hashtags (#craftersofinstagram), special events or seasonal holidays (#summerdays, #nationalicecreamday), location hashtags (#londoneats), daily hashtags (#SundayFunday), relevant phrases (#shewhowanders, #amwriting), acronyms (#TBT, #OOTD), and emoji hashtags (#*emoji*).

It is best to include at least eleven hashtags in your posts, but no more than fifteen to keep your post from looking like spam. If you are sharing something that is popular, you can search for the best Instagram hashtags for likes. There is a website called Hashtagify that helps you find the right hashtags for your posts. 

Use location tags and destinations in your hashtags too. It will help you find more real people in your community that are interested in your services. 

3. Schedule Your Posts Using a Posting Schedule or Automation Tool

Scheduling your new content during the most popular time of day that people are on the app is a great way to boost your likes and reach potential followers. The main reason to schedule your posts is that engagement will be higher on your page when your competitors aren't posting. Since the Instagram algorithm puts the most recent posts at the top, make sure yours aren't forgotten about by posting when people are active. This allows you to curate the most competitive content. 

For example, if fewer people are posting between 10 pm and 3 am, there are fewer posts that will compete for attention on a news feed. More attention to your posts can provide higher exposure, but you will need to experiment to find the best timing. SUe metrics and Instagram analytics to find out when your Instagram followers are most likely to interact. 

It is important to make sure you post on a regular basis. Go for once a day, if not more depending on how many followers you may already have. The more frequently you post, the more likely you are to show up on your current follower's Instagram feed, allowing them to see and like your posts to raise your engagement. As your engagement rises, so too does your number of followers. You can use templates if you start running out of ideas. 

4. Share on Other Platforms

Instagram isn't the only social media site that matters. If you have a lot of followers on Twitter or thousands of friends on Facebook, share your Instagram posts on those networks. By making your other friends and followers aware of your Instagram-photos, you will earn more followers and likes from them. If someone already pressed the follow button on one account, they'll probably do it again. 

Instagram gives you the option for your posts to automatically be shared on Twitter and Facebook as you post them. It may not be effective every time, but if you keep sharing, your posts will be seen. 

Make sure to not over spam all your accounts. If you do, some loyal followers may unfollow one of your social media platforms. 

5. Like and Comment on Other People's Posts

Find some trending pages that are similar to yours, or even just people with a massive amount of followers, and give them a follow. Interact with their posts by liking and commenting on their most popular posts. The more you do this, the more other people will see your comments and likes and will make their way over to your account. If they like what they see, they will follow you and like your posts. Be a marketer by interacting on other pages. 

6. Run Like and Tag to Win Contests

This is a simple way to drive traffic to your homepage. Many Instagram influencers do this all the time, making it a popular influencer marketing strategy. To run these types of contests, all you need to do is post a picture relevant to your giveaway on your account and have people like the post and tag their friends for an entry to win.

Because this is such an easy way to enter your contest, your followers will be really likely to do so, especially if you are offering a prize that they really want to win. People love free stuff, after all. If your engagement is starting to suffer, this is a great way to get higher engagement rates and reach new audiences.

For the strongest results from an Instagram contest like this, you should have people like AND tag a friend on your post, so multiple people will be brought to your page, even if they are in your intended demographics. It is best to set a minimum number of friends, two or three is plenty, to tag for the entry to count. You can also make it possible for each comment with two or three tags to be an additional entry, allowing even more people to end up on your page.

Consider showing the results in a live video. This will get a lot of attention and make people look forward to the reveal. 

Conclusion

It can be difficult to raise your follower growth on your Instagram account. If you don't know what to do to earn more followers (*hint* - buy Instagram followers from Buzzoid) and likes, hopefully, this article was helpful to you. Though Instagram ads can be helpful, they cost money. Luckily, there are other techniques that are free. 

Start out by executing steps one through five. When you have a stronger following and more people are liking your posts, then you can move on to step number six. This will help boost your engagement, likes, and followers even more than you could have imagined.

Social media marketing doesn't have to be hard. With these five steps, you will boost traffic to your Instagram page and gain real followers in no time. Also, use Instagram analytics tools to help you figure out what you need the most help with.