How to Get More Likes on Your Instagram Photos

Written by Jaclyn Selby | Edited by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: February 3, 2023 References Approved

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.

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]
X
Expert Source

Jaclyn Selby
Social Media Expert
Expert Interview. 28 October 2022.}^{[2]
X
Research source} 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.

2

Use hashtags to attract new followers.

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]
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Expert Source

Jaclyn Selby
Social Media Expert
Expert Interview. 28 October 2022.}
- 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]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Kasey Dunn
  Social Media Expert
  Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.}
- 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]
  X
  Research source}

3

Write compelling captions.

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]
X
Expert Source

Kasey Dunn
Social Media Expert
Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.}
- 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.

4

Share your Instagram posts on other platforms.

Make sure your Facebook, Twitter, and blog followers aren't missing your Instagram posts. You can embed your Instagram posts on your blog or website to give people another way to check out your photos, or just share your posts to other social media platforms. This gives everyone who follows you on social media a chance to like and comment on your Instagram content.

5

Cater to your target audience.

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]
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Expert Source

Kasey Dunn
Social Media Expert
Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.}
- Don't be repetitive, but don't stray too far from the content that your followers have responded well to in the past.^{[8]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jaclyn Selby
  Social Media Expert
  Expert Interview. 28 October 2022.}
- Check your past posts and see which ones garnered the most likes, and share more content like that!

6

Perfect your aesthetic.

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.

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]
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Expert Source

Jaclyn Selby
Social Media Expert
Expert Interview. 28 October 2022.} 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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Research source}

8

Work the latest trends into your posts.

How can your latest post idea incorporate a current trend? Is there a certain song lyric or catchphrase that's running wild in your community? Find a way to incorporate the latest topics into your posts to show your followers that you're both relatable and hip to current events.
- Look under the "Trending" section when you post a Reel to see what audio is most popular right now.^{[11]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Kasey Dunn
  Social Media Expert
  Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.}

9

Post consistently, but don't flood the feed.

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.

10

Be relatable.

People like content about people. Whether you have a business or personal account, telling relatable stories with your posts and captions helps people feel closer to you. For example, while posting a photo of a meal you prepared may yield a few likes because it looks delicious, you'll get even more likes if you include a memory about the last time you prepared it, a kitchen mistake you've made, or your history with a particular ingredient.

11

Create Reels for your most share-worthy content.

Instagram Reels are featured prominently throughout Instagram. When you have an idea for the perfect viral video, create it as a Reel rather than a post or Story. Reels are not only easier for users to share with their friends, but they are also displayed on users' Explore pages, making them super easy for people to discover.^{[12]
X
Expert Source

Kasey Dunn
Social Media Expert
Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.}

12

Participate in the Instagram community.

Like and comment on other people's posts. Show Instagram users that you're an active member of the community and they'll respond similarly.^{[13]
X
Expert Source

Kasey Dunn
Social Media Expert
Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.} Take the time to explore the pages of your followers, mutuals, and people with shared interests and like some of their recent posts. You'd be surprised how quickly you'll get likes right back!

13

Post more videos.

Do you mostly share still photos? Video stand out on your followers' crowded feeds, instantly drawing their attention. If you're not getting a lot of likes on your photos, try making creative video content to give your followers something new.

14

Pets and memes are always winners.

Everyone loves silly animals and hilarious memes. Even if your account posts serious content, there's always a way to work in a dog, cat, or trending meme topic to make people smile. Sharing funny or cute content from time to time is a great way to humanize your brand and make people want to tap the heart button.

15

Try your competitors' techniques.

Find Instagram accounts similar to yours and see what their followers like. Getting an idea of what other people are doing to engage their followers can help you improve your brand and posting strategy. While you're checking out other accounts, be sure to like and interact with other people's content—it could get you a follow and some likes in return.

16

Run a giveaway contest.

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
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
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
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.