Are you struggling to get more likes on Instagram? It’s not just you. A study by Quintly found that Instagram post interactions have decreased by 33% in just one year. The number of likes and comments on Instagram photo posts are down an average of 27%, and videos an average of 39%. So what does this mean for you? It may be time to rethink your Instagram strategy in an effort to increase your engagement and get more likes on Instagram posts!
Instagram Engagement Decreasing
According to this study, the more followers you have, the more your Instagram engagement is falling. While Instagram accounts between 1,000-100,000 followers have seen a decrease of 24-29%, accounts with more than 100,000 followers have taken a harder hit, seeing a decrease of 36-39%. So, why is Instagram engagement decreasing?
Both Instagram’s user base and post frequency have increased, which means that there are more Instagram users now than ever before, who are all following more accounts, and those accounts are posting more often. Every Instagram user is now seeing more content on Instagram than they were a year ago, and it might just be too much content to keep up with.
That being said, it’s not all bad news. Instagram is still producing higher engagement for brands than both Twitter and Facebook, it’s just “getting harder to achieve success in the ‘fight for interactions’ on increasingly fast timelines,” according to this study of over 13,000 accounts. It’s also important to note that the study was conducted before Instagram’s new algorithm began to roll out to users, which may explain why it’s coming to everyone soon.
How To Get More Likes on Instagram and Increase Engagement
The new Instagram algorithm feed favors posts with high engagement, so now the more likes and comments your post receives, the more people will see your post! Here are 4 things you can start doing today to help you get more Instagram likes and comments:
1. Use Instagram hashtags Strategically
Posts with at least one Instagram hashtag average 12.6% more engagement than posts without a hashtag, so if you want to get more likes on Instagram, hashtags are a great place to start! Using hashtags can help you target new audiences on Instagram, and if used correctly, will help other Instagram users discover, follow, and engage with your Instagram account. Instead of using the most popular Instagram hashtags, it’s better to use the top Instagram hashtags that have an engaging community behind them and are specific to your audience.
So, how are you supposed to find these cool, creative, and community-oriented hashtags? The best way is to look and see what Instagram hashtags your audience is already using. The narrower the scope of the hashtag, the more engaged the users are. You’ll be shocked and surprised by just how niche hashtags can get!
2. Add a Call-to-Action to Your Instagram Caption
Writing a good Instagram caption is important because it could be the key to having your post seen by your followers. Instagram captions with calls-to-action can help you get more comments, and with the new Instagram algorithm favoring engagement, comments can directly affect your overall Instagram marketing strategy. To create a call-to-action on Instagram, you just need to ask your followers to do something after reading your caption! You can ask them a question about what they’re up to this weekend, or what they think of a new product, and tell them to leave their answer in the comments.
Don’t save your call-to-action for the end of your caption – it’s important to put your most important information first, because after 3-4 lines of text, Instagram captions are truncated. Make the first part of your Instagram caption super engaging and enticing, so your followers will want to click to read the rest, and then answer your call-to-action by leaving a comment!
3. Post to Instagram at Optimal Times
Posting to Instagram at peak times will help you increase engagement and get more likes on Instagram posts. By posting when more of your followers are online, you’re able to maximize your audience for each of your posts. The peak times will differ for everyone depending on your audience (and time zones!), so try experimenting with your posting times (morning, noon, and later in the evening) to see what works best for you.
4. Run an Instagram Contest
Running an Instagram photo contest is a fun and easy way to promote your business on Instagram, and it’s also one of the easiest way to gain exposure and get more followers on Instagram, which will help you increase your engagement. By teaming up with another business, you can promote your Instagram photo contest to both of your audiences, and also share each other’s followers.
You can have your followers tag a friend (or three) in the comments to enter, and when their friends are tagged in the comments, they will look at your Instagram post and be exposed to your business. Then, they can enter the contest themselves by tagging more friends!
