Imagine you are casually scrolling through your Instagram feed.
Suddenly, that red heart notification pops up on your screen.
You begin to do a little happy dance because someone liked your post.
We all want people to like us. It is human nature, but out of all the 600 million people striving for likes on Instagram, how many likes can you possibly get, right? How could you stand out from the crowd?
Don't worry, we are here to teach you about some effective strategies to get more Instagram likes.
Why do I need a strategy to get more Instagram likes?
Before you nose dive into the world of Instagram, having a clear strategy is key to your success.
Instagram is a highly saturated community of individuals and businesses sharing their content to attract their niche target market.
For one person, they could be sharing photos of their dog to attract other dog owners and animal lovers, while another person could be sharing photos of their handmade crafts to attract potential buyers.
It all varies from person to person, but you all have one thing in common: pulling in those red hearts.
The Do's and Don'ts of gaining Instagram likes
Do: Post high quality content
This is the number one key to unlocking that treasure box of Instagram likes. High quality content attracts people leading to more likes and potentially follows if they really like you. However, don't post one amazing photo followed by a photo that is just "okay". Keep consistently posting high quality content to keep that expectation that you will always post creative and unique images that inspire your audience. That way, you can keep the likes coming and coming.
Don't: Post multiple photos in a row
Avoid bombarding your audience with a whole bunch of photos which ultimately reduce the quality of your overall Instagram feed. Also, you will just become plain annoying to your audience, and majority of the time, will lead to an unfollow.
Do: Share the love
Do to others what you want them to do to you. In this case, like and comment other peoples' photos, and they will, most of the time, acknowledge you and give you positive feedback (likes and hopefully follows).
Do: Carefully curate your captions to tell a story
Although your photo is the first thing your audience will see, remember that captions are equally as important because words are powerful. They can be used to direct and influence your audience. Make sure your captions work hand in hand with your photos to gain the most Instagram likes.
Do: Tag a location
Instagram's "add a location" option allows you to select a location which becomes a clickable field. This clickable field will lead to many posts from different Instagram users who have used the same location tag. This will make your content more discoverable since more people will see your photos.
Do: Use relevant hashtags
Hashtags are vital to gaining more Instagram likes on your posts. However, don't fall into the trap of using irrelevant hashtags that have nothing to do with your photo. Use unique yet simple hashtags that people are more likely to search. For example, you have a photo of you looking out into the sunrise, instead of #morning, why not use #morningmotivation since people are more likely to search for motivational content to start off their day, rather than just "morning".
Don't: Overuse hashtags in your caption
Ideally, your caption should contain 2-3 relevant hashtags. You don't want to diminish the quality of your caption by filling it with a multitude of hashtags. If you want to use more hashtags, be sure to add them in a separate comment on your photo. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, use them wisely.
Do: Create a schedule and stick to it
Having a clear schedule of when you are going to post is important for staying active on Instagram. You don't want to post frequently and then suddenly, disappear for long periods of time. When you come back and post again, there is a high chance that you won't receive the same amount of likes as you once did. Why? You weren't active and people lost interest in your content.
Do: Post at high traffic times for the most engagement
Choosing what time of the day you post your content is important for visibility and engagement. The most effective times to post depend on your target audience. You will have to experiment by testing different times of the day. For starters, the early morning and late afternoon are the prime times to post. This is because many people have the habit of waking up and scrolling through Instagram, and the late afternoon is when many people finish work and have some downtime while commuting home.
Do: Tag and mention relevant Instagram accounts
Tag and mention any relevant accounts that may be featured in your posts. For example, if you are posting a flatlay with your favourite products, be sure to tag the brands. This will expose you to a huge community of like-minded people which will gain you more likes. If you are lucky, the brand may even feature your photo on their account!
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