Some believe that Instagram is currently experiencing the so-called flop era and that the collapse of the social media giant is imminent. However, statistics do not confirm this. Instagram remains as relevant and valuable as other social apps. As a business marketing tool, it could even outperform the competition.

Statistics from Instagram tell that a lot of users also use YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook for cross-platform marketing. While TikTok targets a younger audience, Instagram targets millennials who appreciate its user-friendly interface. Instagram also continues to be more visually appealing to its users than other platforms. Research shows that the average engagement rate per Instagram post is around 1%, compared to 0.38% on Facebook.

Likes count matter?

Yes, they do. Getting more likes on Instagram is an important social signal used by all Instagram algorithms to determine the visibility and reach of an Instagram account. However, these are not the most important social signals. Others also determine the engagement rate of your posts. This includes saving, sharing, and commenting.

The engagement rate also takes into account the real-time engagement of active followers. Multiple ads are taken into account when determining the visibility of a post.

What visible likes do

While likes do not play a major role in terms of their influence on Instagram algorithms compared to other determinants such as saves or clicks, when visible they do play an important role in the consumer psychology of platform users. For a long time, the likes counter was visible under an IG user's public post, regardless of whether they had a business or personal Instagram account. Once visitors and followers could see the number of likes on posts, likes became an essential social proof-building tool for growing a large number of Instagram followers.

How to increase more likes on Instagram: 10 Tactics

1. Use the right hashtags

By using hashtags on Instagram, your post will reach more users and result in more likes. If you use a hashtag, your post will appear on the page with that hashtag. This makes it easier for people to find you (and like your content).

2. Run a likes-based contest

Some of the most interesting content on Instagram revolves around sales and giveaways. People like to compete, and the easier it is for them to compete, the stronger they are at it.

To run a likes-based photo contest, you must meet one of the entry requirements, which is to like the post. Usually, the other two requirements include following an account and tagging one or two friends. Likes on a post before a post is so low that you will get a lot of engagement.

3. Review the relevant bills

Give credit where it's due. If necessary, highlight the employee's message and signature. For example, if products or people stand out in the photo, tag them in the post. This takes little time and gives credit to the creators. Often these tags encourage brands to like and comment on your post.

4. Write engaging captions

Instagram is a very visual platform, but using words is still a good strategy (after all, text is much easier for the algorithm to read than images). Take the time to write thoughtful captions to tell your audience more about your post. This will help convey a broader perspective on your brand. And Instagram users love it.

5. Mark your location

When you geotag your location, more people can find and like your photos. This is even more helpful if you have a local brand as you build a sense of community with your regulars and potential regulars. (Remember to make sure your physical coordinates are correct so they appear on the map.)

6. Mark the location of your entry

This is especially important for travel and retail brands. By tagging your location, you ensure that your photo appears when others see your location. It's pretty simple and shouldn't take longer than the release time.

Many Instagram-savvy people also use Instagram to find the best places to eat and drink in restaurants. Opening a tagged location makes it easy for them to find photos of the dishes they want to try. If your content is good, Instagram likes will be generated organically through the location tag.

7. Bet on a meme or trend

Used strategically, memes and post trends always produce compelling results. There are entire meme accounts on Instagram devoted to topics and themes. To add it to your account, first, make sure you have the right audience. This means they are well-versed in pop culture and online enough to recognize a meme when they see it. For some brands that don't like this kind of humor, a meme can be more scary than helpful. So make sure you know your audience before jumping into something viral.

8. Share useful information

Think of this type of publication as a service you offer your subscribers: What knowledge can you offer them to make their lives easier? Posting free, useful information is a great way to get more likes (and more importantly, a great way to share important information).

9. Go to the Discover page

The Explore page (a collection of public posts and videos) is like a personalized bulletin board and a great way to share your content with new audiences. Getting to the crawl site requires many of the strategies already mentioned in this article: using the right hashtags and geotags, writing descriptive captions, and taking great photos.

10. Mix content types on Instagram

With the advent of Stories, the types of Instagram content have grown. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that mail engagement dropped around the same time. However, overall engagement is simply more spread across different content types. Stats now include video views, likes, and even story comments.