Boost Instagram engagement with 5 simple tips

Ever wonder how to get free Instagram likes?

Technically, all Instagram likes on organic are free. You don’t pay anything for them except your time. Unless you go to a sketchy, third-party app that isn’t approved by Instagram and actually purchase likes from bots.

Pro tip: Don’t purchase Instagram likes from bots. Or anyone for that matter.

Why is it bad to buy Instagram likes?

Not only is buying free Instagram likes just a bad representation of your morals, it’s also an ineffective growth strategy. Sure, it might look like you have more engagement at first glance. However, people are getting smart about these rule-breaking tactics and are on the lookout for anything that seems off. If you want people to respect your brand, you definitely don’t want them to uncover any purchased Instagram likes or followers.

Based on the title of this blog, I bet you didn’t see that one coming? Sorry, not sorry! I had to hook you somehow so I can show you that there is a better way that doesn’t break any rules. Sure, it takes hard work to grow an Instagram page. It’s not easy to boost engagement to get more Instagram likes or comments. It will require time and effort—and patience. Patience is key. Good things don’t happen overnight in business, so just stick with it.

5 Tips to get more Instagram likes

You know how not to boost engagement now, but how do we actually do this? Disclaimer: It’s not easy. I put so much time into creating content over the years and I’ve definitely seen a return on investment, but you need to always think strategically if you want to see that ROI. Here’s 5 tips to get started with an intentional and effective Instagram strategy.

Write engaging captions for Instagram

One thing that is a definite way to get more Instagram likes is to create content that your audience wants to see. What is trending? What challenges do they have that you can solve? How can you educate, entertain, or inspire them? Effective Instagram captions are targeted to a specific audience and give a lot more than they sell. If you want to boost Instagram engagement, you need to pay attention to your followers and give them what they want and need. You need to build trust.

When you know the subject matter is something your followers will like, think about the delivery and formatting. What’s popular right now? Consider creating a carousel post with graphics, or posting a feed photo one day and a Reel covering the key points the next. Mix things up!

If this already feels totally overwhelming, there are tools available to make the learning curve easier. For example, I created #InstaBiz, a self-paced course that you can tackle in a day that teaches you how to create a monthly of content in a single day. It also includes a packed vault of resources, like 8+ weeks of Instagram caption templates, my growing hashtag list, and over 50 additional caption prompts for service-based business owners and freelancers new to selling their services on Instagram. The caption templates are varied between 7 different categories, so you keep writing captions that are fresh and engaging, but all you need to do is plug and play! People love using this masterclass and Instagram caption templates as an easy content creation hack that actually pays off in getting more engagement and more sales from the app.

Essentially, if you want to get more Instagram likes (or free Instagram likes), you need to focus on your followers first.

Get more Instagram likes with consistency

Instagram rewards those who spend more time on the app. If you post consistent, engaging content, you will get more Instagram likes. Posting consistently doesn’t mean every single day. It just means posting at a regular frequency at times that your followers are most active. Show up to prove to the algorithm that you’re the real deal and more people should follow you. Show up for your people to build know, like, and trust, then ultimately make more sales.

You also need to produce a consistent quality of content to get more likes on Instagram. For example, if you want to be known as a travel photographer, make sure your content ties to this theme of high-quality work. Don’t post a beautiful mountain backdrop next to a photo that looks like it was captured by a potato. If you want to be a virtual assistant, consider your social feed your portfolio. What do dream clients need to see? High quality work!

Participate in the Instagram community

Okay, so you have great content going out consistently. Now what? You also need to dedicate time to foster relationships within your virtual community.

In terms of the algorithm, community engagement is key. Instagram groups people based on their similarities and social circles, so as you engage with people who are either very similar to you or ideal clients, it will start to show your profile to others who might like your content as well.

If you want to create a good reputation for your business, then engaging with your community will facilitate this. Think of it like networking, just online. Who do you want to get to know? Can you leave thoughtful comments on their posts? Reply to their Stories when something strikes you? Compliments and questions are two great ways to make friends in this online entrepreneurial space.

Don’t buy likes or followers on Instagram

I mentioned earlier that buying “free” likes and followers on Instagram is bad practice. Why though? Here’s a few reasons:

• The websites and apps that provide these likes are not partners with Instagram, which violates the terms of use.

• The profiles that give free likes and follows are fake bot accounts, which violates Instagram’s terms of use.

• Fake bot accounts are never going to convert to paying customers. That’s impossible because they literally don’t exist.

• If you don’t get caught buying free Instagram likes by Instagram themselves, you will likely get caught by potential prospects for your business. That just looks bad.

• If you do get caught buying free Instagram likes, Instagram could ban, deactivate, suspend, or delete your account. There goes all that hard work!

Would you rather have a ton of free (fake) Instagram likes? Or fewer likes, but a more profitable online business? I know I always choose the second option and encourage others to do the same. It feels like a grind to grow an Instagram page, but it pays off to do things ethically the first time.

Use content creation hacks

Now that you know you have to spend a lot of time creating Instagram content, writing captions, posting at ideal and consistent times, and engaging with your community… I bet you also want to know a few content creation hacks to save time on your mission to get more likes. I wrote an entire blog post on time-saving content hacks, but here’s the overview.

1. Poll your audience. Ask what they want to see instead of spending hours guessing.

2. Batch your content. I plan in one sitting, take photos and record videos in one go, and write captions at the same time. Batching work this way is proven to help people work more efficiently.

3. Re-purpose content. A blog post can become an IGTV video, a Reel, a Stories series, and a handful of feed posts. Tell stories, share results, and talk about the topic from multiple different angles to increase the reach.

I know re-purposing can be tricky to get the hang of, which is why I included an Implementation Checklist inside #InstaBiz. Just in case that sounds intriguing to you!

Learn how to sell your services on Instagram

Instagram has been a huge traffic driver for my business for a few years now, and I don’t even have that many followers in the long run. I think more entrepreneurs need to get over their fear of showing up on the ‘gram in order to get in front of more dream clients and customers. You’re not alone though! I have a free resource for you: 10 Things to do to get Clients on Instagram. Enjoy!

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