Calculating the ideal level of Instagram engagement is like attempting to solve a quadratic equation. It’s made even more difficult by the fact that no one can agree on ideal levels of Instagram engagement.
The general consensus is that you find your engagement rate by adding together the number of likes and comments on a post. Then, you divide that number by your follower count and multiply it by 100 to get a percentage.
If the percentage is between 1 – 3.5%, then you have good Instagram engagement.
But whether you hit that target number or not, if you are a brand, you should always be working to improve engagement. Higher engagement means more loyal followers, which equals more customers and profits.
So, what are the best techniques on how to get more likes on Instagram as well as comments? Here are a few top tips to get you started.
1. Post a Mixture of Reels, Posts, and Stories
It’s basic math that if you want your followers to engage with your Instagram posts, you need to have posts for them to engage with. And your Instagram followers might prefer interacting with some types of posts over others.
These are the different types of posts you can publish on Instagram at the moment:
- Grid
- Reels
- Stories
- Live (on stories)
- IGTV
You need a consistent posting schedule for all types of posts but you will need to publish some types more than others. For example, you might not want to post more than once on your grid every day. But, posting three to five times a day on Instagram stories could be the right amount for your brand.
The best times of day to post on Instagram will be different for every brand, too, but you should work to find out when your best time is. You can find your highest engagement times in your Instagram analytics and you should aim to post during these times.
Lunchtimes, weekend mornings, and evenings in the time zone of most of your followers is a good general rule. And you don’t need to perform a manual post during these times if they are after the working day. You can use a scheduling tool like the Bluestrawberry.app.
2. Encourage Participation With Followers
Increasing engagement on Instagram is easier when you encourage your followers to engage. And you can do this across Instagram’s different publishing options.
For example, you could post a weekly quiz on your Instagram stories at a specified time of day. You can make it fun as well as relevant to your brand so that your followers will want to take part. By keeping it consistent, your followers will know to watch out for it and come back every week.
You could also post “this or that” questions on your Instagram stories, too. For example, if you have a coffee shop, you could post a poll between espresso and lattes, lattes and flat whites, etc.
These types of posts are simple and easy to create and interact with.
Giveaways are a sure-fire way for you to figure out how to get more Instagram followers and Instagram likes. More people will follow because they want the free gift and you can ask people to like and comment on a post to enter the competition.
On your grid posts (but also your stories and reels), don’t forget to end your caption with a question or a call to action. Most people won’t interact unless a brand tells them what to do so make it easy for them.
If you have a very visual brand, you could create a community hashtag for people to use when they publish their own posts with your product. Mention the hashtag in your brand’s profile bio so people know what it is. Then, you could share all the best posts on your own Instagram grid and stories.
And last but not least, always respond to comments and direct messages as soon as you can. This will help keep the conversation moving and increase your Instagram engagement rates.
3. Tell Stories and Be Authentic
Your followers are more likely to engage with your Instagram posts if they feel more like a conversation. Be approachable, tell stories, and don’t be too corporate and stuffy.
Share your brand’s origin story and feature the work of your employees and suppliers. Don’t be afraid to post long captions on your grid posts or talk about the social issues that your brand supports.
4. Create High-Quality Content
Blurry phone pictures and shaky videos might have cut it when the app first started in 2010. But nowadays, you will not get good Instagram engagement by not posting your best visual content.
Hire a professional photographer to capture beautiful images for your business. Ask them to edit the photos in the same way to create a cohesive brand identity. Create an attractive grid because that’s the first thing people see when they visit your profile.
Post a mix of photo and text images to appeal to people who like different types of content.
5. Use Every Tool in Your Toolbox
Instagram offers tons of features to increase the visibility and quality of your posts, so you should use them. Always geotag your stories and your grid posts with the location so that people searching for that location will find your posts.
Use emojis in place of words to make your content look less text-heavy. If you have the capability, insert a link sticker to your website to encourage your followers to click.
And you can include up to 30 hashtags and mentions in your grid post captions. So, don’t forget to include them to boost your post’s reach beyond your followers.
Skyrocket Your Instagram Engagement Today
Increasing your Instagram engagement isn’t easy. You need to keep trying different techniques to see what resonates with your followers.
But as long as you keep creating high-quality posts with a strong message, people will respond to and want to engage with your content.
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