Instagram ranks fourth among the world’s most-visited sites after YouTube, Facebook, and Google. This shows its massive engagement success. But as Instagram fills up with content, getting likes and comments isn’t as simple.
And you know that Instagram is all about catching those likes and comments. No worries, though! In this blog, we’ll show you how to increase Instagram engagement in all possible, tested ways. Keep reading!
Elevate your Instagram engagement with AiGrow—a simple, all-in-one solution!
What is Instagram engagement?
Instagram engagement is a collection of metrics showing how users interact with your content on the platform. And, just so you know, it’s not only about growing more followers. These metrics include.
- Likes
- Comments
- Shares
- Story views
- Saves
- Mentions and tags
- DMs
- Branded hashtags
- Link click-throughs
How to Increase Instagram Engagement?
To increase Instagram engagement, you need to consider several points. Let’s dig into them.
#1. Know your audience
Wondering how to get more engagement on Instagram? It’s not possible if you don’t know your audience. So, step one: get to know their demographics. You can use Instagram’s audience insight feature or run a poll in your Instagram stories to learn about their interests.
Another trick is to Keep an eye on your competitors’ profiles to see who’s liking and commenting on their posts. By checking your competitors’ profiles, you can figure out who likes and comments on their posts.
This helps you understand the people interested in similar content. You can then engage with them or tailor your posts to attract their attention and boost your Instagram engagement.
#2. Post Consistently and at the best times
A super-effective Instagram engagement boost trick? Consistent posting at the perfect times for maximum reach. To nail it, start with a content calendar specifying posting days and times, tailored to your audience. But here’s a general best time to post:
- The best times: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., generally.
- The worst times: The early morning hours every day of the week, from midnight until 4 a.m.
Suggested post: How often should you post on Instagram to grow?
#3. Optimize your bio and username
We’re not going to miss the basics. Instagram SEO is very important to get more engagement. To do it right, you need to optimize your username and bio. Here’s how:
- Use keywords in your username.
- Pick a top-notch profile picture.
- Include your location in your bio.
- Add a clear CTA (e.g., Buy, Download, Sign Up, Click, etc.).
#4. Post high-quality and engaging content
If you’re dead set on ramping up how to boost engagement on Instagram, this is the real deal. High-quality content means eye-catching images and videos. You’ve got tools like VSCO, Canva, Snapseed, Instagram Layout, and InShot to help.
Engagement? It’s all about the format (Stories, Reels) and the content (Funny, educational). According to 2023 stats from Statistica, the top ten Instagram content types include:
- Funny
- Creative
- Informative
- Relaxing
- Inspirational
- Engaging
- Trendy
- Exciting
- Relevant
- Helpful (how to)
Then you need to keep these factors in mind when crafting any posts.. On the other hand, Stories, Videos (Reels), and Carousels rank as the top formats on Instagram. Let’s explore how to use each of them to supercharge your engagement.
How to increase Instagram engagement: Stories
Instagram Stories are a fantastic way to connect with your followers and there are lots of Instagram story ideas. Here’s how to increase Instagram stories engagement:
- Question stickers
- Add Yours sticker
- Quiz stickers
- Countdown stickers
- Poll stickers
- Sharing user-generated content
- Sharing behind-the-scenes
How to increase engagement on Instagram Reels?
91% of active Instagram users watch Reels every week. But among thousands of Instagram Reels, how can you grab people’s attention? We are going to show you how to increase Instagram engagement using reels.
- Keep it short but sweet: People don’t have time for long ones.
- Use Effects, Filters, Text overlays, and Quick transitions.
- Make it musical with trending or popular songs to reach a larger audience.
- Share tips, tricks, or tutorials in a fun and informative way.
- Post behind the scenes of your working life or the process behind your product or service.
- Encourage viewers to like, comment, or share your Reels (Call-to-action).
- Share before and after.
- Participate in popular challenges and trends to tap into existing engagement.
Read, also: How to get followers from Reels on Instagram?
How to increase Instagram engagement: Carousels
As we mentioned above, Instagram carousels (posts with multiple images) have an average engagement rate of 1.02%. So, you can’t miss their importance. Wondering how to get more engagement on the Instagram business page with carousels? Read on!
- Carousels with different media types (Images, videos, and texts) get the most engagement rates.
- Strong Opening: Start with a captivating first slide to hook your audience and encourage them to explore further.
- Visual Storytelling: Tell a captivating story that unfolds as users swipe through the carousel. Keep a consistent theme or narrative throughout the slides.
- Progressive Storyline: Make each slide build on the last, keeping viewers curious and swiping to the end.
- Interactive Elements: Include polls, questions, or quizzes in your carousel to encourage user interaction.
- Use Various Content: Mix promotional content with lifestyle, behind-the-scenes, and user-generated content.
#5. Post relatable memes
Who doesn’t love memes, right? They’re a blast, especially on Instagram. But here’s the scoop: relevant memes are where it’s at for engaging your target audience.
Why? Because they’re more likely to be shared with folks who dig the same content.
#6. Share user-generated content
Posting user-generated content is a great way to increase Instagram engagement ‘cuz:
- Feels authentic: UGC builds trust as it comes from real people, not the brand.
- Encourages participation: When you feature user content, it incentivizes others to create and share their own, boosting overall engagement.
Here are several ideas to trigger user-generated content:
- Run a contest with a branded hashtag
- Share customer reviews as posts
- Regram funny or interesting customer photos
- Feature customer recipe creations using your product
#7. Write captivating captions
Instagram captions can indeed be up to 2,200 characters long, but the choice between long or short depends on various factors, including your content, audience, and brand identity. Let’s discover how to increase instagram engagement rate with strong captions.
- Start with a Hook: Begin with an attention-grabbing sentence or question to captivate your audience.
- Tell a Story: Share a personal or brand-related story that resonates with your followers.
- Use Emojis: Emojis can add personality and emotion to your captions.
- Ask Questions: Encourage interaction by posing questions that prompt comments.
- Include CTAs: Direct your audience to take action, such as liking, sharing, or clicking a link.
- Share Tips or Insights: Offer valuable advice or insights relevant to your content.
- Use Hashtags Wisely: Incorporate relevant and trending hashtags to expand your reach.
- Keep it Concise: While longer captions work in some cases, concise and to-the-point captions are often more effective.
- Add Value: Ensure your caption provides value, whether through information, inspiration, or entertainment.
- Create Suspense: Tease upcoming content or events to keep followers intrigued.
- Highlight Benefits: Explain how your product or service benefits your audience.
- Relate to Current Events: Connect your caption to current trends or events when appropriate.
- Tell a Joke or Pun: If it suits your brand, a well-placed joke or pun can entertain your audience.
- Evoke Emotion: Use emotional language to connect with your audience on a deeper level.
- Show Gratitude: Express appreciation for your followers’ support.
- Edit and Proofread: Check for spelling and grammar errors to maintain professionalism.
Also, read Top Instagram business captions to boost sales.
#8. Go live
Did you know that more than 100 million users watch Instagram Live streams every day (Earthweb)? Let’s see how to make Instagram Lives engaging.
- Announce in advance: Let your followers know when you’ll be going live.
- Choose the right time: Schedule your live session at a time when your target audience is most active on Instagram.
- Interact from the Start: Greet viewers as they join, and acknowledge their comments and questions. Encourage them to introduce themselves.
- Engage with Questions: Encourage viewers to ask questions related to the topic. Answer questions live to foster a sense of interaction.
- Visual Appeal: Ensure good lighting, clear audio, and a visually pleasing background. Your video quality matters.
- Guests and Collaborations: Invite guests or collaborators to join your live session for a different perspective or expertise.
- Run polls, quizzes, or challenges during the live session to involve viewers actively.
- Live Q&A: Dedicate a segment for a live Q&A session where you address questions and comments from viewers.
- Call out viewers by their usernames, respond to comments, and create a sense of community.
- Feedback Loop: Ask for feedback from your audience to understand what they liked and what they’d like to see in future live sessions.
Suggested post: How does going Live on Instagram help gain followers?
#9. Reply to comments and DMs
Users like to feel they’re interacting with a human who values them and not a robot. So try to answer their comments and DMs regularly. Also, like and comment on posts related to your niche. These actions will bring positive outcomes.
A creative trick that can also make buzz is to use the “DM to unlock” tip. You ask your followers to send a specific message (emoji or number) via DM in response to a story.
In exchange, followers might get exclusive content, discounts, or special access through direct messages.
#10. Use relevant hashtags
If you think hashtags don’t work anymore, you’re wrong. Hashtags are still a powerful tool for increasing Instagram engagement in 2023.
Besides, Instagram has updated the way hashtags work on the platform, shifting from showing only “Top Posts” to now displaying full search results related to a hashtag when users tap on it.
This change aims to enhance profile discovery and encourage users to explore different elements rather than being limited to top posts. So, what do these updates tell us?
- Focus on relevant hashtags: While the “Top Posts” tab is gone, using relevant hashtags is still important. Research and use hashtags that accurately reflect your content and target audience.
- Expand your hashtag strategy: Don’t limit yourself to just popular hashtags. Include a mix of popular, medium, and niche hashtags to reach a wider audience interested in your specific content.
- Optimize your profile: (As I mentioned earlier)! Include relevant keywords in your bio, username, and captions to improve discoverability through hashtag searches.
We recommend you read how to use hashtags for Instagram growth.
If you’re unsure about the right hashtags, try AiGrow’s free hashtag generator!
#11. Promote your content on other platforms
Even though Instagram and Facebook are under the same roof, remember they have unique audiences and vibes. To promote your Insta posts on Facebook, link your accounts.
Go to Instagram settings, hit ‘Account,’ and choose ‘Linked Accounts.’ Then, you can easily share your Insta content on Facebook.
#12. Collaborate with your industry influencers
If you run a business page and are wondering how to increase Instagram engagement organically, this is the real solution. Why? Because,
- Your content will reach a larger audience.
- It will bring credibility to your brand or content.
- Influencers can create authentic content that resonates with their followers.
- Collaboration can also bring fresh and diverse content to your profile.
Why does Instagram engagement matter?
Before we show you how to increase Instagram engagement, let’s talk about why it’s important. It tells you how your audience connects with your content and even plays a role in the Instagram algorithm, which prioritizes highly engaged posts. Here’s what the Instagram chief said about IG engagement:
What is a good Instagram engagement rate and how to calculate it?
The ideal Instagram engagement rate varies by post type. As of 2023, the averages are Reels at 1.23%, Images at 0.72%, and Carousel albums at 1.02% (Source: Socialinsider.io). To meet your goals, you should aim to surpass these Instagram averages.
We have a whole post on how to calculate Instagram engagement rate, but the short version is:
To calculate the Engagement rate, use this simple formula: (Total interactions/Impressions) x 100.
Looking to boost your Instagram engagement? Join AiGrow Now! We help you create captivating posts, maintain a consistent schedule, use hashtags effectively, clean out ghost followers, and monitor your performance!
FAQs: How to Increase Engagement on Instagram
Let’s explore a few FAQs about the topic:
Why am I getting low engagement on Instagram?
If your engagement is down, it might be due to several reasons:
- You’re posting low-quality content.
- You have bots or fake accounts in your followers list.
- You post inconsistently.
- You don’t respond to users’ comments or DMs.
How often should I post on Instagram?
Posting frequency varies, but consistency is key. It’s generally recommended to post at least once a day or a few times a week, depending on your audience’s preferences and your content strategy.
Should I remove followers who don’t engage?
Yes. Ghost followers who don’t interact with your content can affect your engagement in a negative way. So, you need to remove them. Since it’s time-consuming and a bit risky, we recommend you use AiGrow’s Ghost followers removal plan.
Are followers more important than engagement?
While Instagram followers are Important, you need engaged followers for effective performance.
