Instagram likes are kind of like a big, shiny gold medal. They let you know that not only is your content top-notch but also that people like your content. And as you keep growing your likes, the number of comments and Instagram followers you get increases. Then, those followers like more of your content and you end up with so many Insta likes, which only motivates you to keep growing your brand and Instagram account. The funny thing is, right now, the most liked Instagram post is a picture of an egg… no really. But we’ll get to that in a bit. This article will do a deep dive on how to get more likes on Instagram. So if the thought of an egg picture being more popular than your content leaves your brain feeling a bit scrambled, then you might want to follow some of these tips to help you get a ton of Instagram likes.
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1. Build Anticipation
Kylie Jenner, an American television personality, held the record for the most likes on a photo up until a few days ago. The picture? It was the first photo of her daughter gripping her thumb. It’s true, her mega influence clearly plays a big role in helping her grow her photo’s like count to over 18.5 million Instagram likes. However, in case you don’t follow celebrity gossip as much as I do, the entire pregnancy was actually kept secret. Media speculated that she was pregnant for months but she always wore baggy clothes to hide it so no one ever had any proof. And she never bothered to publicize that she was pregnant in the first place. This picture was the first time she introduced her little girl to the world. And since she already had millions of followers and media dying to get some scoop on her newborn baby, this post is exactly what her fans and the media were dying to see. By keeping her pregnancy a secret for nine months, she built anticipation for all the content surrounding her announcement after the birth of little Stormi.
2. Create an Eggscellent Post
With Kylie Jenner’s 18.5 million Instagram likes, no one ever imagined that someone could crack the Instagram likes code to surpass it. Fortunately, sometimes all it takes is an eggscellent photo that breaks all the rules and flips the switch. Yup, we’re talking about that egg post. The post was originally shared on a brand new Instagram account on January 4th, 2019 and by January 16th it’s surpassed 45.2 million likes. And remember this is a brand spanking new account so if an egg picture can skyrocket to success, there’s literally hope for everyone.
What’s interesting about this egg-centric post is that it doesn’t use searchable hashtags and they haven’t created more than one Instagram post. Their secret? Virality, tagging, and media attention. The premise of a picture of an egg beating a Kylie Jenner post is gimmicky enough to capture attention. And as the number of Instagram likes grew, so did the number of media articles about the topic. And once Kylie was officially beat, there was so much publicity around the account that the number continued to climb. The funny thing is they’ve already amassed 7.1 million Instagram followers even though the account is only 12 days old at the time this article was written. So don’t ever get question your ability to edge out influencers. Sometimes all it takes is a funny idea, some clever viral marketing, and a simple pitch to the media.
3. Commemorate Someone
Sorry for the drastic switch to something a bit morbid. However, two of the top six most liked Instagram posts involve death. The third most popular one was the last photo @xxxtentacion, a famous American rapper, posted before his own death. The picture was an upside down picture of himself with an Instagram caption that read, “LOVE IS WAR.” Sadly, it was war that killed him as he was assassinated a month later. The sixth most liked post was a post @arianagrande shared on instagram of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller following his death. Fans eagerly waited for her to share her thoughts. Instead, she shared a photo of him to show that she was thinking of him. Often, when a celebrity or major public figure dies, sharing your thoughts on their death can help you cope with the tragic loss. Others will often like the photo because they can relate to your situation or also feel the same pain if they knew the person. Of course, we don’t want you to exploit people’s deaths for your own personal gain. However, if there are certain key figures in your life who’ve had an impact on you, you can help carry on their legacy by creating a post about them. And your post may inspire others to share their own personal stories of loss.
Okay, let’s switch over to something a bit more light-hearted. Some of the most liked posts share one big thing in common: they’re good news! We all have those big milestones in our lives: engagements, new relationships, pregnancy announcements, marriage, birthdays, family photos during the holidays, weight loss transformation, business milestones, medical recoveries, and more. For the most part, when you share a happy story, people will give you more Instagram likes. And so if you want to get a lot of Insta likes share more of your wins and milestones. Selena Gomez is no stranger to Instagram likes. Her most liked Instagram post? Her and Francia Rasia in hospital gowns. Raisa donated her kidney to her best friend Gomez to help save her life. Gomez thanks Raisa in the post that amassed over 10.7 million likes on Instagram.
5. Show a Little Creativity
Back in May 2015, one of Kendall Jenner’s Instagram posts rose to become to one of the most liked of that time. With over 3.6 million likes on Instagram, it’s still one of the most iconic Instagram photos. The photo featured Jenner lying on the floor in a gown. Her hair is positioned to make little hearts floating around her head. This little touch of creativity helped her get millions of Instagram likes. Yet somehow to execute a photo just like this doesn’t require any resources other than a good idea. The high volume of Instagram likes shows that you don’t need a big budget to create a heart-warming photo.
6. Create a Contest
What’s the fastest way to get more Instagram likes? Creating a contest. Imagine a mouth-watering cake paired a pomegranate limeade photographed perfectly to stimulate your senses. Now imagine that the Instagram caption for the photo tells you that you could win the cake and drink and all you have to do is follow the page, tag a friend, and share the picture. If you drooled as much as I did while looking at this photo (omg, yum!), you likely would not only like the post (just to be on the safe side) and follow the requirements laid out in the caption. And not surprisingly, the post surpassed the 25k Instagram likes mark, proving that this Instagram strategy really does increase likes on Instagram.
7. Inspire Your Audience
Instagram is one of the greatest platforms for fitness enthusiasts. You get to show off your transformation, share highs and lows in your weight loss journey, and find pictures of healthy recipes. But after a while, things get hectic, maybe you don’t have time to workout, and you’ve completely forgotten all about your New Year’s resolution to prioritize your fitness goals. Fortunately, brands like Gymshark consistently share inspirational fitness stories and images to help keep customers focused on their goals. Take a look at this post, which has over 161k Instagram likes. The video actually shows a man with a prosthetic leg working out at the gym and he admits how hard it is to lose a leg. Yet, he knew he had to be a role model for others. Take a look at those comments, too – people highlighted his ability to overcome adversity. Doesn’t that deserve a crazy high number of likes on Instagram? Yeah, we think so too!
8. Tell a Story
There are few Instagram accounts who tell stories better than @humansofny. With each post they share, you’ll find a picture and a story about a person in New York (and sometimes around the globe). But the compelling component of the post is actually the story you’ll find in the Instagram caption. This specific post has over 308k Instagram likes. And while the rest of the story is cut off in the photo below, what seems like a story with a happy ending turns out to be a hauntingly tragic one (so feel free to click to the link above to find out what happens next – it’s too thought-provoking not to read). If you’re trying to get likes on Instagram, remember that it’s not just the picture that works the magic. There are other elements (like the caption in this case) which draw you into the post, entice you to like, and compel you to comment or follow the page. Remember that it’s about maxing out all Instagram has to offer that’ll help you get more Instagram likes.
9. Be on Trend
As of this past week, everyone’s talking about how an egg did the eggs-traordinary and became the most-liked Instagram photo. Unfortunately, some people, err… I mean pugs, weren’t too happy to discover this. A couple days ago, @itsdougthepug posed in a photo with the famous egg and he looked like he was having a bit of a ruff day. His caption called out people for giving an egg more likes than his “cute face.” While the post didn’t get more Instagram likes than the egg, it still received over 314k likes which, at least in our eyes, is nowhere close to an Instagram faux paw. So if you’re looking to get a ton of Instagram likes, create content around relevant news or trendy topics.
Earlier in this article, I shared that the picture with the most Instagram likes didn’t use relevant hashtags. And now I’m telling you to use relevant hashtags. I promise I’m not a hypocrite. Truth is, most of the time adding relevant hashtags really does help you increase Instagram likes. Why? Because it’s easier for strangers on the interwebs to find your content in the first place. Let’s take a look at this tea-rrific Instagram post by @semisweetmike that amassed over 1,100 likes. If you take a look at the Instagram caption, you’ll notice that several relevant Instagram hashtags are used so that they can better attract people to their post. You’ll see hashtags like #cookiedecorating, #cookiesofinstagram, and #cookiedecoratingvideo. In some of their other Instagram posts, they even use hashtags like #cookiecutter because that’s what they sell on their online store. And by using relevant hashtags to help users find their content, they’ve been able to get more Instagram likes.
Conclusion
So, in this article you learned how to get more likes on Instagram. The way to get more Insta likes is by consistently posting new content that includes relevant hashtags, tells a story, and is promoted outside of Instagram. You can also use marketing strategies like contests or post about a hot topic. Remember, everyone starts at zero. But with a bit of time, patience, and creativity you can get more Instagram likes than you’ve ever imagined. So keep your head and keep pumping out that stellar content.
Want to Learn More?
- How to Get More Instagram Followers: From 0 to 10k
- 100 Best Instagram Hashtags to Use For Your Photos
- 200+ Instagram Bio Ideas You Can Copy and Paste
- These Instagram Apps Will Forever Change How You Use Instagram
