11 Ways to Increase Your Instagram Likes for Free

Free Instagram likes refer to engagements on your Instagram posts that you don’t have to pay for. They boost post visibility, attract more followers, and enhance the overall credibility and reach of your profile. 

Increased likes can also improve algorithmic ranking, making your content more discoverable. With approximately 4.5 billion likes per day, they play a major role in enhancing your online presence. 

There are 10 solid ways to increase likes for free on Instagram: 

1. Collaborating with others

Collaboration on Instagram can increase free likes by leveraging the existing audience of your collaborator﹘ Mrinsta Biz. When you partner with another user or brand, your content is introduced to their followers, providing an opportunity for organic engagement. This exposure can lead to new users discovering your profile, liking your posts, and potentially following you. 

Research specified that, 51% of marketers believe that they can gain better customers through influencer marketing (Tomoson, 2016). According to Sprout Social (2020), 64% of consumers want brands to connect with them. So, collaboration is a good way to increase likes on your content. 

2. Optimising Posting Schedule

Scheduled Instagram posts helps maintain a consistent presence, increasing the likelihood of attracting free likes by delivering quality content consistently﹘ Mrinsta Biz. By the following ways, you can schedule an Instagram Post:

1. Set up a Business or Creator Account: If you don’t have a business Instagram account, convert your personal Instagram account to a business or creator account in your settings.
2. Plan the content: Create a content calendar that outlines what you will post and when you will post.
3. Choose a Scheduling Tool: Use a scheduling tool like Buffer, Hoot suite, or Instagram Creator Studio.
4. Connect Your Instagram Account: Link your Instagram account to the scheduling tool. This may require providing permissions and signing in to your Instagram account.
5. Create and Schedule Posts: Craft your posts within the scheduling tool, including captions, hashtags, and visuals. Select the date and time you want each post to be published ﹘ Mrinsta Biz.

By scheduling your posts, you can ensure that your content is posted at the finest time. Research also states that, 73% of Instagram users schedule posts on Instagram (2018).

3. Tagging Strategic Profiles

To increase likes on Instagram for free, strategically tagging profiles can be an effective way. You need to Identify popular accounts or influencers in your niche and tag them in your posts. This increases visibility among their followers, potentially leading to more engagement on your content. 

Instagram lets you tag upto 20 users per Post. iT has expanded the ability to add product tags in feed posts. This means that anyone with a qualified public Instagram account can tag products from brands with shops on Instagram. (Facebook Post)

4. Polishing Your Content

Polishing your content is key to attracting free likes. It can boost the number of likes on Instagram. Here are quick tips for enhancing post quality:

1. Captivating Captions: You need to craft compelling captions to increase engagement.
2. Visual Consistency: You have to maintain a cohesive color palette for a recognizable feed.
3. Editing Tools: You need to use Instagram’s or third-party apps for photo refinement.
4. Correcting Composition: You have to crop and straighten images for a professional look.
5. Clear Messaging: You need to communicate your message clearly and avoid clutter.

According to Experts, High-quality pictures get 3 times more engagement. 65% of top-performing posts feature products or services which are properly edited. .

5. Leveraging Hashtags and Geotags

Hashtags and Geotags can enhance the number of likes on your Post.  Experts recommend the usage of hashtags in captions to attract more followers and boost likes on the Post.

Studies indicate that Relevant hashtags play a major part in your strategy to increase your reach and engagement by 12.6%. According to One Commerce, posts with a geotag receives 79% more engagement than posts without any geotag.  

6. Analyze and Optimize Performance

Analyzing and optimizing your Instagram performance is a good way to increase free likes on Instagram. For effectively analyzing, you need to follow 3 steps: 

1. Dive into the analytics provided by Instagram: Track post reach, engagement, and audience demographics to understand what works best.
2. Identify your top-performing posts: Look for patterns in content type, timing, and captions to replicate successful strategies.
3. Understand your followers: Analyze when they are most active and tailor your posting schedule accordingly.

Whereas, for Optimising, you will follow 3 steps:

1. Schedule posts during peak engagement times to maximize visibility and interaction.
2. Evaluate the performance of your hashtags.
3. Encourage user interaction. 

Research states that Posts published during peak hours can receive up to 50% more engagement.  By consistently analyzing and optimizing your Instagram strategy, you can increase your instagram likes for free. 

7. Foster Engagement with Followers

Fostering engagement with followers is a good way to increase free likes on Instagram. You can foster engagement within 5 steps:

1. Ask Questions: Pose questions in your captions or Stories to encourage followers to share their thoughts. Posts with questions receive 21% more engagement.
2. Host Contests or Giveaways: Create excitement by organizing contests or giveaways. This not only boosts engagement but also attracts new followers. Posts about giveaways receive, on average, 70% more likes.
3. Interactive Stories: Utilize interactive features in Stories, such as polls, quizzes, and sliders. These elements increase the time users spend on your content, enhancing visibility and engagement.
4. User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage followers to create content related to your brand. Reposting UGC not only acknowledges your audience but also fosters a sense of community. UGC posts often see a 28% higher engagement rate.
5. Live Sessions: Go live to connect with your audience in real-time. Live videos receive 6 times more interaction than regular videos. 

By actively fostering engagement through these strategies, you not only strengthen your connection with followers but also increase the likelihood of receiving free likes  According to research, Posts with at least one question in the caption receive 100% more comments.

8. Engaging Contests and Giveaways

Engaging in contests and giveaways boosts free likes on Instagram. Here are 5 solid advantages of these contests and giveaways:

1. Increased Participation: Contests encourage followers to engage with your content actively. For instance, @Nike often runs caption contests, driving significant participation and likes. Accounts running contests grow their followers 70% faster than those that don’t.
2. Viral Potential: Giveaways, especially those with a “tag a friend” requirement, have the potential to go viral. @Sephora often uses this tactic, leveraging the network effect for increased likes. Posts about giveaways receive, on average, 70% more likes.
3. Foster Community: Contests and giveaways create a sense of community. When @Starbucks encouraged users to share their coffee moments, it not only garnered likes but also built a community around its brand. User-generated content (UGC) posts often receive a 28% higher engagement rate.
4. Cross-Promotion Opportunities: Partner with other accounts for joint contests. This not only broadens your reach but also attracts followers interested in similar content. @GoPro often collaborates with influencers for contests.  Collaborative efforts can lead to a 25% increase in engagement.
5. Optimize Hashtags: Use unique and branded hashtags for your contests. @Adobe’s #AdobeGrind challenge gained traction, accumulating likes and expanding the brand’s reach. Posts with at least one hashtag receive 12.6% more engagement.

By incorporating engaging contests and giveaways into your Instagram strategy, you not only boost likes but also create a dynamic and participatory community around your brand.

9. Instagram Threads for enhanced engagement

Instagram Threads can bring free likes on your Profile by enhancing the Profile’s Credibility.

1. Improving Visibility: Active engagement within Threads can contribute to improved algorithmic visibility, potentially landing your content on the Explore page where it can reach a broader audience. Due to which it has 10.3 million daily active users.
2. Boosting Brand Perception: By fostering meaningful conversations and interactions within Threads, your brand is perceived as trustworthy and engaged. The community building aspect of Threads enhances brand perception, making followers more likely to trust and engage with your content. 
3. Unlocking Monetization Opportunities: A credible profile, established through engaged Threads, attracts attention from brands looking for collaborations. As, In fewer than 24 hours of being live, Threads users shared over 95 million Threads and placed around 190 million likes on Threads. 

These Threads play a vital role in enhancing credibility by improving visibility, boosting brand perception, and unlocking monetization opportunities. They had over 100 million sign-ups in its first five days- according to David 2023. The interactive nature of Threads indirectly contributes to increased likes by fostering a more engaged and connected audience.

10. Post Your Best Times

Posting your best times is beneficial for increasing likes on Instagram. There are 6 ways in which it can enhance the number of likes on your content:

1. Showcase Highlights: Share visual highlights of your best times – whether it’s achievements, milestones, or memorable experiences. Posts with genuine emotions receive 38% more engagement.
2. Tell a Story: Craft a narrative around your “best times” posts. Storytelling fosters a deeper connection with your audience, increasing the likelihood of followers engaging and sharing your content.
3. Nostalgic Posts:  Design posts that evoke FOMO, making followers feel they are part of something exclusive. Content that sparks FOMO has a 56% higher engagement rate.
4. Utilize Carousel Posts: Create carousel posts to showcase a series of your best times. Carousel posts receive 3.1 times more engagement than single-image posts.
5. Encourage User Participation: Ask followers to share their best times related to your content. User-generated content increases engagement and creates a sense of community.
6. Optimize Caption Strategy: Craft compelling captions that invite followers to share their own best times or memories related to your content. Captions significantly impact engagement rates.

By strategically sharing content related to your “best times” and encouraging audience participation, you create a more engaging and interactive Instagram profile, fostering organic growth in followers. Research states that Carousel posts receive 3.1 times more engagement than single-image posts and  Posts with at least one hashtag receive 12.6% more engagement.

10.1 Does it Matter How Many Times You Post on Instagram?

Yes, the frequency of your posts can impact your overall engagement and reach on the platform. Profiles with higher follower counts tend to post more frequently, averaging 1.5 posts per day and Accounts that post seven or more times a week receive the highest engagement, experiencing a 3.5 times higher average engagement rate than those posting less frequently.

10.2 Can I Pay to Increase the Reach of My Post?

Yes, paying can increase the reach of the post. You can Promote your content by using the Promotional features of Instagram or You can opt for ‘Paid reach’ which occurs when you purchase Instagram ads to sponsor your content ﹘ Mrinsta Biz.

11. Strategic Purchase of Followers

Strategically Purchasing Instagram followers on Instagram offers several advantages:

1. Increased Engagement: Profiles with higher follower counts tend to experience higher engagement rates. Accounts with 10,000 or more followers have an average engagement rate of around 3.6%.
2. Enhanced Visibility: Instagram’s algorithm favors accounts with higher engagement. Increased visibility on the platform can lead to more discoverability and attract new followers.
3. Credibility and Trust: A substantial follower count enhances your profile’s credibility. Users are more likely to trust and engage with content from accounts perceived as influential. 
4. Monetization Opportunities: Brands often prefer collaborating with influencers or businesses with a significant following. This can lead to lucrative partnerships and sponsored content opportunities.
5. Community Building: A larger follower base fosters a sense of community around your content. Engaged followers contribute to a vibrant and active community.

Strategically acquiring followers not only boosts your profile’s metrics but also opens doors to various opportunities, from increased visibility to potential collaborations with brands ﹘ Mrinsta Biz. Studies found that Profiles with over 10,000 followers tend to have an average engagement rate of 3.6%.

11.1 How Does Buying Followers and Likes Benefit You in the Long Run?

According to experts, strategically purchasing likes and. followers can lead to long-term benefits which are listed below:

1. Enhancing Instagram Profile:  A higher follower count increases credibility, making your profile more appealing to potential followers.
2. Improving Visibility: More followers often lead to increased visibility, potentially landing your content on the Explore page.
3. Boosting Brand Perception: Businesses and influencers with larger followings are perceived as more trustworthy, opening doors to collaborations and partnerships.
4. Unlocking Monetization Opportunities: Brands prefer accounts with substantial followings, increasing your chances of securing lucrative collaborations.
5. Boosting Engagement Rate: A larger follower base can result in more likes and comments on your posts.

Conclusion

To sumup, you need to Post in all formats, use hashtags and geotags for increasing your reach. Moreover, its essential to Post high-quality content and content that is related to the interests of your followers. In addition, usage of instagram live feature is also encouraged. Try to Post instagram stories. Run contests and giveaways to enhance the number of your followers naturally. By mastering these strategies, you will not only increase your Instagram likes for free but also enhance your overall presence on the platform.