Instagram is a simple but addictive social media app that allows you as a user to share photos and memories with your family, friends and more to people who follow your account. For bloggers, amateur photographers, and other internet celebrities, an Instagram account with lots of “likes” on each photo can be quite expensive, because it is a sign that the account has a wide reach and the content is liked by many people. While hashtags are one of the most common ways to increase your account's visibility (and from there get more likes), there are ways to do the same without using hashtags, including interacting with the Instagram community, uploading quality photos, and even more not as liked as paying likes.
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Method 1 of 5: Uploading Photos People Like
Step 1. Get creative
One way to slowly reduce the number of likes on each photo you upload is to upload the same content over and over again. But on the other hand, consistently uploading good and interesting images compared to photos that are often found on other accounts is a great way to start getting noticed. Try doing something new with each of your photos. If your followers don't know what you're going to upload next, they'll want to follow your updates and give them likes.
In this section, you'll look at some uploading strategies that can earn you a reputation as an Instagram account with quality content. However, it is important to remember that there is no absolute way to use Instagram. Most of the popular users are users who use Instagram in new and exciting ways that have never been thought of
Step 2. Upload a visually evocative photo
Whatever the subject of your photo, Instagram users tend to have a positive reaction to content that has bright colors and interesting contrasts, or simply beautiful photos. The opportunity to capture beauty with your camera is always there. So keep your eyes open to capture great photo subjects around you. Here are some photo ideas that people usually like on Instagram.
- Exotic local environment (your vacation is an opportunity to shoot quality Instagram content)
- Wild nature or wilderness
- Beach
- The sun has set
- Interesting mirror reflection
- City view
- Close-up shots of colorful objects (flowers, paintings, and more)
- Well-made objects (cars, musical instruments, etc.)
- Food that looks good.
Step 3. Upload a cute photo
Humor is always liked by many people. A really funny Instagram photo can get tons of likes (or even become epidemic) if the visibility is strong enough. If users can find something new and funny on your Instagram account, sooner or later the number of likes on each of your photos will increase. Here are some ideas you can use.
- Fad or stupid video.
- Photos of cute or flashy costumes or outfits.
- Funny or embarrassing photos of social media interactions.
- Funny puns or puns.
- Instagram culture parodies (e.g. pretending to take self-portraits).
Step 4. Upload a photo that touches your heart
Another way to get lots of likes is to touch their heart. Photos that are funny or cute, sweet, or nostalgic can usually be popular. So, try some of these ideas once in a while for your account.
- Family photo
- cute animal photos
- baby photo
- Inspirational photos
- Precious moments with your partner (but be careful not to think you're looking for attention)
- Old vs new comparison photos (e.g. a photo of you and your friend as a child compared to the two of you now)
Step 5. Use an interesting composition
What you need to pay attention to is not only what you shoot, but also how you shoot it. If you can, use your time and focus to take photos that are as good and professional as possible. For some portraits, such as photos of moving objects or events, this may be difficult or even impossible. But if you're shooting still lifes, there's no reason not to spend a little time looking for the best shot of that object. Below are some basic tips to keep in mind when shooting photos.
- Keep the focus on the main subject. Other objects that fall into the photo can be taken out of focus so you can get good contrast.
- Make sure your subject is well lit, but not too bright. Bright light from fluorescent lights or the sun can make the subject you are photographing too shiny. But photographing something that doesn't get enough light is also difficult.
- Try some angles. Does your subject look better up close or from afar?
- Try varying the position of the main subject of your photo. Does your photo look good if the subject is in the center, or on the side?
Step 6. Vary the filters you use
Instagram is famous for its filters. While many photos still look great even without filters, using a single filter is usually an easy way to give your photos a more dramatic and interesting look. Instagram itself has a large selection of filters that you can use for free. Just choose which one you want and it can make your photo look better.
- But keep in mind that using the same filter over and over again will give the impression that your photos look similar. So, vary your use of filters.
- Don't just choose a filter and then upload it. Take your time to think about what effects and impression you want to bring out in your photos, and experiment. Certain photos fit certain filters, and so do others.
Step 7. Use a photo collage app
Downloading a third-party photo collage app can help you create great photo collages for later upload. Many photo collage applications that you can download for free. So, try to download and use the application and make your Instagram photos more attractive and people will like.
One general tip when uploading high-quality photo collages is to choose photos that are thematically related to each other. For example, you want to upload a collage of photos of you baking a cake, take one photo showing all the ingredients, one photo of you mixing the ingredients, and another showing you putting it in the oven, and so on
Step 8. Try using a third-party photo editing app
Sometimes Instagram's filters and editing features aren't enough to make a good photo. Third-party apps can give you more options and make your photos stand out. So, if you often upload photos on Instagram, this app could be useful for you.
Some popular photo editing applications include Photo Editor from Aviary, Afterlight, Bokehful, and Overgram
Method 2 of 5: Uploading Self-Portrait Smartly
Step 1. Limit the number of self-portraits
Self-portraits, you take yourself are popular content on Instagram. If you don't believe me, just swipe down on the “Explore” tab and you'll have plenty of self-portraits. But, unless you're a pretty or handsome celeb, your followers might get annoyed if your profile only contains photos of yourself. So, avoid uploading too many photos of yourself. One or two self-portraits uploaded occasionally are acceptable. But constantly uploading self-portraits can make you feel too proud of yourself and arrogant, and can have an impact on the number of likes on your other photos.
In this section, we'll give you some tips on how to get lots of likes on your self-portraits. However, remember that no matter how good your self-portraits are, taking and uploading too many self-portraits is something you should avoid
Step 2. Use calm colors and earth tones
Research shows that certain color combinations can make self-portraits more popular than usual. Calm colors like blue and purple and earth tones like tan, beige, dark orange, and so on can have a great effect. On the other hand, bright colors like red, yellow, pink, and so on don't seem that popular.
Step 3. Reduce your dependence on filters
Sometimes the best self-portraits are uploaded as is. Uploading self-portraits without excessive filters can increase your popularity because it proves that you aren't too big on your appearance. In fact, unfiltered self-portraits are among the most popular on average.
Step 4. Use imaginative compositions on your self-portrait photos
You can occasionally upload a few self-portraits if they are shot in an interesting way. Try experimenting with the composition of your photos. For example, you might want to show your eyes by uploading a close-up photo of your irises, or you might want to promote a lip balm you really like by uploading a photo of the area of your face under your lips. There are no absolute rules about how to upload a self-portrait, so try what you think is right. Imagine.
Method 3 of 5: Interacting with Followers
Step 1. Like other people's photos
Being successful on Instagram is a give and take process. If you like someone else's photo, other people will see you and like your photo back. Of course, you'll take the time yourself to visit your profile and like photos of people who recently liked one of your photos. Giving likes to other people's photos will increase your chances of getting likes back.
You can start this by going to your followers' profiles and liking photos you like, especially new ones. But, you can do more than that. Liking content from new users who aren't your followers is also a great way to increase your account's visibility (and can earn you new followers)
Step 2. Follow more other users
On Instagram, being someone else's follower will lead to new followers on your account. The more people you follow (and engage with) on Instagram, the more people will see your photos and give them likes. Also, for profiles that have strict privacy, you will need to follow the account before you can view photos and give likes on the account to develop visibility among the account's followers.
You don't have to just follow people you know. Following people you don't know but whose content you enjoy can help you grow your reach (and keep your feed fresh and interesting). Try to find popular photos in the “Explore” tab and start following people who upload photos that you find interesting
Step 3. Take advantage of the online connection you currently have
If you're new to an Instagram account, one of the quickest ways to increase your follower (and likes) count is to search for Instagram accounts of people you know on other social media (Facebook for example). To do this, go to the profile tab (the button in the lower right corner of the screen that looks like a silhouette of a person) and enter the settings menu by pressing the button in the upper right corner. Then press the “Find Friends” option to search for Instagram users you know on your social media.
Remember, if you use Instagram on your smartphone, you can also search for users based on your phone's contact list
Step 4. Be active in the Instagram community
Maintaining a strong presence on social media demonstrates a time commitment. The more time you spend on Instagram liking photos and interacting with other users, the more likes you can receive on your account. As a general rule, spending an hour on Instagram each day (which can of course be broken down over the course of the day) can help you build your presence on Instagram and ultimately get more likes.
Recent data shows that the average Instagram user spends 13 to 14 minutes on Instagram per day. Keep in mind that in order to get more likes, you may need to spend more time than average
Step 5. If all else fails, ask for likes
It may sound like begging, but sometimes being outspoken asking for likes is a great short-term way to increase the number of likes on your Instagram. Believe it or not, this method is quite effective. Research shows that Instagram content with the hashtags #follow and #likeforlike gets slightly more attention than those without. You can get the same effect without using hashtags by using a caption or comment on a photo that asks for a like.
But remember that relying too much on this strategy in the long term is not a good idea. Asking for likes usually looks bad in the eyes of other users. So using this method can damage your reputation when you already have a large following
Method 4 of 5: Maximizing Your Attractiveness
Step 1. Upload often, but not too often
Ideally, to get as many likes as possible, you should try to upload photos regularly every few days or even every other day. Uploading two or three photos each day (with a few hours between each) will guarantee that your followers will see something new from you every time they log in.
But you certainly don't want to upload too often, especially if you're forced to upload uninteresting photos. It can instead flood your followers' feeds with lots of mediocre photos, which could make them think about unfollowing you
Step 2. Upload photos at the right time
Avoid uploading photos while your followers are sleeping. Good times to upload photos include in the morning, lunch time, and/or after dinner, because at this time people usually like to open their social networks before starting an activity or while taking a break. This will ensure that you get maximum exposure.
- It's also a good idea to avoid uploading photos on Friday or Saturday nights, as most people are busy with friends and family at that time.
- If you are internationally popular, also pay attention to the hours for your overseas followers, as they will definitely have different schedules due to time zone differences.
Step 3. Consider giving your account a certain theme
Having a good theme or character will make it easier for your account to become popular and get lots of likes. Ideally, this theme is something you are interested in. For example, if you like cars, photos related to cars might be a good theme for you. If you are a dog trainer, you may be able to build a reputation by uploading photos or videos of cute animals. You don't have to be 100 percent sticking with the theme you set, but having a theme is a great way to build your own name and reputation.
Step 4. Promote your Instagram account on other social media
You can use other social media to increase the reputation of your Instagram account. Uploading your Instagram content on other active social media is a great way to get exposure quickly and take advantage of the online presence you have built on other social media.
Apart from that, this method is quite easy to do. Just take a photo or record a video as usual. Then when you enter a caption before uploading it to Instagram, you will have the option to upload the content on other social media. You need to verify first if you haven't done it before
Method 5 of 5: Buying Popularity
Step 1. Consider buying likes
If you're desperate enough to get tons of likes in a short amount of time, the internet has a place to meet your needs. Do a Google search with the right keywords like “buy Instagram likes” or something, and you should be able to find the service provider you're looking for easily. There are many services that provide likes in a fast time for a certain fee. The packages offered also vary depending on how many likes you want.
- Remember, for this method to be effective, you must ensure that your Instagram account is not private.
- In general, buying a large number of likes will give you a better value per like, just like buying things in the real world.
Step 2. Consider buying followers
You can also buy a certain number of followers to increase the visibility of your Instagram account. Generally, the followers you buy are “bots” (profiles created and run automatically by computer programs). But depending on the service you use, these fake followers may still be able to give your photos likes.
Step 3. Be aware of the ethical/professional risks of buying popularity
You should know that buying likes or followers is usually seen as shallow and unethical, or even cheating for using wealth (not creativity) to gain popularity. In addition, this method is also sometimes a liability in a professional context. Some companies will hesitate to embrace you as a partner because you are buying into your popularity.
