9 Tips to Increase Engagement on Instagram

Instagram is the most attractive platform for businesses. That’s because of its visual appeal. Businesses get to promote their products and services with engaging visuals.

But the competition is also intense. There are more than 200 million businesses on Instagram, that’s almost 15% of Instagram users.

With this much competition, you might attract no one only with content and visuals. So, how do you increase Instagram engagement?

Simple! You have to understand Meta's algorithm, user behavior, and content strategies. Here are 9 strategies to help you boost likes, comments, shares, and overall interaction on your Instagram posts.

These tips will help you understand Instagram and how people use it. So you can develop a strong Instagram engagement strategy and promote yourself.

1. Write a clear Instagram Bio to make a strong first impression

People often check out your profile before interacting with you. That is why your first tip is to make a clear and engaging Instagram bio. Tell your visitors about who you are, what you offer, and why they should follow you.

Add relevant keywords about you and your work. End it with a compelling call to action (CTA) and add a link to your website or latest content.

A confusing bio makes people leave without interacting.

2. Post many types of content

Instagram has many types of content, like stories, reels, single photo posts, carousels, video posts, live videos, and guides. And you should go for every single one of them.

Not altogether, but create a content calendar to post different types of content every day. For example, post photos on weekdays. Then create their carousel on the weekend.

Post stories regularly, and try to go live on Instagram from time to time. Interact with the audience directly and ask questions. If you do not know what to ask, you can ask AI questions for live chats. It will make your interactions better.

3. Post when your audience is most active

Posting at the right time is crucial. If your audience isn't online when you post, your content can easily get lost in the feed.

While general advice suggests evenings and weekends, the best time to post can vary greatly depending on your audience.

This is where Circleboom Publish, a comprehensive social media management tool, can make a big difference.

Circleboom Publish not only helps you manage multiple social media accounts from a single dashboard but also analyzes your followers' activities to determine the best times to post.

With this valuable insight, you can schedule your posts automatically and ensure they reach your audience when they are most active.

Instead of guessing or manually testing different times, Circleboom Publish does the hard work for you, boosting your chances of higher engagement and visibility.

Assume you will share your reels but don't know when to post.

Let me show you how you can find your best time to post and schedule your posts seamlessly:

Step#1: Log into Circleboom Publish.

If you don’t have an account yet, create one right now!

Step#2: On the dashboard, navigate to the left and click on Instagram Specific & Reels Post”.

Step#3: You should choose the “Reels” option after choosing your connected Instagram account.

As you can see, you can create, post, and schedule Instagram Grid, Puzzle, Carousel and Panorama posts on Circleboom.

Step#4: Now, you should upload your video.

Then, you can add your captions and hashtags, edit your thumbnail, and the first comment for your Reels. In addition, you can choose a YouTube and Facebook account to share your videos on these platforms.

Step#5: When it is done, you can publish it immediately or schedule it later.

Alternatively, you can set time intervals and automate your Instagram Reels.

4. Use hashtags strategically to increase reach

Even non-followers can discover your posts when you use hashtags on your posts. But stuffing irrelevant hashtags won't help. Add a mix of popular, niche-specific, and branded hashtags to get the best results.

Instead of just using #Instagram, use #SmallBusinessGrowth or #CreativeContentTips to attract a targeted audience.

5. Encourage comments by asking questions and CTAs

Getting Instagram likes is easy, but getting comments means real engagement. The best way to get more comments is to ask questions in your posts and write a CTA about answering them in the comment section.

This invites your followers to interact with you, increasing your engagement rates on Instagram.

6. Share posts from other Instagram users

You do not have to create 100% content by yourself. You can ask your followers to make content for you, like mention you in their posts, write testimonials, or share your hashtags.

And you can share this UGC (user-generated content) on your Instagram to get more engagement and trust from your followers.

7. Host competitions and giveaways

You can generate much more UGC if you host competitions among your followers.

Ask your followers to create content for you against a giveaway or shoutout. Everyone loves free stuff!

You can even tell them that the best content will be featured in your stories. It creates excitement among followers and encourages more people to engage with your content.

8. Promote your content on other platforms as well

Instagram is powerful, but not the only powerful platform. Only 0.2% of Instagram users are only on Instagram. All others use multiple platforms.

So, cross-promote your Instagram posts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or even your email newsletters. Bring new audiences to your Instagram.

9. Collaborate with followers and influencers for better engagement

Do not go alone on this journey, take like-minded people along. Use Instagram’s Collab feature to co-author posts with your followers and other influencers. Grow together!

The post will appear on both accounts at once and your reach will double. Higher reach increases your chances of engaging with your audience.

Conclusion

Increasing engagement on Instagram is not just about posting good content. Good content can get you more views but not more engagement.

You need to work with a specific Instagram strategy. Start using my tips on your Instagram account and keep interacting with your audience. The more you interact, the more Instagram’s algorithm will push your content to a wider audience.

Take action now! Apply these tips today and watch your Instagram engagement grow!