How to Increase Instagram Engagement

How to increase Instagram engagement is always a topic I’m frequently asked about, yes it’s great to gain followers but it’s not as helpful if those followers aren’t engaging that much with your content.

Welll… I don’t have the magic answer- sorry for the disappointment lol! No but really- I don’t think it’s one thing that will just make or break your engagement, I think you need to test out what your audience wants and go with that- all while sticking to your true style. That being said- I’m only telling you what I know has helped me over the last few months and I’m always looking to hear what you want and how to be a resource for you guys! Here are a few tips that have helped me:

Update: Since this post was first published, I’ve created My Complete Guide to Instagram e-course.

Interact with Others

The point of social media is…to be SOCIAL! Interact with your followers, they take the time to “like” and “comment” on your photo, show some love back. It’s always great to set some time aside to answer any questions left in the comments, it shows you’re not just an account but someone who wants to connect and cares about their audience (sometimes I get behind and realized I haven’t responded in a few days and I’ll go back and respond to the questions when I get a minute).

I also like to go on Iconosquare and see who my top commenters are and comment/like their photos. They take the time and effort to consistently engage with my photos and I really appreciate that.

Call To Action In Caption

Another great way to increase engagement is to add a call to action within your caption. It doesn’t need to be a long insightful question, but a question fun and relatable to what you’re posting about.

For example, if you post a picture of ice cream cones, maybe ask your followers to leave what their favorite ice cream is within the comments. Sparking a conversation that people can relate to will increase engagement and also give you a better understanding of your followers.

Be Relatable, Get Personal

By relatable I mean a photo and caption that really connects with your followers. Sometimes I find myself spending to much time to capture that “perfect” photo thinking that will be better…but in actuality some of my most random, in-the-moment-photos end up having more likes/comments than pictures I spend too much time on.

Don’t be afraid to be silly and show your personal side, it will connect with your followers and encourage more comments and likes.

I always bounce ideas off my non-blogger friends trying to get ideas from a perspective of someone not in the blogging realm following me. This is a good way to step away from the blogging world for a minute and hear their ideas.

I really think it just depends on your focus and what is working for your followers. There’s no absolute right way on Instagram and that’s what’s fun about it – test new things out and see what is the most relatable.

Ask and Listen

All you have to do is ask, “What would you like to see more of?”

Then do it!

Sometimes I assume what my followers want to see and it could be completely different from what they really want. Put the assumption aside and ask, it’s as simple as that. Be a resource and offer value because your followers are following you because they are getting some “value” out of it. Find out what that is by asking and listening. I did that a few months back by sending out that same question to my e-mail subscribers and I was really enlightened by what I learned! I truly value my followers opinions and am always open to their suggestions.

So to wrap this up, I will propose the question to you…

What would you like to see more of on my Instagram feed?

Leave it in the comments below along with your Instagram name, would love to connect! 🙂

xx Brittany