Obviously, getting more people to like your Instagram photos starts with taking better photos. However, there are still some things that you can do to help your photos find greater popularity amongst your followers.

Here is a quick and dirty guide to 9 ways you can get more likes for your Instagram photos. None of these boosts are hard to do, but it may take some practice to make all of them a habit.

Like Boost #9 – Be more selective with what you post

Not everything you snap is worth a Like. Don't overwhelm your account with bad photos. Rather than post 5 pictures of the same thing from different angles, choose the one image that really shows it the best. This seems logical, but it’s surprising how many people don’t follow this simple advice.

Like Boost #8 – Take the time to enhance the picture

There is no excuse for posting a bad picture to Instagram. Even with just the native tools you have the option to auto-correct, enhance, and edit your images. Fuzzy, low-lit pictures aren't going to generate a lot of likes.

There are dozens of third-party apps, many of them free, that will let you enhance your picture so that it is more interesting and appealing.

Like Boost #7 – Use hashtags

Every time you prepare a photo to post, you need to use hashtags with it. Use as many as apply to the picture, such as #dog, #puppy, #cute,#love and so on. Don't use trending hashtags that don't apply.

One of the ways to simplify this process is to create a list of general hashtags that apply to the genre of photos you post – and then copy, cut and paste them into your description. This way you are only filling out a few specific hashtags that are unique to each image without missing out on all the rest.

Like Boost #6 – Pay attention to the timing of your posts

Timing is pretty important when trying to get likes. You want to post photos at times when the most amount of people will see it and hopefully interact with it. The best times are usually around work, so early morning, lunch and evenings. According to About.com, Thursdays are when people post most (lots of competition), while Sundays are when people LIKE the most.

Like Boost #5 – Get connected

Instagram is about communities, often identified by a specific hashtag. If you want to get more likes for your Instagram photos then you have to act like you are a part of it. Follow people who don't have a lot of followers. Take the time to notice when your followers post and like their pictures. All of this encourages them to like you in return and boost your numbers.

Like Boost #4 – Plan your likes

Be proactive with your likes. Find out when your followers post, like their pictures and even comment on them. You also want to like pictures that are related to the pictures you are posting. In a way this serves to expand the overall “album,” and will bring in more people with similar interests.

Like Boost #3 – Research your followers

Find out when the people who follow you, and who you want to follow you, are online liking pictures. This may be a very different time than when they are online posting pictures. You want to time your posts to match when they will be there looking.

Like Boost #2 – Follow the trend lists

Find the hashtags you should be using by following the trend lists. There are some basic tags that should describe the picture, but then find out how that picture relates to trending items and use it. Don't force a relationship. Puppies can go with love, but they aren't going to be believable with money. Viewers watch for integrity with the hashtags.

Like Boost #1 – Know why you are posting

This is a big one. You need to know why you are posting to your Instagram account. This is the most vital step in shaping your brand. Don't just post to increase likes for business. That is too generic a purpose. Post pictures of unusual gardens to boost sales prospects for your hose attachment. The more you know why you are there, and what you want to achieve, the more coherent your account will be, and the more likes you will get from the people you want.

Conclusion

These are all good practices to adopt in order to be a more intuitive Instagrammer and get more likes on your Instagram photos. It won’t take long for these little tweaks to become habits, and your photos will be attracting more and more fans.

In the meantime, you can always buy some Instagram followers to get the ball rolling. You will gain some initial momentum and social proof so that your Instagram images appear to be popular to all your followers.

Date: February 25, 2015 / Categories: Apps, Uncategorized, / Author: Ian