Instagram is one of the most popular social media sharing apps, with more than 800 million monthly users. Most everyone we know is scrolling, posting, and liking around the clock — but despite the app’s ubiquity, there is still some mystery about how to use it to its full potential.

How do you even begin to have a “following,” much less get more likes? Is it all a sham, or is it actually possible to get “famous” on Instagram? Do you secretly hope and dream for getting big on your favorite app? Do you enviously wonder how your favorite accounts got so big?

We have come up with some pointers and here they are.

1. Do your research.

Just like any new endeavor it’s good to set out reasonable and attainable goals. Begin your IG revamp by doing research into your favorite accounts, why do you like their feed, what can you do better or slightly different? Decide what you want out of your Instagram by setting an aesthetic tone. This can be achieved by a certain color palette (white, pastels or dark earth tones). People are drawn to accounts that are visually consistent. The Preview app is a great tool for testing out posts to better design your grid.

2. Go for quality.

Take amazing photos. That might sound easier said than done, but there are simple ways to improve your photography.

Fill your Instagram grid with quality images that people want to see — which might not always be what you’d prefer to share. A thoughtful selection leads to a consistent aesthetic, which will help in attracting a core follower base.

And when it comes to photo editing, there are a million apps that can assist in the process. Popular apps include Snapseed, VSCO, and A Color Story. Avoid using the Instagram-provided filters and stick to the editing tools: bump up the contrast, straighten your image, add some “structure.”

tl;dr: Get more likes with beautiful, bright, colorful photographs. Remember light is the key to every great photograph. Post vertical images to maximize screen ‘real estate’ and grab people’s attention.

3. Use hashtags wisely.

If you can type it, it can be a hashtag. But to make a hashtag work in your favor, you’ll need to think strategically. #You #Do #Not #Need #It #All.

Instagram will let you add up to thirty hashtags in one post, but it’s better to select the top 12 or so that are extremely relevant to your image. Hashtagging the type of photo, the device you used, where it was taken, and the app you edited with are good places to start. There’s also a third-party app, called Focalmark, that can offer hashtag suggestions you can copy and paste.

Within Instagram, hashtag popularity will pop up as you type. Find ones that are not super popular, but instead popular enough. #Cute and #travel won’t get you any attention, since your post will immediately get drowned out by all those other posts. But a well-chosen hashtag has people looking at it but not so many people posting.

4. Build on engagement.

Engagement is allowing your follower base to come to know you (or at least a version of you). Consider telling a story or anecdote in the Instagram caption. You can also be witty, whatever your narrative calls for the caption is best area to express that outside of images. When you’re commenting on another account’s post that you love, share your thoughts and try to personalize it so it doesn’t come across as spam.

If you’re traveling abroad or staying local the engagement via the local community can be quite beneficial. Through geotags and localized hashtags, engage with the community around you as they may be interested in your posts while you’re sharing from that location.

The frequency of posting also matters. It’s best to decide what sounds right for you and what times of day you notice your followers are more active. It depends on what you’re posting, but we’d suggest one to three times daily.

It’s important to follow accounts that you admire and that post similar items as you and even follow some of their followers to attract attention to your profile.

5. Join an engagement pod.

If your posts require a little bit of a nudge in terms of engagement then don’t be shy to join an engagement pod that can help your posts get the love they deserve.

An engagement pod can help you team with Instagrammers in your niche with whom you can exchange likes, comments, views and shout outs. Most of the engagement pods feature Instagrammers from within Travel, Beauty, Fashion and Parenting niche and are completely free to join. Popular pods like Wolf Global boast over 25,000 members that you can connect with at no cost.

Pods are a fabulous way to connect, share and engage with Instagrammers that are just like yourself. Chances are — you will make a ton of friends via these pods to share your journey with!

5. And remember what NOT to do.

Don’t act like a spammer, don’t regram other people’s posts. And don’t lose your own sense of style and personality on your Instagram. It’s an app to sharing your life, not to stand in for it.