Likes on Instagram: How to Get More Fast & Easy

Every now and then, I discover something in social media like how to get more likes on Instagram… and I don’t just figure it out, but this little light bulb goes off over my head and my brain goes “OHHHHHHHHHHHH”, and I wonder why I haven’t been doing it this way all along.

Ready to learn my trick to get more likes? With a bonus side effect of new followers here and there?

Have a Grate Day - How to Get More Likes on Instagram

Tuesday night, I was working late on some illustration projects. As the night drew to a close (just a little art humor there folks), I got an idea for a really cute funny picture that I wanted to put on Instagram the next day. I stayed up for another half hour sketching, and then another 20 minutes inking this “Have a Grate Day” cheese pun.

It might be my new favorite thing.

But as you can see in my Instagram screenshot, everyone else loved it, too!

Here’s what I do to make sure the maximum number of people see my Instagram photos, and ensure they got lots of likes and comments:

1) Post the best one, not the first one.

Always start with a good photo. Whether you’re snapping a pic of a person or an object, take a few shots, maybe from a few different angles. Use that depth of field tool in Instagram to focus on the thing that’s the important part of your image, and pick a filter that helps show the details. If your pic is too dark for people to see what’s going on, their brains won’t quickly comprehend and “like” that photo. If your pic looks rad without a filter? Don’t add one.

The thing to remember is if you’re using social media to promote yourself, you need to take the time to make sure that self promotion makes you look good.

2) Keep your caption short.

I like to auto post my Instagram photos to Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter. Because of Twitter’s text limitations, I try to keep my caption short and funny or engaging. When my Instagram post shows up in that Twitter feed, the reader can get a better idea of how cool my pic is, making them want to click over.

3) Hashtag? #MakeoutParty.

This is the best part of my Instagram plan of attack, the part that makes me wanna have a makeout party with myself for figuring it out. You know on Facebook, when someone posts from Twitter or Instagram or Tumblr… and it’s just a HUGE CLOUD OF HASHTAGS? That is super annoying… and kind of spammy looking. But hashtags are really great for getting your images found on Instagram! I mean, they’re really effective!

So where’s the middle ground? In the comments, my friends.

Not the comments of this blog post, mind you – the key to more likes on Instagram is using the comments for your photo.

When I post a picture to Instagram, I give it a short cool caption and hashtag it with 3-4 of the most relevant hashtags. When I publish it, I auto post to Twitter, Flickr and Facebook.

Then, the second that posts, I leave a comment on my photo in Instagram with 8-10 more hashtags. Each hashtag you add pushes your photo to the top of the stream for that hashtag. If you come back and add your comment with hashtags later, it’s a great way to give a breath of fresh air to an older photo.

More hashtags? More likes. It’s that simple.

The nice thing about doing it this way is it balances your need for hashtags on Facebook (which are coming eventually!) with not coming across as overly spammy, along with really taking advantage of being found on Instagram. You can see this in action at my Have a Grate Day cheese illustration on Instagram. Check out the very first comment on that photo and you’ll see what I mean.

Hope this helps you get more likes on Instagram!

Who else has a social media tip? Share it in the comments below!

Freelance Illustrator Steph Calvert • Steph Calvert Art | https://stephcalvertart.com

Freelance illustrator Steph Calvert is an award-winning artist with 24 years of experience working as a creative professional. She is based in McDonough, Georgia, just south of Atlanta.

Steph Calvert has expertise as a children’s book illustrator. She is an expert surface pattern designer for art licensing and creates line drawings for publishing and product design. Steph has years of additional expertise as a mural artist, creating original art, and logo design for small businesses. She is currently querying literary agents with her first author/illustrator book projects.

National SCBWI Conference, 2023
Illustration Summer Camp – The Highlights Foundation, 2021
Make Art That Sells, 2017
BFA in Computer Art – SCAD, 1999


18 responses to “Likes on Instagram: How to Get More Fast & Easy”

    • Thank you!!! It was like a huge lightbulb going off over my head when I hit my magic formula this week! Try it out and I bet you’ll see a broader range of people liking your pics in no time!

  1. This is super great timing! I was just trying to help my sister figure out how to use instagram to reach more people with her business instagram. The comment thing is genius! Also, that illustration is adorable.

    • Thanks Amy!! I’ve definitely been seeing an uptick in likes and follows with this method – also consider sharing the pics to a Facebook biz page instead of personal if they’re getting good traction on that site!

  2. I hate those pictures with a million hashtags on them! One or two is okay but when it’s a paragraph long… ugg!

    • Seriously – my pet peeve is paragraphs of made up ones. Everything in moderation! One or two fake hashtags? Comedy. Eighty in a row? Annoying.

      #saveMePatrickSwayze

  3. I figured out the hashtag thing not long ago. I’ve actually went back to some old IG photos that I liked and hashtagged them too. That really helped get more followers and likes too.

    • Awesome! On the older pics, did you find they were buried in the timeline when you added more hashtags? Or was I mistaken, and do fresh hashtags freshen the photo and bump it up in the stream for those new hashtags?

  4. Yes, actually when you hashtag something it moves it to the top of the stream for that hashtag so it’s great for old pics.

  5. I love this sketch!! I shared it on G+ as well! I’m adding to our clothing line and I think something like this would make a great tee shirt. If you are interested, email me! (I’m from ITS)

  6. Thanks for this post, Steph. Haven’t put your advice into action yet, but I’m hopeful. My current Instagram circle is driving me crazy…..they treat Instagram like Facebook. So there’s a constant stream of pictures of their kids winning soccer awards and playing in the park, etc. with paragraphs of personal comment. So, actually- maybe I have this all wrong….. I see Instagram as NOT Facebook, and instead a place to post your version of the world through artsy kinds of pictures. Have I got that all wrong?? If so, will you give me your insight as to what Instagram is these days?
    Thanks. And have a Grate Day yourself!

    • Hi Keri!! I think everyone’s got their own interpretation of how they like to use various social media platforms – to each his own for sure…

      But I will tell you I’m with you on this one – I like my own Instagram to be little tiny snippets of my life that’s done in a little art-ier way than fb or Twitter can accomplish. It’s what makes that particular platform unique!

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