Every Instagram brand needs to know how to create authentic, organic engagement on Instagram. Posting content is great, but if no one likes, comments, or shares it, your account will fail. You need engagement to connect your Instagram efforts with real business goals.

In this article, you'll learn how to increase engagement with legal strategies that reach real Instagram followers. We won't talk about buying Instagram likes or followers, except to say here that you can do it if you want.

Real engagement awaits you on Instagram. Here's how to get it.

What is engagement on Instagram?

Instagram engagement measures the number of people who interact with the content you post on Instagram. But it is much more than a simple indicator. It's a set of metrics that together tell you how well your content is performing with your audience and how interested your online community is in your brand.

Engagement on Instagram is important because it signals that people are moving away from engaging with your content instead of scrolling through it. It also shows that something you posted resonates with them and gives them a feeling for your message or even your brand. These feelings form the basis of brand loyalty.

Engagement is the most important ranking factor for the Instagram growth algorithm. A little love for a post, story, or video can help it attract more attention, leading to even more engagement.

10 Ways to Increase Engagement on Instagram

1. Lean on the reels

If you've been following Instagram closely this year, you know that Reels is the platform's hottest kid right now. Reels are the easiest way to get your content in front of an audience far beyond your current follower list.

Check out the spike in numbers on my Instagram account when I posted a single video earlier this month. Also, note the large crack in the dark blue part of the bar representing non-fans.

2. Experiment with different role characteristics

Posting almost any type of reel can increase your engagement on Instagram, but to get the biggest boost possible, you need to increase your watch time. This means you need to attract viewers within the first three seconds of your video and keep them interested the entire time.

Some key features of Reels that you can experience are:

l Transitions: These quick transitions from one scene to another create dynamic movements. Use the alignment tool to create smooth cuts.

l Timed Text: Say specific words or phrases or easily mark specific times on the scroll.

l Audio Drag: Using popular reel-to-reel audio can significantly increase your visibility.

l Voice: This works especially well when you're explaining or describing something, such as a process or a recipe. Templates: You can easily sync photos and video clips to the audio track using the Reels template.

3. Focus on SEO on Instagram

The visibility of your content has long depended on understanding the algorithm. We're not saying that you should ignore the Instagram algorithm. However, we recommend that you put some effort into search optimization (SEO) on Instagram.

Instagram SEO aims to make your content visible when people search for keywords on Instagram. People who find your content through SEO are the perfect target group to increase engagement because they are looking for exactly what you offer!

4. Know your audience

It's hard to create quality content if you don't know who you're creating it for.

Using the demographics of your audience, you can determine the type of content you publish, the voice of your brand, and even the days and times you post. You can track this information using Instagram Analytics.

5. Post regularly and at strategic moments

The more posts you have, the more benefits your followers have. Maintain a consistent posting schedule to keep your feed fresh and your followers engaged.

As mentioned earlier, publishing at the right time is also crucial. If you post while your audience is asleep, you won't see much engagement initially.

6. Make your photos stand out

You may have noticed that Instagram is a visual medium. And while you don't have to be (or have ever been) a professional photographer to have fun on the platform, it's important to take photos that stand out.

To get engagement on the top photos in your feed, you need something that gets you a thumbs up and encourages your followers to stick around long enough to like, comment, or share.

There are many tools you can use to make your posts more meaningful. They also help you give your Instagram account a cohesive look so that followers recognize your content and stop by to see what you have to say.

7. Write meaningful captions

Instagram captions can contain up to 2,200 characters. While keeping things short and sweet is sometimes the best choice, don't be afraid to speak up if you have a great story to tell. Regardless of length, good captions provide context and emphasize your brand's personality.

8. Create informative content that encourages savings

Real content like infographics and reference materials can be useful to subscribers if they save them to their collections. This is a powerful form of engagement because it keeps users coming back to your content and possibly even sharing it with their followers.

9. Start your live stream from Instagram

Live video is a great way to connect directly with users, share messages, and increase engagement.

29.5% of all internet users aged 16 to 64 watch live streaming every week. Your audience is here, give them what they want!

With live video, you can answer questions live, greet viewers by name, and generally welcome them into your world intimately and engagingly.

10. Share user-generated content

Social media is a conversation, not a broadcast. One way to communicate with your fans is by reposting or sharing your audience's content. If someone tags your tequila brand in a Crazy Monday Margarita post, share the post with your story.

If you want to share user-generated content on your main feed, make sure you have permission from the original creator, and don't forget to credit it. Using a branded hashtag is a useful way to collect UGC, but the hashtag itself does not constitute a repost recommendation.