Ever wondered how big brands get thousands of likes on Instagram while you're still pushing that one post to hit double digits? Spoiler alert: it's not just about having pretty pictures.
Once upon a hashtag, there was a little brand called Nike, you might've heard of it. They're kind of into sports... Anyway, several years ago, Nike realized that merely posting epic shots of athletes wasn't enough. Don't get me wrong, their content was absolute fire, but it wasn't breaking the internet. So, what did they do? Well, instead of just relying on eyeball-catching visuals, they went all-in on marketing automation and user-generated content (UGC).
Nike created personalized workout challenges distributed through Instagram, leveraging likes and Instagram engagement metrics to tweak their posts based on user interaction data. By automating reminders and feedback to participants, Nike built a more authentic connection with their followers, driving thousands of likes on Instagram instantly. Best of all? Those likes did half the heavy lifting for them—because let's be honest, nothing says "hey, this brand's cool" like seeing thousands of hearts lighting up a post.
The lesson here? Even Nike's real MVP is marketing automation. It helps them engage at scale while making you feel like they're DMing you directly. Want in? Let's explore how you can level up your own Instagram game with some killer marketing automation hacks.
Okay, so you're not Nike. That's fine (their shoe sizes are probably weird anyway). But if you're looking to climb the likes on Instagram ladder and give your brand a powerful, efficient, and time-saving marketing boost, marketing automation is here to save your DMs, your time, and probably your sanity.
Here's what you need to know before jumping in—and before your next Instagram caption hits the 'Gram—to maximize the efficiency of automation and minimize the wasted hours (sorry, no amount of likes can bring those back).
Audience leads the game on social media. So, instead of posting blindly and crossing your fingers that your "ThrowbackThursday" photo gets noticed, start using trigger-based content. Automated tools can track user behavior, like how long they linger on your story or how often they engage with your posts. Once the data's collected, marketing automation software can shoot out custom content tailored to push engagement, spiking those all-powerful Instagram likes.
Think about it like this: Why just hope your gym selfie is the post that clicks when you could strategically deploy it to users who just followed fitlife? A solid automation platform can help you land more eyes on your posts and get you those taps you've been dreaming of.
Professional Instagrammers will tell you—they live for the 1:1 DM engagement. But come on, who has time to manually reply to every "" emoji on your IG stories? That's where automated direct messaging comes in: the secret weapon of turning casual likers into engaged community members or, hey, even customers.
SaaS automation platforms (like the swoon-worthy Faisco) allow you to set up workflows that automatically send a thoughtful reply or personalized discount code if someone interacts with a certain type of post. That smiley face you just got? Boom, they now have a 10% discount for your product—and you didn't even have to close Instagram!
If you've scrolled through Instagram at 2 a.m. wondering, "Why is my engagement so low?"—well, because nobody's awake except you and the late-night snackers. Timing is everything. Luckily, automation takes the guesswork out of it.
Using marketing automation, you can schedule your posts to go live when your audience is most active. No more midnight anxiety scrolling—posts will now go live at peak times with just a bit of initial setup.
User-generated content (UGC) is pure gold. It's like having your followers do your marketing for free. But encouraging people to create content for your campaigns can feel like wrangling cats—unless, of course, you automate that task.
Automated contests and giveaways that you promote on Instagram strategically can sky-rocket engagement. When you offer a prize for the "best post of the week" and automate the entry system, you create an all-you-can-eat content buffet that'll get your followers clamoring to participate. Plus, UGC is engagement bait, and you'll be able to harness the powerful force of social proof at scale.
Last week, your post about NationalPizzaDay got tons of likes. This week, your motivational quote—crickets. What happened? Likes aren't just there to pad your ego; they're vital social proof and data points. With the right automation tools, you can track what's working, when, and who it's working for.
Smart automation tools analyze what types of posts get the most engagement, so you can pivot your content strategy to get more likes on Instagram over time. Reacting to the data will help you optimize future content like a boss.
We're living in the age of the swipe and the tap, and stories and reels are the kings. Take it up a notch with automation by setting up recurring stories or reel-serie promotions that can run on a loop or as a retargeting campaign, hitting your followers again and again.
Using automated tools ensures your stories pop up on your audience's radar consistently—without having you glued to your phone 24/7.
We've helped hundreds of brands take their Instagram engagement to the next level with marketing automation. Don't just take our word for it—here's what some of our favorite users had to say:
"FAISCO took our Instagram game from average to epic. We thought we were doing everything right until we started using the automation tools. More likes, more followers, more brand love—it's been a total game changer for our marketing strategy!"
- Jennifer L., Founder at Sunshine Apparel
"As a small business, we don't have the budget to hire an entire social media team. FAISCO allowed us to automate 80% of our content strategy and focus on what matters—growing our business. Plus, our Instagram engagement has grown by 150%!"
- Brian K., Owner at BrewCentral Cafe
So, now that you're feeling inspired to take your Instagram marketing to the next level, allow me to introduce you to your new best friend: FAISCO. We're talking real game-changer vibes here—pun intended.
With FAISCO, you can create fun, engaging, and highly personalized Instagram giveaways and contests in just under 3 minutes. Imagine your brand going viral while you sit back and drink coffee (or tea—no judgments).
Whether you're a small business looking to make waves or a growing brand ready to go viral, FAISCO's marketing automation suite can help you skyrocket your likes on Instagram and turn that into meaningful engagement—and dollars in your pocket.
Ready to take your Insta-game to the next level? Start your 3-minute journey with FAISCO today!