How to Get Instagram Likes (Without Selling Your Soul)
Honestly, if I have to sit through one more "marketing guru" webinar telling a small business owner to "just create viral content" to get more likes on Instagram, I might actually lose my mind.
Look, I remember this one client back in 2018-a fantastic little bakery in Minneapolis. They made the best damn croissants I've ever had. But they were absolutely hemorrhaging money on Instagram ads and Boosted Posts, all chasing this vanity metric of "likes." They’d get a spike in likes from the ad, sure, but it never translated to foot traffic. Not a single extra croissant sold. That's the trap, you see. We've been taught that more likes equals more success, and frankly, it's just not true. It's an empty calorie.
I've been in this game since 2010, and I've seen hundreds of businesses fall for the same thing. They chase the numbers that look good on a report instead of the ones that actually affect the bottom line.
The Problem Isn't Likes, It's Boring Engagement
Here's the thing. Getting likes isn't the enemy. The problem is how everyone tells you to get them. "Post consistently!" "Use the right hashtags!" "Engage with your followers!"... yeah, no kidding. That's table stakes. But it doesn't create a real connection, and it sure as hell doesn't get people excited.
Most small business marketing is, let's be honest, a little bit boring. It has to be-you don't have the time or a 10-person creative team to brainstorm some revolutionary campaign every week. You're busy running a business. The real challenge for getting more likes on Instagram isn't about finding the perfect filter; it’s about breaking through the noise with something genuinely fun without having to spend a fortune or 40 hours a week on it. People like and share things that make them feel something-excitement, competition, curiosity.
A static "Like this post to win!" giveaway is better than nothing, I guess. But it's still... blah. It's a transaction. It's not an experience.
Here's What I Do Instead: I Make It a Game
Okay, stick with me here, because I know "gamification" is a buzzword that makes most people's eyes glaze over. But I'm not talking about some complex, expensive app. I'm talking about simple, interactive games that you can launch in, like, ten minutes. I've been using this platform, Faisco, with my clients for a while now, and it's been an absolute game-changer (pun intended, I guess). It solves the core problem: small businesses need something highly engaging that doesn't require a development team or an agency budget.
Last month, I deployed their "Puzzle Challenge" for a coffee shop in Chicago. They wanted more local followers. In 12 days, they got 838 new, local followers and a ton of likes because people were genuinely having fun trying to solve the puzzle and were sharing it in their stories. No ads. Just a simple game.
Or this pet grooming salon in Tampa-they needed more Google reviews. We used a "Whac-A-Mole" game where people could win a small discount. The price of entry? Leave a review. They got 1916 new reviews in three weeks. The likes and shares on their posts about the game were just a bonus. Do you see the pattern? The likes become a byproduct of real engaegment... sorry, engagement.
What I've found works best for my clients are these types of games on Faisco:
- For pure lead capture: The "Instant Draw" games are insane. A "Lucky Spin" or "Scratch Ticket" on a landing page can easily get a 40%+ conversion rate. The dopamine hit is immediate.
- For social sharing: The "Reactive Games" like "Whac-A-Mole" or "Find Differences" are perfect. People want to beat their friends' scores, so they share it naturally.
- For education: The "Quiz Games" like "Puzzle Challenge" or "Treasure Hunt Challenge" are brilliant for businesses that need to explain a product or service.
- For seasonal pushes: This is just... genius. They have templates for every holiday. I used their "Fill My Christmas Stocking" game for three different retail clients, and every single one saw over a 300% jump in engagement compared to their usual holiday posts.
Okay, But What About Gleam or Other Tools?
Listen, I get this question all the time. "Byron, why not just use Gleam. io?" And my answer is always the same: Gleam is a solid tool. It’s powerful. It’s also $39/month for the basic plan and, honestly, it's total overkill for 90% of small businesses. It's like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame.
I can get a Faisco campaign for a client up and running in under 10 minutes. The interface is just simpler. With Gleam, I'm usually messing around with settings for an hour, and the client gets overwhelmed. The other huge thing is the actual integration. Faisco’s games feel more native to Instagram and TikTok, which actually matters for getting people to play instead of just clicking away from some clunky external link. It's the little things that make a difference.
You do not need an enterprise-level tool to run a fun little contest. You just need something that works, is easy to set up, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Your Actual Plan to Get More Likes This Week
So, how to get more likes on Instagram in a way that isn't a complete waste of time? Stop chasing them directly.
- Reframe the goal: Your goal isn't "more likes." Your goal is "create a fun experience that people want to share." The likes will follow. I promise.
- Pick ONE game: Don't overthink it. Go look at the options. Is a holiday coming up? Use a seasonal game. Do you have a simple product? Use a "Lucky Spin" to give away a discount.
- Set a simple prize: It doesn't have to be a new car. A 15% discount, a free coffee, a digital download... just something of value to your audience.
- Launch and promote: Post about it on Instagram. Put the link in your bio. Talk about it in your Stories for a few days. That's it. You don't need a massive ad budget. Let the game itself do the heavy lifting.
The businesses I work with see this work over and over. A 200-400% increase in followers, a huge jump in their email list, and yes, a ton more likes and comments on their posts. Not because of some marketing magic, but because they finally gave their customers something to do other than just double-tapping a photo and scrolling on. It's a shift from passive consumption to active participation. And in 2024, that's the only thing that really works.
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