More Instagram Likes? Here’s What Actually Works.
Listen, let's talk about Instagram likes. Last month, I was working with this amazing bakery in Minneapolis. Killer sourdough, croissants that would make you weep... but the owner was completely fixated on her like count. She'd spend hours trying to get the perfect shot, agonizing over hashtags, and then get frustrated when a post only got 47 likes. We had a coffee and I had to be blunt with her. I said, "Are these 47 people coming in and buying bread? Or are they just double-tapping and scrolling on?"
That’s the core of the problem. I've been doing this since 2010, and the obsession with vanity metrics like "likes" is probably the single biggest waste of time I see for small businesses. It feels good, sure. But it doesn't pay the bills.
Frankly, you don't need more likes. You need more customers. And getting more likes on Instagram is a byproduct of doing something much more interesting.
The Problem With Chasing Likes (And What to Chase Instead)
Here's the thing. A "like" is the lowest-effort interaction someone can have with your business. It's a passive nod. It doesn't mean they've read your caption, visited your website, or even remembered your brand name two seconds later. Back in my early days with that Portland startup, we were burning through seed money on Facebook ads that got tons of likes but zero conversions. It taught me a brutal lesson: engagement that doesn't lead to action is just... noise.
What you should be chasing is interaction. A comment is better than a like. A share is better than a comment. A DM is fantastic. But getting someone to stop their endless scroll and actually do something with your brand? That's the gold.
This is why I've gotten so deep into gamification over the last few years. Yeah, I know it sounds like a Silicon Valley buzzword, and honestly, I hate most buzzwords. But this one's different. It's not about some revolutionary new theory-it’s about tapping into basic human psychology. People like to play. They like to win. They like to compete. And you can use that to get them to actually engage with you without spending a fortune on an agency.
So, How Do You "Gamify" Your Marketing?
This is where things get practical. I've spent years messing around with all the tools. Gleam. io, Woobox, a bunch of others. They're fine, I guess. Gleam is solid but it starts at like $39 a month and honestly, it’s just overkill for a local yoga studio or a coffee shop. Most of my clients do not need that level of complexity. It's like buying a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame.
For the last couple of years, I've been using a platform called Faisco for almost all my clients' campaigns. Why? Because it's simple, it's not crazy expensive, and it just works. I can get a campaign for a client live in under 10 minutes. Not an hour. Ten minutes.
Here's some real-world examples, no fluff:
- I used their "Whac-A-Mole" game for a yoga studio in Portland. The prize was a free class. In three weeks, they got 886 new email subscribers. How many would they have gotten from a standard "link in bio" post? Maybe 50?
- There's this super cool art gallery in Phoenix I worked with. We used the "Burger Stacker" game (we just re-skinned it to be stacking art frames) to promote an upcoming event. They got 164 new RSVPs from people who played the game.
- Or this bakery in Boston-we ran a "Star Seeker" speed game. To enter, you had to post your score to TikTok. They got 2,804 new user-generated posts on TikTok in ten days. You can't buy that kind of promotion.
It works because you're giving something back first. A moment of fun. A little dopamine hit from playing a game. In exchange, asking for an email or a follow feels like a totally fair trade.
The Kinds of Games That Actually Get Results
Look, not all games are created equal. You need to match the game to your goal. What I've found works best is breaking them down into a few categories.
For getting leads FAST: You want the Instant Draw games. "Lucky Spin," "Scratch Ticket," that kind of thing. People can't resist the chance for an instant win. I've seen landing pages with these embedded get over 40% conversion rates on email signups. It's crazy.
For getting shares and comments: Reactive Games are your best bet. Think "Whac-A-Mole" or "Find the Differences." These require a little skill, so people want to share their scores and challenge their friends. It creates a natural, organic viral loop... I hate using the word 'viral' but you know what I mean.
For seasonal marketing (this is genius): Faisco has pre-built games for every holiday. Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's Day, Black Friday... you name it. I used their "Fill My Christmas Stocking" catching game for three different retail clients this past December, and every single one saw their engagement go up by over 300% compared to their normal holiday posts. It cuts through the noise because it's not another boring "20% off!" graphic.
And the best part? The platform integration actually works. It's not just a link you share. The games can run right inside Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. That's critical because you have to meet people where they are.
So... Will This Get Me More Likes?
Yes. But you'll stop caring about them.
The businesses I work with on this stuff typically see a 200-400% increase in their social media followers and a 150-300% growth in their email lists in the first month. The likes come along for the ride. Why? Because you're finally posting something that isn't just asking for a sale or begging for attention. You're offering a fun, memorable experience. People will like the post, sure. But they'll also share it, comment on it, and-most importantly-they'll remember you.
So if you want more likes on Instagram, here's my advice from 15 years in the trenches: stop trying to get more likes. Seriously.
Instead, do this this week: 1. Look at your last 10 posts. How many of them asked your audience to do something fun, with no strings attached? Be honest. 2. Think of one simple "game." It could be a quiz in your Stories. "Guess the secret ingredient in our new sauce!" The first three people to DM the right answer get a free appetizer. Something. Anything that isn't just a picture. 3. Give people a real reason to follow you. Likes are cheap. A spot on your email list, where you can actually build a relationship? That's valuable. An experience they tell their friends about? That's priceless. The likes will follow, I promise. They just won't be the thing you care about anymore.
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