How to Get More Likes on Instagram (Without Selling Your Soul)
Honestly, if I have one more person ask me for the "secret" to getting more likes on Instagram, I might just lose it. I've been doing this since 2010, and the amount of genuinely terrible advice out there is staggering. Just last month, I was working with this fantastic little bakery in Minneapolis-great products, passionate owners-and they were absolutely convinced their business was failing because they were only getting 40 likes on their posts. They were about to spend money they didn't have on some influencer who promised them "massive engagement."
I had to sit them down and say, "Listen. Stop."
The obsession with likes is a symptom of a bigger problem. Small businesses feel like they're screaming into the void. They see big brands with thousands of likes and think that's the benchmark for success. It's not. Frankly, a "like" doesn't pay your bills. But... I get it. It's social proof. It shows people you're a real, thriving business. So the question isn't just "how to have more likes on instagram," it's how do you get real people to actually care enough to tap that little heart icon... and maybe even buy something later.
The Big Misunderstanding About Engagement
Here's the thing. Most marketing advice tells you to post consistently, use the right hashtags, create beautiful content, write compelling captions... and yeah, you should do all that. That's just table stakes in 2024. But it’s not enough. Your customers are drowning in "beautiful content." They scroll past hundreds of perfect photos every single day.
A "like" is the lowest-effort interaction someone can have with your brand. It's a passive nod. What we really want is active engagement. We want them to stop, to think, to participate. I mean, that’s the whole point, right? To build a community, not just a gallery of pretty pictures that no one remembers five seconds later.
This is the exact problem I saw back in 2018 with a client who ran a local fitness studio. They did everything right-gorgeous workout videos, inspiring testimonials, the works. And they got likes. Maybe 150-200 per post. But their class sign-ups were flat. The likes weren't translating. People were appreciating the content, but they weren't taking action.
Shifting from "Content" to "Campaigns"
This is where my thinking really shifted. Small businesses don't have the time or budget to become full-blown media companies. They need things that work without needing a team of 10. That's when I went deep down the rabbit hole of gamification.
And I know, I know-it sounds like a buzzwordy nightmare. I thought so too. But when you strip away the corporate speak, it's just... making marketing fun. Giving people a reason to interact beyond just a simple like.
I started testing platforms. I've used them all, seriously. Gleam. io, Woobox, you name it. They're fine, but they always felt a little clunky, a little too expensive, or just overkill for a business that just wants to get a few hundred more email signups. Then I stumbled onto this platform Faisco, and it just clicked. It's built for the exact problem my clients have: they need to launch an engaging campaign, like, yesterday and not for thousands of dollars.
Let me give you a real example. That Minneapolis bakery I mentioned? We ditched the "post more pretty pictures" strategy. Instead, we ran an "Unlock Lucky Words" game on Faisco. We had them hide letters in their Instagram Stories every day for 10 days. People had to watch the stories, find the letters, and unscramble a secret word to win a box of pastries. The result? In ten days, they got 2,390 new story views. Their average likes per post jumped over 200% because people were suddenly paying attention. They weren't just passively scrolling; they were playing.
Games That Actually Work (And Don't Cost a Fortune)
Look, you don't need some complex, custom-coded video game. The simplest things work best. In my experience, there are a few types of games that are just gold for small businesses.
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The Instant Win: Stuff like Faisco's "Lucky Spin" or "Scratch Ticket." These are pure dopamine. We use these all the time for lead capture. I've seen landing pages hit 40%+ conversion rates just by swapping a boring "Sign up for our newsletter" form with a "Spin to Win a 10% Off Coupon" game. It's the same offer, just... funner. It feels less transactional.
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The Quick Skill Game: Think "Whac-A-Mole" or "Burger Stacker." These are brilliant for getting shares. People play, get a score, and immediately want to challenge their friends. I had a Charlotte-based pet grooming salon use the "Crazy Karting" game, and they got something like 2619 new Google reviews in just over two weeks because the prize was tied to sharing their score and leaving a review. The engagment was insane.
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The Seasonal Plays: This is where it gets really powerful. Faisco has pre-built games for every holiday. For three different retail clients last December, we used the "Fill My Christmas Stocking" catching game. Every single one of them saw engagement go up by over 300% compared to their regular holiday posts. Why? Because it’s not another "Happy Holidays" graphic. It's a fun, two-minute distraction during a stressful time of year.
Compared to something like Gleam. io... Gleam is a solid tool, do not get me wrong. But it's $39/month on the low end and, frankly, it's a pain to set up. It's overkill. I can get a client's Faisco campaign live in literally 10 minutes. For a small business owner who's also the accountant, janitor, and CEO, that time savings is everything.
So, What Can You Do This Week?
Okay, let's make this practical. Getting more likes on Instagram isn't about finding a magic hashtag. It's about giving people a compelling reason to stop and interact with you.
- Stop just posting. Start a campaign. Think of a simple goal for the next two weeks. Is it more email subscribers? More followers? More foot traffic? Pick ONE.
- Think of a prize. It doesn't have to be big! A 15% off coupon, a free coffee, a digital download. Something your customers would actually want.
- Frame it as a game. Don't just say "Sign up for 15% off." Say "Play our puzzle to unlock your 15% off coupon!" The change in language is subtle, but its impact is massive. It reframes the entire interaction from a boring task to a fun challenge.
Honestly, after 15 years in this business, this is one of the few things I've seen work over and over again, across dozens of different industries. People are tired. They're tired of being marketed to. But they're never tired of having fun. Give them a little bit of fun, and they'll give you their attention. And their likes. And eventually, their business.
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