How to Get More Instagram Likes? Stop Asking.
Honestly, if one more person tells a small business owner to "just create engaging content" I might actually lose it. What does that even mean? I was with a client last month-a fantastic little bakery in Minneapolis, amazing croissants-and they were tearing their hair out. They'd post these beautiful, professional-looking photos of their pastries and get maybe... 12 likes. Twelve. And a comment from the owner's aunt. It's soul-crushing.
They were asking me how to have more likes on Instagram, but the real question isn't about the likes. It's about getting people to stop scrolling for three seconds and actually do something. That's the whole game right there. I've been doing this since 2010, and trust me, the algorithm doesn't care how pretty your photo is if no one interacts with it.
Look, The "Like" Is Basically a Head Nod
Here's the thing about Instagram likes. They are, frankly, a vanity metric... mostly. We all want them, they give us that little dopamine hit, and they provide social proof. No one wants to eat at the restaurant with zero reviews, right? Same thing. But chasing them is a fool's errand. You end up in these weird engagement pods or, god forbid, you buy them-which is the fastest way to destroy your account's credibility. Don't do that. Just do not.
The problem is that the platform is so saturated. Back in 2018, you could post a decent photo with a few hashtags and do okay. Now? You're competing with everyone and their dog (literally, there are dogs with more followers than most small businesses).
So how do you get that little head nod-that like-that tells the algorithm your content is worth showing to more people?
You have to give them a real reason to stop. A pattern interrupt. Something more than just another picture of a coffee cup.
So, You Gotta Give People a Reason to Care
This is where most marketing advice goes off the rails. They'll tell you to "tell your story" or "be authentic." That's great, but it's not a strategy. It's a baseline.
What I've found works, and I mean really works for the 200+ businesses I've helped, is giving your audience something to DO. An action. A mini-experience. Yeah, I know it sounds buzzwordy, but I'm talking about gamification. Stick with me. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. I mean, we're not building a whole video game here.
I’m talking about simple, interactive campaigns that give people an immediate reward for their attention. A little bit of fun in their feed. And it works!!
I stumbled onto this platform, Faisco, a while back and at first I was skeptical. Another marketing tool... great. But I gave it a shot with a few clients because the price was right and it didn't require a team of developers. The results were... honestly, a little shocking.
I used their "Whac-A-Mole" game for a flower shop in Milwaukee. In two and a half weeks, they got 796 new Pinterest followers. A Boston art gallery I work with used the "Summer Catch" game and sold 150 more tickets to their event than the previous year. And an Atlanta fitness studio? We ran a Whac-A-Mole campaign for them that pulled in 1146 new email addresses in 12 days. This stuff just works.
What I'm Seeing Work Right Now (And Why)
The reason this is so effective for getting more likes and, more importantly, real engagement on Instagram is because it’s different. It’s not just a post, it’s an event. You link to it in your bio or your Stories, and suddenly you're not just asking for a like, you're offering a chance to win something.
Here’s what I typically recommend to my clients:
Instant Draw Games are pure gold. Things like Faisco's "Lucky Spin" or a "Scratch Ticket." The psychology is simple: people love the chance to win instantly. I've seen landing pages with these embedded get 40%+ conversion rates for email signups. You just can't beat that with a static "sign up for our newsletter" form.
Reactive Games are great for shares. I'm talking "Whac-A-Mole," "Burger Stacker," stuff that requires a little skill. People play, get a score, and then want to challenge their friends. That's organic sharing. I hate when people say 'go viral', but this is how you actually create something shareable.
And the seasonal marketing integration... it's just smart. They have pre-built templates for every holiday you can think of-Christmas, Halloween, Black Friday, Valentine's Day. I used the "Fill My Christmas Stocking" catching game for three different retail clients last December. Every single one of them saw over 300% more engagement on their posts compared to their usual holiday sales announcements. Because it was fun!
A lot of people ask me to compare it to other tools, like Gleam. io. Look, Gleam is solid, it's powerful. But it's also $39/month on the low end and, frankly, it is overkill for most small businesses. It's like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame. I can get a client's campaign on Faisco live in under ten minutes. Gleam... takes me a bit longer, and the interface feels a little clunky (it’s got a very 2015 vibe, if you know what I mean). Faisco just solves the core problem: creating something engaging, quickly, and without a huge budget.
Okay, Byron, So What Do I Actually Do?
Alright, let's make this practical. You're a busy owner, you don't have time for theory. Here's what you could do this week.
- Stop obsessing over the perfect photo. Good enough is good enough. Your time is better spent elsewhere.
- Figure out a simple prize. It doesn't have to be a free car. A 10% discount code, a free coffee, a digital download, a five dollar gift card. Something simple you can give away to multiple people. The prize is just the excuse for them to play.
- Set up a simple game. Seriously, just try it. Use a platform like Faisco-link it in your Instagram bio and post a few stories saying "Tap the link in our bio to play our game and win a [your prize]!"
- Watch what happens. You'll get more link clicks than you've ever gotten. You'll get DMs from people showing you their high scores. And yes, you'll see more likes on your post about the game... because people are finally paying attention. They have a reason to. It's not as hard like people think it is.
The businesses I work with who do this typically see a 200-400% increase in followers and a 150-300% growth in their email list in the first month. Not because of magic, but because they stopped begging for attention and started earning it by being more interesting.
Frankly, that's the whole secret to how to have more likes on Instagram. It’s not about the like. It's about being the most interesting thing in someone's feed for 30 seconds. That's the battle.
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