If even after spending what seems like an inordinate amount of time on getting them exactly right, your Instagram posts receive minimal interaction, you're not alone. Unfortunately, since 61% of consumers research products on Instagram, you can’t ignore the platform. Even if it sometimes feels like shouting into the void. So, how do you increase your brand’s Instagram engagement?
Certain proven strategies can increase your Instagram engagement when you implement them. For instance, Instagram posts with carousels generate 1.4 times more engagement than single images, and brands that post consistently between 6-8 p.m. sees higher engagement rates. Understanding these benchmarks is crucial for any successful strategy.
And, while posting in the evening won’t guarantee to up the engagement on your Instagram posts, using the following tips and tricks, will lessen your dependence on ads. Here's what you need to know to break free from the silent treatment and get more Instagram engagement.
What is Instagram engagement?
Instagram engagement refers to Instagram users' interactions with your Instagram posts, including likes, comments, shares, saves, and direct messages (DMs). These actions show an active interest in your content instead of passive scrolling or swiping. Instagram engagement proves your content resonates with your audience, making it a critical metric for any Instagram marketing strategy.
Why is Instagram engagement important?
Engagement boosts content visibility through Instagram's algorithm. The platform prioritizes content with high engagement rates, showing it to more users and creating a virtuous cycle of increased reach.
For brands and businesses, engagement directly impacts campaign success. High engagement rates can drive users to your landing page and expand your audience, while low engagement wastes time and resources on ineffective social media campaigns.
How to calculate your Instagram engagement rate
Instagram provides engagement metrics through Instagram Insights, but calculating your engagement rate using these metrics can give you a better understanding of how your audience interacts with your content.
First, if you haven't already, convert your personal Instagram account to a business or creator account for access to Instagram Insights and Meta Business Suite analytics. This is where you'll find the information you need to tally your engagement rate.
Then, go to your Instagram profile and find the post you want to analyze. Tap on the three dots in the top right corner of the post and select "Insights" to see your Instagram analytics.
To calculate your Instagram engagement rate per post, scroll down to the "Engagement" section and add up your post interactions—the total number of likes, comments, and shares on the post. Then, divide the engagements by your follower count. Here's the formula:
Engagement rate per post = (Number of post interactions / Total followers) × 100
If your post received 18 interactions and you have 875 Instagram followers, the post's engagement rate is roughly 2%. For an overall post engagement rate, repeat this process for multiple posts, then average the results.
What is a good Instagram engagement rate?
A good engagement rate varies by industry and follower count. Generally, 1% to 5% engagement is deemed good, meaning out of 100 followers, one to five interact via a like, comment, share, or DM.
However, specific benchmarks show that micro-influencers (1K-10K followers) typically achieve 3-5% engagement rates, while larger accounts (100K+ followers) often see 1-3% engagement rates. Retail brands average 1.2% engagement, while lifestyle and beauty brands can achieve 2-4% engagement rates.
Tips to increase your engagement rate on Instagram
- Identify your audience
- Prioritize authenticity
- Reciprocate engagement
- Post more carousels
- Track your engagement metrics
- Post aesthetically pleasing content
- Tell a story
- Use relevant hashtags
- Have fun
- Host giveaways
- Post engaging content
Boosting engagement requires implementing proven strategies consistently. Here are the most effective methods to increase Instagram engagement in 2025:
Identify your audience
Knowing who your audience is, will aid you in creating content that they want to see and engage with.
You can do this by:
- Creating buyer personas: Delve into your ideal customer profiles based on demographics and behaviors
- Conducting empathy interviews: Focus on understanding customer experiences and feelings
- Checking out the audience data: Pay attention to who responds to your brand content
Prioritize authenticity
Authentic content drives 2.3 times more engagement than overly polished promotional posts. It's easy to default to marketing jargon—posting about your products in a neutral, detached tone and maintaining emotional distance from your brand—but it can be less engaging.
Instagram users have a strong eye for insincere content. Whether you're posting behind-the-scenes content, Instagram Stories, or explainer videos, creating an emotional connection is about remaining true to your authentic self.
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Respond to comments for engagement
Brands that respond to comments within 24 hours see higher engagement rates on future posts. If people are taking the time to comment on your posts or send you DMs, don't be shy—reply.
Starting a conversation is a great way to start driving engagement and let your audience know you're listening. Be prepared to answer common questions and provide excellent customer service in your messaging inbox.
Post more carousels
Carousel posts consistently outperform single images, generating 1.4 times more engagement and 3 times more comments. On Instagram, carousel posts let you share several images at once—great for a series of photos that follow a common theme or aesthetic.
A carousel post appears in the Instagram feed as a single image with five dots and a number above (e.g., 1/10 to show the total number of images), inviting viewers to swipe through additional photos. This format not only allows for more content in a single post, but it can also build engagement as users are already interacting by swiping through.
Track your engagement metrics
Data-driven content strategy increases engagement by up to 60%. Tracking and analyzing the performance of your posts can help you understand what resonates with your audience.
Monitor this data using Instagram Insights, Meta Business Suite, or Creator Studio to identify your top-performing posts and which content types, topics, and posting times generate the most engagement. Use this data to inform your content calendar for the upcoming month.
Post aesthetically pleasing content
High-quality visual content receives 94% more views than text-based posts. Instagram was released in 2010 as a photo-sharing social media app. From the beginning, people have used it to post thoughtful, aesthetically pleasing, and often personal user-generated content (UGC).
To stand out, ensure your posts look their best. Clean, focused, and visually appealing photos and videos can encourage saves from followers and strangers and boost engagement.
Perfection isn't necessary, but a consistent, polished look can make a significant difference. Several free photo editors allow you to save custom filter settings so you can apply the same look to large batches of photos.
Tell a story
Anecdoatlly, storytelling content can generate 300% more engagement than promotional posts. People love a good story. Telling the story behind your brand or a specific product can help people identify with your company.
Ali Osterholz, founder of Explorer Knits + Fibers, a clothing company that donates a portion of its profits to the National Parks Fund, says, "There has to be a reason or meaning behind everything I post or create for our customers, so [my business] feels worthy to invest in."
Use relevant hashtags
Strategic hashtag use can increase reach by up to 79%. Hashtags are key phrases that categorize your Instagram content and enhance its search discoverability—as well as help the Instagram algorithm serve your content to interested users.
The optimal hashtag strategy in 2025 includes:
- Using 5-10 hashtags per post (down from the previous 30-hashtag limit)
- Mixing popular hashtags (1M+ posts) with niche hashtags (10K-100K posts)
- Including branded hashtags specific to your business
- Researching competitor hashtags and trending industry terms
Hashtags can help you get new followers who wouldn't have found your page otherwise—especially if you use a hashtag already popular with your target audience.
Have fun
Entertaining content receives 67% more shares than serious business posts. It can be tempting to view online marketing and social media strategy as serious business. But you don't need to make every post a sales pitch or call to action.
Depending on your brand, fun content can be anything from relatable memes and behind-the-scenes content to Instagram Stories stickers, Instagram Reels, and posts that perform well on TikTok or YouTube Shorts. Remember, users come to Instagram for distraction and entertainment; fulfilling those needs will serve your brand well.
🌟Need content ideas? Get inspired by this list of 20 Instagram post ideas for new and unique content.
Host giveaways
Giveaway posts generate 3.5x more engagement than regular posts. Everyone loves free stuff. One great way to drive engagement is to run Instagram giveaways in which you offer products to users who comment or share your posts.
These high-engagement posts can help get your brand in front of more eyes and encourage followers to engage with your profile.
Post engaging content
The most effective engagement strategy is creating content that naturally encourages interaction. The only surefire way to increase engagement on Instagram is to post valuable content that intrigues users and encourages conversation.
Focus on content that:
- Asks questions in captions (aim for 125-150 characters for optimal engagement)
- Uses Instagram's interactive features like polls, questions, and quizzes in Stories
- Provides educational value or entertainment
- Encourages user-generated content and community participation
You can use surveys to ask questions, run polls, or share information, but above all, keep it interesting. If you wouldn't engage with your own content, other people likely won't either.
How To Get More Engagement On Instagram FAQ
How can I increase my engagement on Instagram?
Post consistently, write captions that spark conversation, and reply to comments and DMs promptly. Mix content formats like carousels, Reels, and Stories, and add interactive stickers such as polls or quizzes to invite reactions. Pairing relevant hashtags with occasional influencer collaborations extends your reach to new audiences beyond current followers.
Why is my engagement low on Instagram?
Low engagement usually stems from inconsistent posting, overly promotional captions, low-quality visuals, mismatched hashtags, or ignoring comments from followers. Instagram's algorithm rewards accounts that post on a regular schedule and generate quick interactions right after publishing, so slow initial engagement can suppress a post's reach even further. Fixing the underlying cause tends to have a bigger impact than simply posting more often.
How do you track engagement on Instagram?
Track engagement through Instagram Insights, Meta Business Suite, or Creator Studio, which become available once you switch to a business or creator account. These tools show likes, comments, shares, saves, story interactions, and reach for each post. To turn that data into a percentage, divide total interactions by follower count and multiply by 100.
How often should I post on Instagram to boost engagement?
There's no fixed ideal frequency—what matters most is a posting rhythm your audience can rely on. Some brands post several times a day while others publish just a few times a week and still see strong results, since account size and content type affect the outcome more than a set number. Check your own Insights data for when interactions spike, then schedule posts around those active hours.
Do Instagram Reels get more engagement than photos?
Reels often outperform static photos, with these short videos averaging around a 1.95% engagement rate across accounts. Instagram's algorithm continues to favor video content, giving Reels extra visibility in feeds and the Explore tab. Mixing Reels with carousels and photos, rather than relying on one format, helps capture different types of audience interaction like watch time, shares, and comments.
