There’s nothing worse than pouring your heart and soul into an Instagram post, and getting nothing in return…except crickets.

We’ve all been there, and it isn’t fun.

Dwight from The Office crying

But let’s face it — Instagram now has more than1.3 billion users. Getting your audience’s attention is tougher than ever, let alone keeping it long enough for them to actually engage with your posts!

And the statistics back this up: according to Rival IQ’s latest social media benchmarks, Instagram engagement rates fell by about 30% in 2022.

But that said, don’t lose hope! There are absolutely things you can do to cut through the clutter and get your audience to a) notice you, and b) engage with your posts.

Let’s dive in…

What is Instagram engagement?

Engagement simply refers to the ways people interact with your account and the content you create — photo posts, Reels, Carousels, Stories and more.

This includes likes, comments, saves, shares, mentions, direct messages and click-throughs on the link in your bio. All of these metrics indicate how engaging you and your content are to your audience.

Why does Instagram engagement matter?

Instagram is a business, and to meet its business goals, it needs to engage as many people as possible and keep them on the app as long as possible.

To do this, the Instagram algorithm prioritizes content that receives a lot of engagement and shows it to more people. The reverse is true with content that doesn’t get a lot of engagement.

This means that if your content is consistently getting a lot of engagement, Instagram isn’t going to show it to a lot of people, and this includes your own followers! Yikes.

But it’s not just about the algorithm: a lack of engagement also indicates that your content isn’t resonating with your target audience, and is therefore not going to help you achieve your business goals.

How to calculate your Instagram engagement rate:

Want to know how your current engagement levels stack up? Here’s a simple way to calculate your engagement rate for a specific post:

Divide the total number of likes and comments by your follower count, then multiply by 100.

So if I have 1,000 followers, and my post received 26 likes and 3 comments, my engagement rate would be 2.9%.

Is that good? Well, it’s not bad. According to the latest Hootsuite data, the average engagement rate for Instagram business accounts for posts is 0.54% and 0.61% for videos/reels.

However, these averages include huge brands with millions of followers, and typically, the larger the account, the lower the engagement rate. (For example, Nike, at 277 million Instagram followers, currently has an engagement rate of 0.27%.)

➡️ Generally, if your account is under 10,000 followers, you want to aim for an engagement rate of 5% or higher.

Note: There are lots of fun social media tools out there that can calculate your engagement rate beyond just a single post. One of my favourites is Phlanx (you can use it a few times for free, but then you have to pay).

OK, ready to get to the good stuff? Let’s go!

Here are 9 ways to get more engagement on your Instagram posts:

1. Make sure your content is relevant to your audience and your brand.

All the engagement strategies in the world won’t help if your core content isn’t resonating with your target audience or standing out in your audience’s feed.

So before you put up your next post, ask yourself these 6 questions first:

➡️ Is this post relevant to my target audience?

➡️ Does it fit with my brand?

➡️ Is it engaging, entertaining, inspiring, informative and/or helpful to my target audience in some way?

➡️ Does it have a strong hook? (i.e., does the first line grab your audience’s attention? )

➡️ Does it have a call to action? (e.g., “Double-tap if you agree”, “Comment below with…”, “Save this post for future reference,” etc.)

➡️ Will the visual (photo or video) I’ve chosen grab my audience’s attention?

Aim to score a 6/6 with every post, and your Instagram engagement rates will soar!

2. Post consistently.

Remember: the Instagram algorithm wants to be fed with engaging content, and it rewards brands who do this consistently.

One-hit-wonders and occasional posters just aren’t good for business. You have to be consistent.

But it’s not just about the algorithm — it’s about your audience, too!

It’s hard to build that know-like-trust factor if you only show up in your audience’s feeds every few weeks or so.

This doesn’t mean you have to post every single day. Generally, the minimum is 3-4 posts per week if you want your presence to grow.

Whatever frequency you decide, the important thing is to stick with it. The algorithm (and your audience) will thank you.

3. Post when your target audience is online.

Newer posts appear higher up in a person’s Instagram feed, so it’s important to post when your target audience is most likely to be online. Otherwise, your content may end up getting buried by other posts by the time your audience logs on.

So how are you supposed to know when your audience is going to be online? Here are a few tactics:

➡️ If you already use a social media management tool like Later, it makes it easy and calculates it for you!

➡️ Look at your Instagram Insights. In the follower section, it will let you know the days and times when your audience is most active on the app.

➡️ Check out articles like this one for industry benchmarks and best practices.

➡️ Get inside your target audience’s mind. If you were them, when would you want to see your posts? Experiment and see what works!

4. Ask questions.

It may sound obvious, but one of the best ways to get your audience talking back to you is to actually ask them what they think!

Ask for their advice, opinions, recommendations — anything to get them talking and engaging with you online.

(And when people answer, make sure you acknowledge them with a thoughtful, non-generic response!)

Example: Let’s say I’m a yoga instructor. I might post and ask my audience to comment below with their least favourite pose.

I would then engage in the comments with everyone who responded, maybe asking them why specifically they don’t like it, or commisserating with their choice. If I knew of a specific resource that could help a particular person, I might send them a DM with a link.

And for bonus points, down the road, I might do another post highlighting the most common response I received and share some tips on how to make it easier and/or more enjoyable.

5. Post more Reels & Carousels.

According to the latest social media benchmarks from Emplifi, Carousels and Reels are the top-performing post formats on Instagram, with median interaction rates of 30.45% and 30.08%, respectively.

Carousels (i.e., posts that have more than one and up to 10 images) are often served to your audience more than once in the feed (with a different lead image each time), giving your audience multiple opportunities to engage with them.

As for Reels, Instagram prioritizes them in the algorithm over other content types in order to stay competitive with TikTok. So if you’re regularly posting Reels, not only are you more likely to get discovered by people who aren’t already following you, but your engagement rates will likely be higher, too.

6. Use relevant hashtags.

This is a big one! According to Later, based on an analysis of 18 million Instagram feed posts, those that used 20-30 hashtags per post had the highest reach and highest engagement levels!

Want to know which hashtags will work best for you? Check out my 2023 Instagram Hashtag Guide to get the full scoop!

7. Use interactive stickers in Instagram Stories.

You know those fun stickers you can use in Instagram Stories to ask questions, take a poll or do a quiz?

Having someone interact with these is just as valuable in the algorithm as someone interacting with one of your posts!

Start using them in your stories at least once a week and have some fun! Check out this article for some great inspiration.

8. Be social.

Social media is meant to be just that — social!

If you’re only going online to post your own content, and aren’t engaging with other people or the content they create, you’re doing it wrong.

What to do instead?

Ask questions in your posts. Respond thoughtfully and genuinely to other people’s comments, posts and stories. Start conversations. Continue conversations. Be nice. Be helpful.

In other words, be social!

Even doing this for just 15-minutes a day can be a game-changer. You’ll be amazed how quickly the engagement you give comes right back to you.

9. Collaborate with other accounts in your niche.

Have you tried an Instagram Collab yet? It’s a new(ish) feature that allows two accounts to co-author a post or Reel so that it shows up under both of their names.

Collab posts gets shared with both sets of followers, live on both of your profile grids, and combine your views, likes, comments — the works!

They’re a great opportunity for like-minded businesses and brands to team up for mutual gain — specifically, increased engagement, exposure among each other’s followings and the chance to attract new clients/customers.

Some Instagram Collab examples & ideas:

➡️ Two local businesses (that don’t compete with each other but have the same target audience) could team up for a shared giveaway where they each contribute a prize

➡️ A financial planner and life coach doing a seminar together could use Instagram Collabs to promote the event

➡️ Asking a happy customer/client to make a Reel about visiting your location or their positive experience with you, and having them invite you to be a collaborator on the post (it’s great for you, and gives the happy customer exposure to your audience as well).

A final word on Instagram engagement…

I hope you found these tips useful! Again, some are easier than others, but keep at it and I guarantee you’ll see results.

Want to take these engagement tips to the next level with a strategy and action plan that are fully customized for YOU? That’s my speciality! Check out the services I offer for just some of the ways we can work together.

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