Why am I not Getting Likes on Instagram?

Peak times refer to the time when your target audience is most active. The reason your posts may not be getting any likes could be that your target audience is not on Instagram when you are posting. The Instagram algorithm pushes viral and recent posts to users’ feeds. Hence, avoid posting randomly with the assumption that your audience will eventually see and like your post.

Peak times differ for different niches and audiences around the globe. Some studies suggest posting between 11 AM to 1 PM, or 6 PM to 9 PM. This may be different for your niche, hence you have to try posting at different times till you figure it out. You can spend a week posting in the mornings, and then switch to afternoons the following week. Compare the results, then start posting at the time you have the most likes.

You can’t just make a post without interacting with your audience in the comments. If you want your audience to like your posts, you have to take the first step. Check their posts, drop a comment, and you can even follow them. Also, reply to the comments on your post and like their comments. This will encourage them to like your post next time it comes up on their feed.

Replying to the comments within an hour also signals to the algorithm that something is interesting about your post, therefore, pushing it to more people. If you are confused about what to comment, you can use AI which helps you generate fun and engaging comments that keep the conversation going. You can also consider dropping polls or fun quizzes on your Instagram story to encourage your audience to engage with your posts.

The reason you are not getting likes could also be as a result of being shadowbanned by Instagram. This is when Instagram reduces the reach of your posts, and it’s only your followers who can see your content on their explore page. This shadow ban can be due to using bots to generate likes and comments, buying fake followers, or consistently posting poor content. You can also get shadowbanned if you keep using spammy hashtags or tags related to defamatory content.

Consider using a shadowban checker to confirm if you have been shadowbanned. All you have to do is provide your Instagram username, and then it analyses the engagements on your recent posts. If you have been shadowbanned, ensure you start following all of Instagram’s terms of use and stop using automation tools. Another idea that may sound unorthodox is reducing the frequency of your posts. This signals to the algorithm that you are not trying to publish poor content or be overly intrusive.

Getting likes on Instagram requires you to consistently show up. Consistency means avoiding too much time between posts. It also means sticking to a specific time whenever you are posting, so your target audience knows when to expect fresh content from you. The time you choose should be tied to your audience’s peak time.

Also, while it is good to post often, avoid posting more than three times a day so that the algorithm does not ignore your posts. To remain consistent, you can leverage Instagram’s schedule feature that allows you to schedule content for the next 75 days. Hence, you can create content in your free time, then schedule it to automatically post at your audience’s peak times, which helps you consistently get more likes.

The quality of the content you are posting matters a lot. You are competing against 95 million photos and videos uploaded daily. Thus, your content must be highly engaging to attract likes. Ensure your content is educational, entertaining, or fun. Instagram also promotes content that is more aesthetically pleasing. Videos and images with poor quality may not get any likes. Consider using tools like Adobe Lightroom to edit your content and give it a more professional feel.

In a bid to make your content trend quickly and get more likes, you may have been stuffing your posts with 30 hashtags that are irrelevant to your posts. The Instagram algorithm is now more focused on promoting original content. Hence, you must use hashtags relevant to your location, audience, and the post. It is best to aim for 3 to 5 relevant hashtags per post.

You may have a high-quality image or video, but the caption may not be good enough. People may not “like” your post if they don’t like the caption they read. You should use the caption as an opportunity to tell a compelling story about the image, video, or your brand. You can also use it to encourage people to drop likes, comments, and follow your page. Consider containing relevant hashtags and emojis in your captions.