No likes on Instagram: Possible Reasons Why You Get Less Likes
Instagram releases noticeable updates almost every month. While some tools like Instagram Stories immediately draw engagement, others make it harder to adapt.
It’s easy to hate the platform when no one likes your posts. But have you tried to learn why?
If you’re not getting likes on Instagram, read this post to discover some of the possible reasons along with helpful tips.
1. Instagram is Fighting Bots
Instagram has been actively fighting spammers lately. As a result, Instagress, which is one of the most popular bot apps, was closed a few weeks ago, and a lot of bots were banned. Without those bots, there will be less bot liking on the platform.
The same is true for bot comments. Thanks to Instagram, there will be less random comments like “check my account” or the follow-unfollow thing.
That may seem like bad news but, in fact, likes from bots are useless. So don’t panic if you receive fewer likes from weird empty profiles.
2. Instagram is Testing Posts Without Public Likes
One day, you may wake up and see that there are no likes under Instagram posts in your app. Don’t call the police asking, “Why do my likes disappear on Instagram?”
In May 2019, Instagram announced testing a feature that removes public likes on posts. The test started in Canada, followed by Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand.
If you don’t understand why Instagram doesn't show all likers, you should know that this way, the platform tries to make its users focus on the content itself rather than its popularity among others. Nobody knows how hidden likes affect the total number of them per post. If you live in one of the countries from the list above, this experiment might be the reason why you are getting fewer likes than before.
3. You Use Banned Hashtags
Even though Instagress is not there anymore, Instagram’s war on bots is not over. The social platform has to ban specific hashtags that are popular among spammers. If you add those hashtags to your post, it won’t appear in the hashtag search results and the Explore section.
Though some hashtags get only a temporary ban, you’d better not use them at all. Some examples are:
• #beautyblogger
• #prettygirl
• #likeback
• #instamood etc.
Read Instagram’s Terms of Service and Community Guidelines to make sure hashtags you use don’t violate them.
4. You Haven’t Posted for a While
Instagram’s algorithm isn’t chronological. With that being said, your posts won’t appear in your followers’ feeds as soon as you post them. To decide who should see your posts first, Instagram measures how much a user interacted with your content in the past.
If you don’t post consistently, you’ll disappear from feeds, and it won’t be easy to get back on track. If your Instagram likes are down, spend some time to prepare your content in advance and set up reminders to post it regularly.
Also, remind your followers to turn on notifications for your account to never miss your new posts.
5. You’re Not Visual Enough
If you neglect the quality of your content and don’t make your photos good enough for the audience’s standards, you naturally get fewer likes. Your Instagram images should be unique, quality, and have a distinct visual style.
Here are a couple of tips that will improve your photography skills:
• For the best Instagram experience, your photo must be at least 900x900px. To be on the safe side, open the photo from your PC to make sure that picture is not blurred.
• Shoot in the soft daylight, preferably at sunset. This way, you’ll look your best in the shot, and if you take pictures of products, they won’t have any unflattering shadows and color shifts.
• Plan each shot carefully. You can do better than an accidental mirror selfie. Look for extraordinary perspective, rare locations, and vivid looks.
• Use photo editing apps to correct colors in your photos and bring them to a unified palette.
6. You Don’t Use Analytics
Instagram Insights let you see day or even exact hour of your followers’ activities to your profile. If you’re running a commercial one, just turn to Business in your account settings to access analytics. If you are a blogger, take advantage of the Creator profile.
The first couple of hours after publication are critical for your reach as Instagram’s algorithm counts engagement rate for your post and decides on its priority in your followers’ feeds. If you share an update in the middle of the night, you limit your chances to get to the top.
7. You Don’t Promote Your Posts in Stories
Instagram Stories is yet another channel for you to connect with your audience. If your post didn’t get priority in the feed, Stories is your second chance to get noticed.
Right after publishing a new post, spread the word in a Story. If your topic can start a great discussion, invite people to leave a comment and share an opinion. That way, you can grow your engagement rate and increase visibility.
Over to You
Though likes are definitely not the primary success indicator, they are essential for promotion on Instagram. Fortunately, the platform has a lot of tools (from photo filters to hashtags) that help you be appreciated.
Tried the tips above but still not enough likes on Instagram? Try to ask your followers to like your post in the caption. Many people scroll their feeds without extra thinking and can forget to like even the most awesome photo.
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