How to Get More Engagement on Instagram in 2025? [15 Tips]

Instagram engagement is like the Force. It’s invisible, but it influences everything: how far your posts travel, how often they appear, and how deeply they resonate. These 15 tips will make you a Luke Skywalker of Instagram and get you more engagement (without Jedi mind tricks).

• After reading this article, you’ll:
  
  
  • Know how to get more engagement on Instagram
  • Calculate Instagram engagement rate properly
  • Understand the impact of different content formats
  • Achieve the master level of Instagram engagement

How to calculate Instagram engagement rate (and why should you care)?

Instagram engagement rate is a simple indicator measuring how much your audience interacts with your content.

The most universal way to calculate engagement rate is the following formula:

Engagement rate = (Total interactions / Total reach) x 100

The interactions are all the types of publicly disclaimed engagement signals tracked by Instagram, such as likes, comments, shares, and saves. 

Engagement Rate by Reach (ERR) measures how engaging your content is to all your viewers (not just followers).

💡 Bonus Tip

You can use the Engagement Rate by Follower metric to understand how well you encourage followers (and followers only) to interact with your content.
 
Simply, change “Total interactions” to “Total follower count” in the given formula.

If you want to calculate your Instagram engagement rate fast, you can use one of the free Instagram engagement calculators, such as web tools from HypeAuditor or SocialInsider.

Fine, but should you even care? 

Is the engagement rate on Instagram really that important, or is it just another social media buzzword?

Let’s hand the mic to Adam Mosseri – the Head of Instagram: 

“If your followers are going down but your engagement is going up, that’s actually good. That means more people seeing your stuff. Whereas if follower count is going up and your engagement is going down, that’s much more concerning.

“So please, care about your follower counts, yes, but focus more on your engagement rates. It’ll really help over the long run“.

There’s no better source to confirm that, indeed, your Instagram engagement rate is important as hell!

What is a good engagement rate on Instagram?

Most online sources confirm that a good engagement rate on Instagram is between 1% and 3 or 3,5%. If your average engagement rate exceeds these figures, you’re doing awesome. 

And if your median engagement rate is higher than 6%, keep going because you’re a real Instagram pro!

How to get more engagement on Instagram? 15 tips

01 Answer comments and mentions

Answering comments and Instagram mentions is one of the most effective ways to increase your overall engagement on the platform.

Why?

The shortest answer is: because replying to comments and online mentions increases your overall engagement rate, which is a key metric Instagram’s algorithm uses to determine content visibility.

😵‍💫 To avoid your confusion

Comment is a user’s response published under your post or any other post.

Mention is a situation when one Instagram profile talks about another in any place.

Mentions can be tagged (with a “@” symbol before the username) and untagged (without this symbol).

More replies mean more activity on your post, which increases the likelihood of appearing in users’ feeds and on the Explore page.

Besides, responding to comments and mentions shows your brand is friendly and values its followers.

It helps build a community and encourages higher engagement, making people feel more connected to your brand.

The thing is that when people talk about you online, they do not always tag you. That’s a pity cause you can easily miss out on some crucial mentions.

Fortunately, there’s a way to uncover both tagged and untagged mentions in one place. It is using one of the top social listening tools, like Brand24.

In short, Brand24 tracks and analyzes mentions published on Instagram and other sources, like:

• Social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, Reddit, Bluesky, Telegram, Twitch)
• News sites, blogs, video platforms, podcasts, review sites, newsletters & other websites.

By defining a keyword you want to track and analyze (like your Instagram username), Brand24 will discover all your brand mentions. Regardless of whether someone uses @ or not.

For example, below you can see the untagged Instagram mention of Duolingo made by the Red Bull Racing profile.

It is essential to answer negative and positive mentions.

Responding to the former shows your customers that you care about their dissatisfaction.

Interacting with the latter, you make your audience love you even more!

Further read: How to respond to Instagram comments?

02 Quality > quantity

Instagram is all about captivating and relevant content.

But there is one more critical adjective – it’s high-quality.

When creating Instagram content, the quality is always better than quantity. In other words, it’s better to make one well-crafted post than four that are weak or average.

Here’s why: people scroll through a constant stream of posts, reels, carousels, and so on. 

Catching and holding their attention is one of the most important things to ensure your post stands out and reaches a broader audience.

There’s also another reason: a dwell time.

💡 Dwell time refers to the amount of time an Instagram user spends viewing a post before scrolling away.

Instagram’s algorithm uses dwell time to determine whether content is interesting and, if the post captures attention, it is more likely to be shown to a wider audience.

The longer the dwell time, the stronger the signal that your content is valuable.

Therefore, although indirectly, dwell time is among the most critical Instagram engagement metrics.

Here’s the rule: the more time people spend admiring your photo, swiping your carousel posts, and reading your captions, the more likely the Instagram algorithm will favor your content and boost your visibility.

To do so, you must deliver quality and value.

Simple as that!

03 Words are your superpower

Speaking about creating content and dwell time, you should always keep in mind that writing matters more than you think.

Right, Instagram is mostly a visual platform, but if it were only about nice pictures, it wouldn’t keep users engaged for long. 

If you want to get more engagement on Instagram, you need to know webwriting essentials.

Here are some general rules:

• Don’t be boring – write with personality, energy, and enthusiasm to keep your audience hooked.
• Be authentic and true to your brand voice – followers connect with honest content.
• Use storytelling – people remember and engage with stories much better than plain content. Give details, pictorial descriptions, describe feelings, include funny/unusual comparisons, etc.
• Make your writing visually appealing – users hate walls of text. Use emojis, spaces, and bullet points to break up your content and make it easier to read.
• Write as if you speak – it makes your audience feel involved in the conversation

Now, let me present concrete and practical ways to upgrade some of your Instagram writing techniques.

Build a short & sweet bio:

• Clearly state what you do and who you help in just a few words
• Add a touch of personality or humor to make it memorable
• Include a call to action (CTA), like “DM for collabs” or “Link below for more info”

Use strong and brave headlines in your posts, reels, and carousel posts:

• Keep them short (3 – 5 words) and simple, but emotionally appealing
• Make them bold (they must be well visible on phone screens)

Write engaging captions:

• Start strong with an intriguing or surprising hook, like “I shouldn’t say it, but…”
• Include a call to action

04 Monitor relevant metrics

Now, a bit more technical aspects.

Monitoring your social media metrics is crucial for enhancing your Instagram engagement rate.

Sure – likes, views, shares, or comments are the engagement signals. But to understand the overall impact of your Instagram performance, you must track other metrics, like:

• Follower growth rate
• The volume of mentions
• Sentiment analysis
• Social media reach, 
• Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE)

… and more!

Tracking these metrics empowers you to: 

• Understand how your audience perceives and engages with your content.
• Adapt your messaging to better resonate with your followers.
• Understand the overall impact of your Instagram strategy.

Further read: Top 12 Instagram metrics

05 Get to know your target audience

Instagram constantly changes. 

Content accuracy and preferences play a much more critical role than in the past. If your goal is boosting engagement, it requires you to get to know your audience.

By understanding your followers’ interests and preferences, you can create content that resonates with them on a deeper level. 

It allows you to tailor your feed posts, captions, Instagram stories, and hashtags to align with their preferences and needs.

First, you need to understand your audience demographic. You can easily discover it with Instagram Insights.

This built-in analytics tool provides priceless data about your followers’ age, gender, location, and more.

Next, analyze what type of content resonates best. 

Are these carousel posts, Reels, or Stories? Instagram’s analytics can help you understand which formats and topics get the most engagement.

Investing time in understanding your audience can create meaningful connections, foster engagement, and build a loyal community on Instagram.

06 Post at the right time

No matter what someone tells you, timing really matters on Instagram.

Even the most amazing post can underperform if it’s shared when your audience isn’t online.

Why does timing matter? 

Because Instagram’s algorithm considers how quickly your post gains engagement (likes, comments, shares) after it’s published.

The faster the engagement, the better your chances of reaching more people through feeds and the Explore page.

So, how do you find your optimal posting time?

One of the best ways to do this is to use tools like Brand24’s Hot Hours feature.

In short, based on your Instagram mentions, Brand24 discovers the exact times when your content drives higher engagement than usual.

The whole thing is extremely easy.

Hot Hours is a kind of matrix presenting the days of the week and specific hours when your brand is most frequently mentioned, gets the most reach, or triggers interactions — all color-coded to show intensity and engagement peaks at a glance.

07 The face is engaging. Show it!

In a world where we struggle for each 3 seconds of attention, your face is a branding asset.

This is especially true if you’re not McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Apple, or another global brand with a widely recognizable logo.

Don’t get me wrong – logos are important. Graphic styles are also important. But nothing builds such a bond and memorability as your face.

In fact, according to Georgia Institute of Technology research, human faces increase the average Instagram engagement rate:

• Instagram posts featuring faces generate 38% more likes than those without
• There’s 32% more likelihood that a post with a human face will attract comments.

If you are afraid to show yourself because you don’t have the perfect haircut, skin, makeup, and so on, remember that brands don’t grow by being perfect.

Brands grow by being consistent and present.

People don’t remember those who hide behind stock videos only. They remember those who come to the front.

Your image is not ego. It’s a strategy.

08 Use relevant hashtags

Against all odds, Instagram hashtags are still helpful in building engagement.

They categorize your content and make it discoverable by users interested in specific topics or themes.

But remember, what matters is the quality, not the quantity.

To maximize the effectiveness of hashtags, it’s essential to use a limited number of highly relevant ones. 

Rather than overwhelming your posts with numerous hashtags, focus on selecting 2-4 that are directly related to your content and audience.

Using too many hashtags or including irrelevant ones can dilute the message and attract an audience not interested in the content.

The result? Lower engagement.

Ouch.

Brand24 can help you in this area. Your dashboard will provide you with a rank of trending Instagram hashtags for your brand or niche.

09 Trigger comments and automate responses

If you want more comments – give people a reason to write them!

One smart way is to offer something valuable in return. 

For example, you can say: “Comment ‘guide’ and I’ll send you a free checklist.”

Then, set up an automatic message that delivers it right away. It saves you time and keeps the conversation going.

You can also ask fun questions, run mini polls, or get people to tag their friends.

⚠️ Be careful with engagement baits

Engagement baits are generic, low-effort tactics that prompt users to interact with content (like “comment YES if you agree”).

According to Instagram guidelines, it’s a black-hat tactic that can result in penalizing your Instagram profile by the algorithm.

10 Collaborate with Instagram influencers

Partnering with influencers who align with your brand values and target audience allows you to tap into their existing community. And Instagram is a perfect platform for that!

In fact, as much as 72% of marketers use Instagram for influencer campaigns.

Why do brands cooperate with influencers?

Influencers have established credibility and a loyal following, making them influential voices within their niche.

That’s why their endorsement of your brand can generate trust and authenticity, driving meaningful engagement from their followers.

Such a partnership can effectively expand your reach and connect with a broader audience by leveraging their impact.

Here, one important rule enters the stage: when collaborating with influencers, you must ensure that the partnership provides value to both the influencer and your brand. 

And there are many ways you can cooperate: sponsored posts, collab posts, product placements, giveaways, and content collaborations are just a few examples.

Brand24 identifies for you the most influential people already talking about your brand. 

In the Influencer tab, you can see which significant accounts already mention you. These are the people who can potentially increase your brand awareness.

11 Understand content formats & mix them!

Instagram users often don’t understand content formats. They share posts, reels, or Stories without thinking about their strategic impact.

So, what’s the truth? 

Here’s a quick summary of Instagram content formats:

• Single posts – they appear on your followers’ feeds and have a chance to get into the Explore page. Feed posts are good to share things like a nice picture, a checklist, a quote, or your milestone
• Carousels – similarly to posts, they appear on your followers’ feeds. Carousels are great to share a brand story, opinion on current events, or show the path (from x to y).
• Instagram Stories – they are more personal. They appear only to people who’re especially interested in our content. But they also get an extra boost on your new followers’ feeds!
• Reels – they go beyond your followers’ base and appear to people outside your target audience. Creating reels takes time but it’s great to show tutorials, before and after effects, or answer the questions.

Now, the second question – which content format should you use?

As you might have guessed, there is no simple and universal answer. But if I have to advise you on something, it would be: mix all the formats!

Why?

Because people use Instagram in many different ways. 

Some spend 90% of their time swiping reels, others look for educational content and prefer carousels, and some use Instagram just to watch stories.

Therefore, you should diversify your content strategy and deliver value across all formats to meet your audience where they are.

By mixing formats, you not only increase your chances of reaching different user preferences but also give Instagram’s algorithm more ways to boost your brand visibility.

💡 Track Instagram updates & new features

Instagram often releases new functionalities, so you should be aware of those changes.

For example, recently the platform enabled users to test reels with a new feature called Trial Reels.

It lets you share your Reels with non-followers first, allowing you to check how your content performs before sharing it publicly.

12 Monitor the industry to get inspired

Keep a close eye on your industry’s trends, emerging content formats, and successful strategies employed by competitors. That’s how you identify opportunities for creative and engaging content.

Tools like Brand24 provide monitoring of industry keywords, mentions, and hashtag analytics, allowing you to stay updated with the latest industry developments. 

In the Topic Analysis tab, you can track all the popular topics for your project.

This helps you identify your audience’s interests, enabling you to create relevant and compelling Instagram content.

13 Go live

Going live is an excellent way to engage with your followers and increase your Instagram engagement rates.

With Instagram Live, you can connect with your audience in real time, answer questions, and show yourself from a new angle.

Going live also sends a notification to your followers, which can attract new viewers and increase your Instagram visibility.

Use Instagram Live for Q&A sessions, product launches, or interviews. It helps you connect with your followers on a personal level, fostering a stronger bond.

This ultimately improves your engagement rates on Instagram.

14 Interact with other Instagram posts

Engage with others by leaving thoughtful comments or liking their posts. This shows support and increases the chances of them checking out your profile and engaging with your posts.

Interact with posts relevant to your niche or interests, and provide value to the conversation.

You can expand your reach by building relationships with other accounts and their followers.

In turn, you will create a more engaged community on your own Instagram account.

15 Organize contests

Organizing contests on Instagram is an effective way to increase engagement with your followers.

Contests can take many forms, such as giveaways, challenges, and other interactive activities.

A simple giveaway can lead to a significant increase in engagement and followers.

Here’s what you require from the participants:

1. Follow my account.
2. Like the Instagram post.
3. Tag your friends.

Challenges that encourage user-generated content can also be a great way to engage your audience and promote your account.

For example, a fitness brand can organize a challenge where participants share their workout routines or healthy meals with a specific hashtag.

This creates a sense of community and encourages followers to participate, leading to increased engagement.

Conclusion

The key to better Instagram engagement is knowing how the platform works and using it to your advantage. Start by understanding your engagement rate. It matters more than your follower count!

Never leave your comments and mentions unanswered. Interactions build trust and boost social visibility. 

Remember that quality content wins over quantity. It stops people from scrolling and keeps them longer, especially if you master your writing skills, mix content formats, and show one of the strongest assets you have – your face!

Don’t lose the analytics out of your sight. Get to know your audience, track key Instagram metrics & competitors, post at the right time, and find your top influencers & hashtags.

The social listening tools like Brand24 will help you in these tasks.

Lastly, stay consistent, stay curious, and never stop testing what makes your audience react.

Final thoughts:

• Think of engagement as a conversation, not a scoreboard.
• The algorithm loves momentum, so keep posting and interacting.
• You don’t need to go viral — you need to stay relevant.
• Use tools, but don’t forget your voice is your best asset.

Start a Brand24 14-day free trial and boost your Instagram engagement!