If you’re trying to increase your engagement on Instagram and feel like the algorithm is working against you—you’re not alone. While reach isn’t what it used to be, there are still plenty of ways to grow your community and spark meaningful interaction.
The truth is, people still crave connection. And with the right approach, you can build a presence that encourages genuine engagement—without needing to go viral. Whether you’re a social media manager, creative business owner, or content creator, here are five strategies to help you increase your engagement on Instagram in a real and lasting way.
1. Increase Your Engagement on Instagram by Showing Up Authentically
If you’re struggling to get engagement, the first thing to ask yourself is: do people know who you are?
One of the biggest mistakes personal brands make is hiding behind a logo or aesthetic. Yes, your visuals matter—but people buy from people. If your audience doesn’t know, like, or trust the person behind the posts, they’re far less likely to engage.
This doesn’t mean you have to share every personal detail or show up on camera every day. You get to decide what parts of your story, values, and experiences to share. But showing your face, sharing your journey, and letting people get to know the real you makes all the difference when it comes to building trust and driving engagement.
2. Use Storytelling and Vulnerability to Create Connection
People connect with people—not perfection. The more you humanize your brand by sharing real stories, the more relatable and engaging your content becomes.
Think about your favorite creators. Chances are, you follow them because you feel like you know them. They show up consistently, talk about real-life experiences, and share moments that make you feel something.
Storytelling builds trust and encourages your audience to open up too. You don’t have to tell your entire life story, but when you share meaningful insights or vulnerable moments, you create space for genuine connection—and that leads to more replies, comments, and DMs.
3. Make It Easy to Engage
Engagement shouldn’t feel like a chore. If your call-to-actions are too open-ended or vague, people will keep scrolling.
Instead, ask questions that are short, specific, and easy to answer. Instagram Stories are the perfect place to do this using:
Polls (e.g., “Work from home or café?”)
Question boxes (e.g., “What’s your favorite brand for [x]?”)
Sliders (e.g., “How excited are you for this launch?”)
Not only does this encourage more interaction, but Instagram also tracks these micro-engagements and is more likely to boost your content to the people interacting with it.
Bonus tip: When you use polls or questions strategically, you can even gather content ideas directly from your audience.
4. Try Tools Like Manychat (But Keep It Personal)
People remember stories, not sales pitches.
Your story is what makes you different—and when you share parts of it, you create powerful connection points with your audience. That doesn’t mean you need a dramatic backstory. It just means being real about what led you here and why you love what you do.
That alone can turn a quiet follower into a dream client.
5. Focus on Shareable, Savable Content
If you want to boost engagement, aim to create content your audience wants to save for later or share with others.
Some formats that work well:
Informative carousels
Relatable memes
Behind-the-scenes reels
Step-by-step tutorials or how-tos
Memes are especially powerful for sparking emotion and shares—when they’re aligned with your brand and audience. You can use humor or trending moments (like pop culture references) to tie into your content. For example, a Taylor Swift meme about “not stressing over the algorithm” is fun, relatable, and highly shareable.
Carousels are also incredibly effective. Not only do they encourage users to swipe, but Instagram often resurfaces them in the feed multiple times, increasing your chance of being seen.
And when it comes to reels, don’t overthink it. Something as simple as sharing your routine, a relatable moment, or behind-the-scenes of your business can spark conversations. The more authentic, the better.
Final Thoughts
To increase your engagement on Instagram, you don’t need to hack the algorithm or follow every new trend. What you do need is a consistent, authentic presence that encourages connection and makes it easy for people to engage.
Start by showing up as yourself. Make your content human, helpful, and relatable. And don’t forget—sometimes the smallest tweaks (like a poll sticker or a well-timed meme) can lead to the biggest results.
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