18 Data-Driven Tactics to Boost Your Instagram Engagement

Let's talk about the elephant in the digital room: getting social media engagement in 2025 isn't by far as easy as it used to be. With all the algorithm changes and intense competition, getting good results is harder by the day.

Instagram, in particular, evolved from a cute and simple photo-sharing app into a complex content ecosystem and marketplace. As such, it's become more important than ever to have a solid Instagram marketing strategy.

Without it, the platform essentially buries posts, your reach plummets and conversion rates suffer.

The worst part?

The algorithm takes notice (and not in a good way), showing your content to even fewer people. It's a vicious circle that we're going to help you get out of.

Whether you're struggling to boost engagement on Instagram or looking to maintain momentum, we'll tell you how to create content for social media that even algorithm changes can't ignore.

Table of Contents
1. Drive genuine connections with outbound engagement
2. Create lasting impact with quick Instagram Stories
3. Leverage UGC for social proof and increased engagement
4. Maximize reach with carousel posts
5. Use Instagram Reels and carousel posts for more comments
6. Blend authenticity with trends for an ideal engagement mix
7. Lighten up engagement with memes
8. Humanize interactions with regular live sessions
9. Drive more engagement with powerful CTAs
10. Hook your audience with storytelling
11. Spike engagement with contests and giveaways
12. Optimize engagement with data-driven insights
13. Ensure reliable results with a consistent posting schedule
14. Stop the scroll with engaging captions
15. Enhance SEO and community engagement with relevant hashtags
16. Optimize Instagram SEO for greater discoverability
17. Create save-worthy content for long-term engagement
18. Deepen engagement by focusing on meaningful metrics

What is Instagram engagement?

Instagram engagement is a powerful indicator of how effectively your content resonates with your audience.

When we talk about engagement on Instagram, we're measuring how users actively interact with your content through actions like likes, comments, saves, shares, and Story interactions.

But what really counts as Instagram engagement in 2025?

The platform now weighs various factors differently:

• Likes and comments are the most visible forms of Instagram interactions but are considered rather quick and easy actions.
• Saves and shares typically indicate higher-quality engagement, as they show users find your content valuable enough to revisit or pass along to others. Shares via DMs, for example, tend to carry more weight than other actions, as Adam Mosseri, Instagram's CEO, has emphasized.
• Story reactions and time spent viewing Instagram reels or carousels are other notable engagement metrics.
  

Why does this matter? As every social media strategist knows, higher Instagram engagement means your content isn't just being seen but making an impact. When someone stops scrolling to interact with your Instagram posts, you've successfully cut through the noise.

Plus, strong engagement signals to the Instagram algorithm (or, more accurately, algorithms) that your content is worth promoting. This creates a positive feedback loop: better engagement leads to more visibility, which in turn drives more engagement.

If you're looking for a deeper analysis — and you should if you're serious about growing your Instagram account — start a 14-day free trial to evaluate your content's performance, audience reach, and engagement metrics.

Now that you have the tools to measure performance, it's time to turn the creativity knob to the max and learn how to increase engagement on Instagram like a pro.

18 tactics to maximize Instagram engagement

While there's no magic formula to boost engagement on Instagram overnight, these 18 proven tactics will help you increase Instagram engagement organically.

Let's talk about what actually works in 2024.

#1. Drive genuine connections with outbound engagement

Think of outbound engagement as you being the conversation starter rather than just waiting for other people to come talk to you.

Unlike passive posting and waiting for social media interactions, outbound engagement means actively participating in your Instagram community.

As Tyler D. Jackson, Marketing Director at Trove Branding Consultants, points out, "Everyone wants engagement, but no one wants to engage!" For Tyler, the true purpose of social media lies in being social, and she advocates for actively engaging with those interested in your content.

Alex Haider, Social Media Specialist at Second Harvest Heartland, underscores this with an example from the nonprofit sector. In her experience, engaging with other hunger relief organizations not only shows support but also boosts their own engagement numbers. While the primary intention is to strengthen the network, these actions naturally increase visibility and drive more interaction because the support is "extremely genuine."

Social Media Strategist Chelsea Bradley emphasizes that outbound engagement should go beyond simple interactions. For her, proactive community management requires understanding people's needs and motivations and making them feel "valued, heard, and engaged."

Community management is not a task. Community management is a craft that creates lasting impact through authentic relationships," Chelsea says.

Convinced that outbound engagement is a powerful way to boost Instagram interactions? Here's how to be proactive, not reactive:

• Respond thoughtfully to comments on your posts
• Engage with your followers' content
• Participate in relevant conversations in your niche
• Comment on posts from similar accounts
• React to Instagram stories from your community
• Share and respond to user-generated content (UGC)
  

Insider tip: Dedicate 15-20 minutes daily to outbound engagement. Focus on authentic interactions rather than generic comments like "nice post!"

You will drive engagement naturally while building genuine connections in your niche.

#2. Create lasting impact with Instagram Stories

Stories might be temporary, but their impact on your overall Instagram engagement rate can be lasting.

However, "Stories are potentially the most underrated format within Instagram," according to Giuliana (Alcala) Clanin, Director of Social Media at Self Esteem Brands.

Giuliana explains that Stories allow you to connect quickly with followers, especially through interactive features like polls and question stickers. These tools not only drive immediate engagement but also encourage repeat visits by aligning your content with what your audience wants to see.

Marketing Consultant Magali Mas D'Amato agrees: "I find that using Stories' Stickers (polls, questions, add yours, etc.) really helps to keep your followers engaged in between posts 😉."

As Instagram's CEO explains, the data shows that stories are important in engaging accounts that already follow you. According to Adam Mosseri, Stories "deepen your connection with people who've already decided to follow your account," reducing the number of unfollows.

Want to get maximum engagement? Here are Instagram story ideas that work:

• Behind-the-scenes peeks
• Day-in-the-life content
• Quick tips and tutorials
• User-generated content shares
• Engaging polls and questions
• Exclusive, time-sensitive announcements
  

Insider tip: Create Story sequences that boost engagement. Hook viewers with something attention-grabbing (like a controversial opinion or surprising fact) in your first Story, then use a clear CTA in your follow-up, like "Swipe up to learn more."

#3. Leverage UGC for social proof and increased engagement

User-generated content offers the best mix of engagement on Instagram and genuine social proof.

When your audience sees real people interacting with your products, it doesn't just drive engagement but also creates trust.

According to Sobia Kamran, Assistant Marketing Manager at Dr. Ziauddin Hospital, "UCG encourages followers to tag a product/brand or use a specific hashtag for a chance to be featured on the client's page. This not only builds community but also creates authentic content for our feed."

Marketing Communication Consultant Meghan Malloy highlights how UGC adds depth to a brand's story by sharing perspectives from followers. "When I work with hotels, for example, we utilize guest content (with permission) as well as surrounding destination content, featuring other businesses, special events, etc. Tags and mentions encourage sharing and visibility to a wider audience," she explains.

Here are a few best practices that transform UGC into an Instagram engagement powerhouse:

• Create a branded hashtag and suggest it to followers. Use tools like Socialinsider to monitor it to see engagement in real-time and react.
• Create photo/video contests or challenges. Add your dedicated hashtag for tracking.
• Share customer success stories in your Instagram feed posts.
• Respond to and engage with everyone who shares content about your brand.
• Feature public UGC in your Stories.
• Be creative about using UGC (but ask for permission!). For example, Jimmy John's leverages direct messages from clients in an Exposing my DMs series to create authentic, engaging content.
  

Insider tip: The key to maximum engagement through UGC isn't just sharing it, but celebrating it. Make your featured followers feel special, and you'll inspire others to join the conversation, too.

#4. Maximize reach with carousel posts

Instagram carousels are a great way to reach a wider audience. Each carousel post allows users to add multiple images or videos in a single post, encouraging followers to spend more time on the content and boosting interaction.

Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, confirms carousels often outperform single photo posts.

Why?

They give users multiple chances to engage with your content and, with the addition of Instagram trending audio, they can even tap into the huge reach potential of the Reels tab.

According to Socialinsider's Instagram engagement benchmarks 2025: carousel posts have consistently generated more engagement overall than Reels and images over the past two years.

Here's how to boost Instagram engagement through carousels:

• Start with a strong visual to stop people from scrolling
• Use the first slide as a hook or teaser
• Include clear CTAs between slides (or at least on the last slide)
• Mix up content types (infographics, photos, text)
• Add music to boost reach potential
  

Insider tip: Design your carousels with engagement in mind. Each slide should either provide value or prompt interaction. Each slide should also be able to stand on its own, as the platform often shows various Instagram carousel photos first in the feed.

#5. Use Instagram Reels and carousel posts for more comments

We’ve seen that carousels are great for getting engagement. Time to turn to Instagram Reels to generate comments.

According to Socialinsider's Instagram research, Reels and carousels consistently attract high levels of interaction across different profile sizes.

While Reels are more efficient across the board, carousels come in a close second in getting people to comment on accounts with a smaller following.

As shown below, Reels and carousels also achieve high impression rates, especially for profiles with a smaller following, making them ideal for both organic engagement and potential ad campaigns.

Remember that the highest engagement rate for your account comes from understanding not just what to post but why you're posting it.

With an Instagram Reels length of 90 seconds, you must quickly deliver value. Each Reel should have a clear engagement objective, whether sparking conversations in the comments or encouraging saves for later reference.

Here are a few Instagram Reels hacks to optimize for different engagement metrics:

• For comments: End with thought-provoking questions or controversial statements.
• For shares: Create highly relatable or valuable content.
• For saves: Pack your Reels with actionable tips or fun facts.
• For likes: Lead with controversial statements or attention-grabbing hooks like in this example below from IBM.
  

Insider tip: Don't confuse informal recordings with lack of quality. Video quality matters. Invest in good lighting, stable footage, and clear audio. When delivering quality content, viewers are more likely to share it, save it, and come back for more. Think of it as an indirect indicator of your brand's professionalism.

#6. Blend authenticity with trends for an ideal engagement mix

Social media best practices based on a Socialinsider research show that 57.85% of Instagram users want to see more authentic, non-promotional content from brands.

At the same time, social media trends can be a useful tool when aligned with the brand's voice and objectives.

The sweet spot?

Blending trending topics and formats with genuine brand personality and educational content.

Instead of jumping on every trend, choose ones that naturally align with your brand values. For example, if you're a sustainable fashion brand, rather than forcing the latest dance challenge, you might adapt the "What's in my bag" trend to showcase eco-friendly alternatives to everyday items.

You can drive engagement while staying true to your message. Keep in mind that Instagram trends can boost immediate engagement levels, but you need authenticity to build lasting connections.

Insider tip: Before joining a trend, ask yourself: "How can I align this to our voice and values?" The highest engagement rates come from content that feels natural, not forced.

#7. Lighten up engagement with memes

Memes, when done well, tap into cultural references or humor, helping to convey your brand's personality in a light, fun way.

According to Socialinsider's Instagram best practices data, entertaining content (including memes) drives 47.11% of what people want to see from brands.

Memes are effective because they are inherently shareable, and directly tied to growing engagement through shares. They also blend well with Instagram's casual nature, allowing brands to connect with their audience on a more personal, less formal level.

But here's the catch – memes need to feel authentic to your brand voice, like in this example from our Socialinsider account.

Insider tip: Don't just repost generic memes – customize them to tell your brand's story and connect with your specific community. For instance, a fitness brand could join the viral "Expectation vs. Reality" meme trend by comparing a polished workout pose (Expectation) with a more humorous or authentic behind-the-scenes version (Reality).

#8. Humanize interactions with regular live sessions

One of the influencer marketing trends you should definitely adopt is reliance on live sessions to connect with the community.

During live sessions, you can answer questions on the spot, provide behind-the-scenes insights, or address specific concerns. You can even take people on a tour of your store.

Direct interaction builds trust and makes the audience feel more connected to the people behind the brand, not just the products.

For example, a beauty brand might host regular live Q&A sessions with product experts or influencers who can offer tips, tutorials, and answers to user-submitted questions.

A few best practices to keep in mind:

• Address viewers by name as they join
• Respond to comments in real-time
• Be relaxed and authentic
• Ask for audience input throughout
• Save Lives in highlights for those who can't watch
• Repurpose common questions from Lives into carousels, Reels, and Stories

Insider tip: To maximize engagement on Lives, announce them in advance through Stories and posts. Whether it's "Monthly Q&As with our CEO" or "Weekly product tips with our experts," make Lives one of your content pillars for social media.

#9. Drive more engagement with powerful CTAs

Want to know one of the most effective ways to drive engagement on Instagram? Just ask!

Turns out, people love participating – they're just waiting for an invitation to join the conversation.

With the right call to action, you boost the chances of transforming passive followers into active participants.

So, instead of sending followers to the link in bio or writing a general CTA like "I'd love to hear your thoughts," ask a specific question: "What's your biggest challenge with social media marketing? Share below — we read every comment!

A few more powerful CTAs to get you inspired:

• "Save this for later if you want to try it!"
• "Tag someone who needs to see this"
• "Choose your favorite: A or B?"
• "What would you add to this list?"
• "True or False: [statement]?"

Here's a creative invitation to comment followers can't resist from Starbucks.

Insider tip: Place your CTA where it matters most. For carousels, use the first or last slide. For Reels, voice your CTA within the first 3 seconds. And for Instagram feed post captions, put it before the "more" cut-off. The easier you make it to engage, the more likely people will take action.

#10. Hook your audience with storytelling

As we've seen in the Socialinsider data above, engaging storytelling tops the charts at 58.68% for what people want to see from brands on Instagram. That's because people's brains are wired to listen to and watch stories. They no longer gather around the fire but around the screen.

When you master the art of storytelling, you build an emotional bridge with your audience and inadvertently boost engagement.

Here's how to leverage storytelling on Instagram:

• Start with a hook that stops the scroll
• Create tension or curiosity by fragmenting your story
• Include genuine, relatable moments
• Share failures and lessons learned
• End with a question or invitation to reflect
• Use visuals that support your story
  

The highest engagement rates come from authentic and relatable stories, which you can find across your business.

Below are a few Instagram post ideas to get your narrative flow going:

• Customer journeys — "Meet Sofia, who turned her passion into a successful business..."
• Behind-the-scenes — "Curious what our office looks like at 8 PM during Black Friday week?"
• Product development — "This idea was born on a team getaway. Swipe to see how it evolved..."
• Team spotlights — "Before joining our SEO team, Maria was considering a career in finance..."

Innocent's "A day in the life" series is a great way to tell stories from the team's perspective, humanizing the brand and providing a relatable point of view.

Insider tip: People want to know what happens next. Whether it's carousels, Reels, or Instagram feed post captions, structure your stories using the classic story arc: hook, conflict, journey, and resolution.

#11. Spike engagement with contests and giveaways

People love getting prizes and other free stuff from brands. Adding an element of gamification to your Instagram engagement strategy is likely to result in dramatic rises in engagement, even if only temporarily.

Here are a few contest types that can help you drive engagement:

• Photo or short video challenges
• Caption contests
• Tag-to-win competitions
• Comment-to-enter giveaways
• Creative submissions contests
  

For example, a skincare brand might launch a contest where participants must comment on a post and tag three friends to win a new product. Not only does this generate many comments and shares, but it also boosts social media reach.

Clearly outline contest rules and entry requirements, and choose prizes relevant to your audience. Also, use branded hashtags to track entries easily. For an extra boost in visibility, consider collaborating with one or more influencers in your niche.

While giveaways can generate tons of engagement from a single post, avoid relying on them exclusively.

As a Reddit user advises, many people who engage with your content solely for the prize may not continue to interact with your posts afterward. It's essential to have other promotional strategies in place as well.

Space contests and giveaways out strategically (every 1-2 months) and ensure you align with Instagram's promotion guidelines.

Insider tip: After your contest ends, don't let the enthusiasm wear out. Use Instagram Stories to showcase entries, create highlight Reels of winners, and maintain momentum by teasing future contests and other cool initiatives.

#12. Optimize engagement with data-driven insights

A great strategy to get engagement is to stop guessing and start measuring. Success on Instagram isn't just about creating content but publishing the right content based on data.

Use social media analysis tools like Socialinsider to track and analyze your Instagram performance across different formats.

Gather information about:

• Which content types get the most saves?
• What posting times drive the highest engagement rates?
• Which hashtags perform best for your niche?
• What caption types generate more comments?
• Which CTAs result in more shares?
  

Based on the above, you can:

• Identify patterns of posts with high and low engagement.
• Understand the formats and topics that your audience engages with most.
• Analyze which stories get the most interactions.
• Test different content formats and measure results.
• Adjust your Instagram strategy based on actual data.
  

Here's an example that can quickly change how you post and bring better results. In the Socialinsider dashboard below, we see Tripadvisor's Instagram activity and notice that Carousels consistently outperform other formats in terms of engagement.

It's not surprising that Tripadvisor prioritizes Carousel posts in its content strategy to maximize reach and engagement, while the least-performing content is last.

You should be doing the same. If you're a social media manager overwhelmed by data analysis, using a tool that does the heavy lifting for you brings game-changing insights within reach.

Optimize Instagram posts in ways that bring real results.

Insider tip: The highest engagement rate for your Instagram account comes from understanding your specific audience's preferences. What works for one brand might not work for another, so perform regular analysis and optimize based on your performance data.

#13. Ensure reliable results with a consistent posting schedule

There's a reason TV schedules have worked for decades (a model now copied by most streaming services). Dropping new content weekly, at regular times, keeps audiences eager and engaged.

Similarly, regular posting on Instagram shows that your account is active and reliable — something which both audiences and algorithms like.

Consistency trains your audience when to expect new content, creates anticipation for your next posts, and maintains steady engagement levels.

Without a regular posting schedule, you get periods of low activity that can hurt your reach and overall performance.

Create a framework for your social media calendar to ensure consistency. Here's what it can look like:

• Monday: Educational carousel content
• Wednesday: Behind-the-scenes Reel
• Friday: User-generated content
• Daily: Stories
  

Insider tip: Find your publishing sweet spot. Use social media analytics tools to identify when your audience is most active, and create a content calendar that aligns with peak engagement times and format preferences.

#14. Stop the scroll with engaging captions

Captions shouldn't just be an afterthought. Your Instagram feed post captions can be the difference between a scroll-by and a save.

Many brands focus on creating stunning visuals to increase Instagram engagement, but the stories and value you pack into every caption matter just as much.

As Marketing Strategist Eddie Garrison advises, "Craft captions that spark conversation or provide value. Ask questions, share interesting facts, or offer tips related to your brand."

Here's how to structure Instagram captions for engagement:

• Hook people in the first line (which shows in the feed before "more") 🪝
• Create a middle section that provides a lot of valuable and useful information 📝
• Finish your caption with a clear CTA 🏃‍♀️
• Use emoji strategically to increase readability 👀
• Add relevant hashtags (you can do so in the comments for a cleaner look) #️⃣
  

Adam Mosseri knows how to write a good caption to capture attention. Take notes.

Insider tip: The highest engagement rates come from captions that make your audience feel or learn something. Tell the story behind the image, share the lesson learned, or ask a question that makes them stop and think. It doesn't necessarily have to be a long caption, but it must have an impact.

#15. Enhance SEO and community engagement with relevant hashtags

Watch major influencers out there, and you will see they use hashtags strategically.

Hashtags are great for discoverability, community building, and engagement. And in 2024, it's not about using more hashtags but the right ones.

A few hashtag best practices to apply:

• Perform hashtag research regularly.
• Mix broad and niche hashtags.
• Mix SEO and community hashtags.
• Create a branded hashtag for UGC.
• Place hashtags in the first comment.
• Track hashtag performance and adjust your strategy.
  

For SEO purposes, choose hashtags that are directly related to your brand, products, and industry keywords, such as:

• Industry-specific — #digitalmarketing, #brandstrategy
• Descriptive — #smallbusinesstips, #entrepreneuradvice
• Niche-focused — #veganbeauty, #sustainablefashion
• Location-based — #londonfoodies, #nycphotographer
  

Community hashtags are less about discovery through search engines and more about participating in ongoing conversations, such as:

• Conversational — #meetthemaker, #communityovercompetition
• Lifestyle-focused — #digitalnomadrlife, #coffeelover
• Community-specific — #womenwhohustle, #creativepreneur
• Challenge-related — #100daysofcreativity, #mondaymotivation
  

For example, in the post below, Southwest Airlines uses only four hashtags but makes them count, including branded, SEO, and community hashtags.

Insider tip: Don't just copy and paste the same 30 hashtags in every post. Instead, research and rotate between 8-15 highly relevant hashtags. Use social media insights to track which hashtags drive the most reach and engagement for your account.

#16. Optimize Instagram SEO for greater discoverability

Instagram isn't just a social platform – it's a powerful search engine for users looking for relevant content.

We talked about using hashtags for discoverability, but there's more you can and should do.

Optimize these key Instagram SEO elements to improve reach:

• Keywords in the profile name
• Searchable username
• Keyword-rich bio
• Relevans Reels title
• Descriptive text in Stories
• Alt text on images
• Descriptive captions
• Subtitles in videos
• Strategic location tags
• Relevant hashtags
  

A solid Instagram SEO strategy will help you reach relevant accounts who are more likely to engage with your post and profile.

Not sure what keywords to include? Think like your audience searches. If you're a coffee shop in Berlin, don't just optimize for "coffee" – use specific terms like "Berlin specialty coffee" or "Berlin coffee lovers" in your captions and profile.

Insider tip: Use listening features to easily monitor industry discussions. Use it to uncover trending hashtags and keywords and then use them to increase your content's visibility and engagement.

#17. Create save-worthy content for long-term engagement

Creating save-worthy content is a powerful strategy to boost Instagram engagement in the long run.

Through informative, inspirational, or useful posts, you encourage followers to save and view them later, sometimes several times. This extends your content's lifespan and signals its value to Instagram's algorithm, leading to increased reach and engagement. It's the reverse of the vicious cycle we discussed at the beginning of the article.

Of course, everyone wants to create content for saves, but how do you achieve this? Here are a few proven strategies:

• Create carousels with swipeable tips
• Design value-packed infographics
• Share comprehensive how-to guides
• Offer downloadable templates
• Compile industry best practices
• Share simple checklists or cheat sheets
• Create inspirational & motivational content
• Build resource lists
  

Recipes typically get a lot of saves. And while not everyone is an Instagram food influencer, think of your content in the same way: it should deliver actionable tips immediately, in an easy-to-digest manner, and help followers with a real problem they're facing.  

Insider tip: Use CTAs to encourage followers to hit the save button, subtly reminding them that they might need it later.

For example, one Reddit user shared an example where they made a Reel about a pizza spot they loved in Italy and added an overlay with the restaurant name and a "save for when you visit" prompt. This simple addition led to over 100 saves on that Reel, showing how a quick prompt can encourage people to keep the post for later, especially when it's practical or location-based.

#18. Focus on meaningful metrics

We've covered a lot of strategies in this article, and you're probably excited to try them. One more piece of advice before you're off to the engagement races: in your social media measurement, look beyond the basic vanity metrics.

While a flood of likes might feel good, set out to get deeper engagement metrics that really demonstrate your content's impact. For instance, a post with fewer likes but high saves and shares often indicates more valuable content than one with lots of likes but minimal deeper engagement.

Here are the metrics you should measure regularly:

• Likes — they show quick appreciation
• Comments — they measure active conversations
• Saves — they demonstrate long-term value
• Shares — they show your content's power to spread
• DM shares — they gauge personal recommendations
• Story interactions — they measure the immediate response
• Profile visits and follower growth — they measure brand interest

Social media metrics don't live in a vacuum. They should be aligned with marketing and business goals, and they should also be interpreted and transformed into insights that help you improve.

Insider tip: Use a robust Instagram analytics tool like Socialinsider to track and analyze your engagement patterns holistically. Understand which posts drive specific types of engagement and optimize your social media strategy for maximum impact.

Final thoughts

Whether you're looking to increase Instagram engagement organically, boost engagement on specific post types, or improve your overall Instagram strategy, remember that sustainable growth comes from consistently delivering value to your audience while measuring and optimizing your approach.

Start implementing these strategies today, and always use social media analytics as your compass on the road to a powerful Instagram presence.