Getting more engagement on Instagram starts with saves, shares, and replies

End the caption with a specific question, not a generic one.

"What do you think?" gets almost nothing. "Would you rather I post more of the process or more of the finished pieces?" gets replies, because it's easy to answer in five words.

A specific question makes the person feel consulted rather than surveyed.

• "What do you think?" gets almost nothing.
• A choice between the process and the finished pieces.
• Easy to answer in five words.

What you can try now: End the caption with a question someone can answer in five words.

Early comment velocity is one of the strongest early signals.

Reply to every comment in the first 60 minutes.

Instagram uses that velocity to decide whether to keep showing your post.

• Reply to every comment.
• The first 60 minutes.
• Early comment velocity.

What you can try now: Draft the reply you will send in the first 60 minutes.

40 likes and 15 saves will often outperform 400 likes and 2 saves.

A post with 40 likes and 15 saves will often outperform a post with 400 likes and 2 saves in the following days.

Saves signal this is useful, show it to more people.

• 40 likes and 15 saves.
• 400 likes and 2 saves.
• The following days are when the save keeps the post moving.

What you can try now: Read the save count next to the like count.

Track saves and shares weekly, not the daily like count.

Track saves and shares weekly, not daily likes.

The week is the window, and the daily like count is the wrong chart.

• Saves for the week.
• Shares for the week.
• Not the daily like count.

What you can try now: Add the week's likes, comments, saves, and shares into one rate.

Timing optimises a good post that people already want to keep.

Timing optimises a good post.

The hour helps the post that is already worth a save or a reply.

• Timing optimises a good post.
• A weak post does not become good because the hour was right.
• Put the strong post in front of people who are already there.

What you can try now: Post the strong one when the audience is already scrolling.