Is there a science to getting more Likes on Instagram?
According to Dan Zarrella there is!
(Dan is a social media scientist at HubSpot)
He analyzed 1.5 million photos from half a million Instagram users to determine why some images were more popular than others.
The results might just blow your mind. :)
Here's what he discovered about how to get more:
- Instagram Likes
- Instagram Followers
- Instagram engagement
We've personally tested and seen it worked.
What did he learned? Read below!
How to Get More Likes and Followers on Instagram (according to Science)
1. Use Hashtags
Dan found strong correlation between the level of engagement & the number of hashtags used on Instagram images.
The more hashtags... the more engagement!
Since Instagram allows for up to 30 hashtags per image, why not use them all?
>> Click to Tweet <<
2. Don't Use Filters
Do you plan to filter your next Instagram photo? Don't do it!!
Dan found that images with no filters got the most engagement.
>> Click to Tweet <<
3. Use a Strong Call-to-Action
Photos with the word “like” in the caption received 89% more Likes, and photos with “comment” got 2,194% more comments. Wow!
4. Don't Over-Edit
Don’t over-edit your Instagram photos! Dan found that photos with lower levels of color saturation got more Likes... about 598% more! :)
5. Share "Edgy" Photos
The more edges & structures you have in your photos... the better.
6. Use the Right Colors
Avoid yellow, orange & pink. Photos with grays, blues & greens got the most engagement on Instagram.
>> Click to Tweet <<
7. Keep Photos Bright
Bright photos got more engagement than darker ones. And the difference was huge!
8. Include Faces (people love faces!)
Dan used face-detection tools to find that photos with one or more faces got a lot more Likes.
Key Takeaways
Here are the major things I learned from Dan's study:
- Use hashtags
- Get rid of filters
- Add calls-to-action
- Don’t over-edit
- Colors matter
- Have structures & edges
- Post more selfies
- Shoot photos during the day
So now that you know how to RAMP UP your likes and followers on Instagram -- what's next?
Ready to up your visual game and create the best Instagram pictures ever?
We can help with that too!
Grab your copy of our free ebook below and take your Instagram content to a whole new level.
You'll be glad you did. :)

This awesome infographic shows Dan's research:
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