When it comes to building your Instagram community, engagement plays a big role.
But how do you increase your Instagram engagement in 2024?
From creating memes to hosting giveaways, we're sharing 10 tactics to help boost engagement on the app — plus, the best tool for analyzing your posts.
Table of Contents
- What is Instagram Engagement?
- How to Get More Engagement on Instagram in 2024
- Tactic #1: Engage Through Stories Stickers
- Tactic #2: Create Relatable Memes
- Tactic #3: Share Instagram Reels
- Tactic #4: Create Shareable Graphics
- Tactic #5: Share Information in Carousel Posts
- Tactic #6: Include Call-to-actions
- Tactic #7: Let Your Personality Shine on Stories
- Tactic #8: Host a Giveaway
- Tactic #9: Post When Your Audience is Engaged
- Tactic #10: Use Relevant Hashtags
What is Instagram Engagement?
Your Instagram engagement is a calculation that shows what percentage of your following has interacted with your content.
It typically takes into account the number of likes, comments, and saves a post receives in relation to your overall reach.
In some cases it can also take into account the number of impressions and shares a post receives.
How to Calculate Your Engagement Rate on Instagram
To calculate the Instagram engagement rate for a post, divide the total number of likes, comments, and saves by your reach, and then multiply by 100, to give you a percentage:
Engagement Rate = (Likes + Comments + Saves) / Reach x 100
Alternatively, Later’s social media management platform automatically calculates your Instagram engagement rate for every post you share.
Head to Later’s Analytics dashboard and select the Post Performance tab.
From here, you’ll be able to see how all of your recent posts have performed in an easy-to-use table format:
![](https://images.ctfassets.net/az3stxsro5h5/1GwoqrLmeYzlgmnmWBxTG0/d2ec50b00a90599d2097803dcf67edb5/Copy_of_TEMPLATE___Landscape__2_.png?w=750&h=500&q=50&fm=png)
You can also filter your posts to see which ones drove the highest engagement rate for your account.
TIP: Track of your Instagram engagement and monitor your weekly growth with Later’s Instagram Analytics tool. Create an account today.
How to Get More Engagement on Instagram in 2024
Here are 10 tried-and-tested ways to increase your Instagram engagement in 2024:
Engage Through Stories Stickers
Create Relatable Memes
Share Instagram Reels
Create Shareable Graphics
Share Information in Carousel Posts
Include Call-to-actions
Let Your Personality Shine on Stories
Host a Giveaway
Post When Your Audience Is Engaged
Use Relevant Hashtags
Tactic #1: Engage With Your Audience Through Instagram Stories Stickers
Instagram Stories stickers can be the first step in building a loyal community that feels connected to your brand.
On stories, there are a number of quick and easy stickers to use — like polls, questions, and quizzes:
![A user uses Instagram Stickers to grow engagement using polls and question stickers](https://images.ctfassets.net/az3stxsro5h5/55cRvwId1sGHwHK4MX2oEe/66b950a97c6b2fd49bcddcaf81252176/Vertical_Double_-New_iPhone-___3_.png?w=873&h=900&q=50&fm=png)
One of the most engaging uses of Instagram Stories stickers is the question sticker.
The feature allows you to have direct conversations with your followers — prompting them to ask you questions, or opening the floor entirely.
Our advice? Use it to host an AMA (ask me anything) just like @danicanelson:
![](https://images.ctfassets.net/az3stxsro5h5/57ryuP0djSZ8iTyI6A95bz/44b7b69e553ec902d2cc5e75cc6a2a56/Vertical_Double_-New_iPhone-___35_.png?w=582&h=600&q=50&fm=png)
Remember, each time a follower interacts with a sticker, it counts as engagement!
P.S. You can schedule your Instagram Stories in advance (stickers not included) with Later's scheduling tools. Sign up today.
Tactic #2: Create and Share Relatable Memes
Simply put: memes are the way to every user's heart.
They're funny, creative, and relatable — and in 2024, relatability is where it's at.
With the right meme, your audience will be liking, commenting, and sharing your post — regardless of your niche or industry.
For example, you can use branded text and a trending photo that ties into your content pillars, like Melanie Laurene:
Or, source on-brand user-generated content (UGC) and credit the original creator like Later:
So, when someone reposts your meme to their Instagram Story or DMs it to a friend, you'll see more engagement roll in.
Wondering where to start? Bookmark this blog post: How to Make Instagram Memes That Go Viral
Tactic #6: Include Call-to-actions In Your Captions
Including a call-to-action (CTA) in your caption is a sure way to get more Instagram engagement — especially if you ask a question:
![BaileyJST uses calls to action in her Instagram post that lead to comments](https://images.ctfassets.net/az3stxsro5h5/Uw1ADQmfxFy3QICn0qyFI/42f742b0debfa29d9d868e74a04b021f/Vertical_Double_-New_iPhone-___4_.png?w=873&h=900&q=50&fm=png)
You can ask for advice, recommendations, or what type of content your followers want to see from you.
Another way to drive engagement with CTAs is to encourage your followers to click the link in your Instagram bio.
Since you can’t include direct links in your Instagram feed post captions, using a free link in bio tool is a great way to combat this.
With Later's Linkin.bio, you can build a clickable version of your Instagram feed:
![Later's call to action leads users to their custom link in bio page on Instagram](https://images.ctfassets.net/az3stxsro5h5/2SpqAkc9b8SP7Q0tlnBTZr/40510a7f377e3802b10bdd68621f61c4/Vertical_Triple_-New_iPhone-___3_.png?w=1328&h=900&q=50&fm=png)
When users click the link in your bio, they’ll be able to tap on any image or button and be directed straight to the links you’ve provided.
This can be a landing page for a product launch, a blog post, your YouTube channel, and so much more!
Tactic #7: Let Your Personality Shine Through on Instagram Stories
If you want to drive engagement on Instagram, letting your personality shine is a great place to start.
Stories are the perfect format for chatty, informal interactions — share a personal anecdote, ask questions, and show your face!
The popular podcaster and creator Alexandra Nikolajev frequently jumps on Instagram Stories to talk with her community:
![LexNiko uses Instagram stories to connect with her followers](https://images.ctfassets.net/az3stxsro5h5/OrLSvwhSaBV24rqo2TlnX/79b5a02487c4dd339a1a1697c7587c2e/lexniko-uses-instagram-stories.jpg?w=582&h=600&fl=progressive&q=50&fm=jpg)
Likewise, Later’s social team shows up on stories with tips or behind-the-scenes content:
![Later Media provides social media advice on their Instagram stories](https://images.ctfassets.net/az3stxsro5h5/1SZAkpnyVyQWC0cKXAv5Yj/acf547b6527b95a5cf020b99eaedb459/Vertical_Triple_-New_iPhone-___4_.png?w=1328&h=900&q=50&fm=png)
Even as a brand, it’s important to show your face every once in a while. Your followers want to see that you’re more than a logo.
Looking to level-up your Instagram Stories strategy? With Later’s Instagram Stories scheduler, you can prep a whole week’s worth of stories in one go — create an account today:
Tactic #8: Host an Enticing Giveaway
Everyone loves free stuff.
And with this knowledge, it only makes sense to include giveaways in your Instagram strategy — but not just any giveaway.
In 2024, giveaways need to be intentional, enticing to your existing and target audience, and authentic to your brand:
Whether it’s a product, service, or experience, with the right prize up for grabs, you’ll be sure to rack up engagement.
TIP: The tag, follow, and share entry requirement is a straightforward way to get tons of engagement from a single post.
Tactic #9: Post When Your Audience Is Most Engaged
Posting when your audience is most engaged is a great tactic for boosting engagement.
At Later, we analyzed millions of posts, and found that the best time to post on Instagram is early in the morning.
However, your own personal best time will vary based on your audience's behavior.
So, how do you know when your audience is most engaged?
With Later’s Best Time to Post feature, the tool automatically calculates your top posting times based on your best-performing posts from the recent month.
Your best times will be highlighted in your weekly content calendar, making it easy for you to then schedule your Instagram posts.
Game-changer!
FYI: Later’s Best Time to Post feature is available on all paid plans. Upgrade now to find the best days and times to post on Instagram for maximum engagement.