Studio Scribis

Instagram has come a long way from a photo-sharing app. Today, it’s a dynamic platform where creators, marketers, and brands build communities, drive sales, and grow their audience.

But let’s be real: standing out on Instagram today is tough. The algorithm shifts constantly. Attention spans are shorter than ever. And while engagement can be bought… we definitely don’t recommend it.

What actually works? Real, genuine interaction.

That’s why we’ve rounded up 7 proven Instagram engagement hacks and tips that you can add to your strategy right now.

How Instagram Engagement Works in 2025

We have a lot of sources to keep up with algorithm changes, but we’ll look mainly at two official accounts: @creators and @adammosseri, which are both credible sources.

Instagram’s algorithm in 2025 uses a mix of ranking signals to decide what content appears on your feed and explore page. These include:

• Engagement signals (likes, saves, comments, DMs)
• Post type and content format
• Relationship with the viewer (past interactions)
• Post timing and freshness

According to Instagram’s head’s post, Adam Mosseri, there are two types of reach:

• Connected reach (your followers who see your posts on their feed)
• Unconnected reach (non-followers who discover your posts through Explore and Reels)

Improving your engagement will help you boosts both.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri)

Now let’s look at some growth strategies.

7 Instagram Engagement Hacks to Try in 2025

1. Post More Carousels (Seriously)

Carousels = more swipes = more time spent = higher engagement.

Carousel posts allow Instagram users to share more photos and videos into a single post. This means your audience is spending more time viewing your post which is a signal to Instagram’s algorithm that your post is engaging.

Studies show that Instagram Carousels get 1.12x more engagement than Reels and 2.14x more than single-image posts (source: Buffer, 2024).

Use carousels to:

• Tell a story step-by-step
• Share tips or listicles
• Showcase product before/afters
• Show products from different angles
• Do a travel photo dump

👉 Pro tip: Slide 1 should have a bold hook to stop the scroll.

2. Start with an Engaging Hook

The average attention span is 8.25 seconds, less than a goldfish 🐟. That means your first line or 3 seconds of video matters the most.

Use a hook that sparks curiosity or solves a problem:

• “Nobody talks about this mistake…”
• “You’re losing followers because…”
• “This simple trick doubled my reach.”

Great hooks = higher watch time = more reach.

3. Use Storytelling Captions

People don’t just scroll Instagram, they’re looking for connection.

Sharing personal stories, customer wins, or behind-the-scenes moments in your captions builds emotional connection and encourages more comments and saves.

Use this structure for your captions:

• Hook
• Story
• Lesson or CTA (Call to Action)

And you’ll see the engagement pour.

Tip: I have a step-by-step guide that teaches you how to write engaging captions in this post.

4. Post When Your Audience is Online

The first 30 minutes of engagement can make or break your post. If no one sees or reacts to it, the algorithm will likely bury it.

You can find when your audience is most active:

Most Active Times on the Instagram App

• Go to Professional Dashboard > New Followers > Most Active Times (works only on Instagram mobile app, not desktop)
• Look at the peak activity hours for your account to decide when to post

Best Time To Post in Pallyy

• Use tools like Pallyy, Later, or Meta Business Suite to schedule content at the right times.
• In Pallyy, go to Analytics > Instagram > Posts > Best Time To Post

👉 Tip: Test different days and times. What worked in 2023 may not work now.

5. Use Trending Audio on Reels (Early)

Trending songs = higher watch time and exposure.

Instagram favors content that aligns with current trends. And unlike other platforms Instagram’s Reels audio library shows you what’s trending (look for the 🔥 icon or upward arrow).

Being an early adopter also helps, jump on music trends before they peak.

Also:

• Pair trending audio with your own spin (aka. original content)
• Add value through captions or text on video
• Make each post unique to you and recognizable

6. Use Real-Time Features: Lives, DMs & Q&As

Real-time engagement builds stronger connections and triggers the algorithm to boost your content.

• Instagram Lives generate 10x more comments than regular posts (source: Cropink)
• 1 in 3 users prefer watching Live video to pre-recorded
• Q&A boxes, polls, and DMs are great for encouraging interaction

Go Live on Instagram for:

• Product demos (show your product from different angles)
• AMAs (Ask Me Anything)
• Behind-the-scenes moments
• Host a weekly chat session

7. Use Strategic Collaborative Posts

Instagram Collabs let you co-author a post with another account, so you’re doubling your exposure (and views) in one move.

Here’s how to make it work:

• Collaborate with creators or brands who share your target audience
• Look for partners with slightly higher reach than you
• Share Reels or carousel tips together to boost credibility

Tip: Research shows Collab posts with 2–5 creators generate 4.39x more interactions and 4.78x more impressions than solo posts. (source: Emplify)

Source: Emplify, 2024

Bonus Tip: Use Instagram Analytics Tools to Track Engagement

Don’t guess what’s working, measure it, track it – and optimize it.

There are a few ways to measure your Instagram engagement, including my top 3 favorites:

• Instagram Insights for post-by-post metrics
• Pallyy for advanced multi-platform analytics
• Meta Business Suite to track Instagram and Facebook posts performance

Monitor:

• Save and share counts (great for reach)
• Comments and likes (interactions)
• Watch time for Reels
• Top-performing posts and their formats
• Worst-performing posts and their formats

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Final Thoughts: Build Connection First, Strategy Second

The best way to grow your engagement on Instagram in 2025?

Be human. Be helpful. Be consistent.

Yes, having a solid content strategy matters, but connection matters even more. Build trust, share value, and give your audience a good reason to stick around.

Because at the end of the day, engagement is earned, not hacked.