How to buy likes on Instagram - Ultimate Guide
Last Updated: September 29, 2020
Instagram is more than just the second largest social media platform in the U.S. With one billion-plus
monthly active users from around the globe, Instagram has become one of the most powerful marketing and
brand building tools in the world. Whether you are a business or an individual, Instagram can take your
brand from nothing to a global phenomenon almost overnight.
Achieving success is not quite as easy as it sounds though. Instagram is its own universe with its own
terminology and culture. It even has its own currency in the form of Instagram likes. Below, we will help
guide you through the world of Instagram, showing how you or your company can become a true Instagram
influencer and reap the many Instagram likes benefits.
We will go through how Instagram likes work and how to get them. We will discuss the history of the platform
and the influencers on it. There will also be helpful tips on how to market on Instagram, how to get
followers, how to spend your money on Instagram, and who to work with to get the best results. Here is
everything you need to know about Instagram.
One of the first and most important parts of Instagram that users need to understand is “likes.” These are a
big part of the platform and a key to using it to build your brand. A little further down we’ll answer the
question ‘Can you buy Instagram followers and likes?’ Before we can learn that, however,
let’s first find
out how Instagram likes work.
Table of Contents
- 1. What are Instagram likes?
- 2. How Instagram Likes Works?
- 3. Why are Instagram Likes important?
- 4. How can you buy Instagram Likes? 4.1 The Creation of Instagram 4.2 Instagram today 4.3 Influencers and Instagram
- 5. How Instagram Influencers came to be?
- 6. What Instagram Influencers do?
- 7. How to become an Instagram Influencer?
- 8. How many Instagram Followers do you need to be an Influencer? 8.1 Celebrity or mega Influencers 8.2 Macro Influencers 8.3 Micro and nano Influencers
- 9. How business works for Instagram Influencers?
- 10. Who are the biggest Instagram Influencers? 10.1 Celebrity Influencers 10.2 Standard Instagram influencers
- 11. Instagram for Marketing
- 12. What is Social Proof?
- 13. How brands advertise on Instagram? 13.1 Organic 13.2 Paid Organic 13.3 Paid 13.4 Return on investment (ROI)
What are Instagram likes?
The simplest way to explain Instagram likes is when someone clicks on the heart button underneath your post indicating that they saw the post and liked it. When you look deeper though, you will find that there is more to likes than just a click of a button.
How Instagram likes work
Beyond the base level of clicking on the heart icon, likes represent engagement. They mean that people are
not just scrolling by your post. It is one of the ways that Instagram knows that your post is popular and
tells their system (the algorithm) that it should show the post to more users.
In early 2019, Instagram started experimenting with not showing a post’s like count publically in certain
countries. Over the course of the year, Instagram expanded this practice and now it is the way the platform
works in most places. You can still see the likes on your post but not on others. According to the Instagram
help page, this is still considered a test. So you can see the like count at times on mutual friends’ pages
but for the most part, they are gone.
The idea behind this change is that it’s healthier for users. They’re less likely to get discouraged or
embarrassed because other users can’t see if their post is getting likes or not. They’re also less likely to
become competitive with other accounts. Whether that is the case or not remains to be seen. What we do know
is that even with this change, likes are still incredibly important.
Why are Instagram likes important?
Likes are important for a few reasons. They show engagement – how much people are interacting with your
content – and they allow you to test and evaluate the success of your posts. The biggest reason they are
important though is because of the algorithm.
The Instagram algorithm is the formula that Instagram uses to determine what posts users see at or towards
the top of their feed. Up until 2016, your feed would go in reverse chronological order so you would simply
see the most recent posts first. After the change in 2016, the platform began using an algorithm that
determined what posts you would see when you first logged on.
There are a number of factors that go into the algorithm but one of the most important is engagement. The
company’s own accounts have shared information saying that engagement such as likes and comments for
Instagram posts as well as views and reshares contribute to posts being seen more.
The simplest way to explain the benefit of Instagram likes is that a post with no Instagram likes will not
be shown to nearly as many followers as a post with many likes. Companies or individuals who want to build
their brand through this social media platform need their content to show up in as many followers’ feeds as
possible, making likes very important for brand building.
How can you buy Instagram likes?
One of the best ways to get real likes on Instagram is to create timely, engaging, organic content that
users like, reshare, and comment on. The problem is, you need to get more Instagram followers, create and
test more content, and spend lots of time on the platform to do this. And sometimes, even when you do all
this, your content isn’t guaranteed to get real likes on Instagram.
Luckily, there’s no need to waste a lot of time coming up with content that isn’t guaranteed to gain likes
on Instagram. You can also buy
Instagram likes from reputable companies like Stormlikes that provide real
likes
to businesses and creators. For a small fee, you can buy hundreds or even thousands of real likes. This will
boost your content in a big way and help you get more Instagram followers, get more likes and comments for
Instagram, and help create a loyal, engaged group of followers that will ultimately make you money.
The creation of Instagram
In the late 2000s, San Francisco-based software developer Kevin Systrom created the mobile check-in app
called Burbn. The app allowed users to check-in at local establishments, make plans for future check-ins,
earn points, share photos, and more. There were two problems with the app though. One is that it was way too
complicated and two, it was way too similar to Foursquare, an app that launched and caught on prior to
Burbn.
In 2010, Systrom partnered with another programmer named Mike Krieger and the two analyzed their app. They
saw that while most of the app was unsuccessful, the photo-sharing aspect was something people loved. They
decided to pivot in that direction and create a new app based on this successful feature. They took the
concepts of an INSTAnt camera and a teleGRAM and, on October 12, 2010, released Instagram to the world.
Facebook acquisition and growth.
In less than two years, the popularity of Instagram would explode. From the very first posts – a picture of
a harbor from Krieger and a post of Systrom’s dog – to April of 2012, the app would gain over 30 million
users. This included one million followers who signed up in a single day after Instagram launched its
Android app. The app’s popularity caught the attention of social media giant Facebook, which bought the
company in 2012 for $1 billion.
Instagram was kept as a separate entity from its new parent company and has been run independently ever
since. In the ensuing years, the company has made a number of tweaks and updates to its apps and browser
layouts and interfaces. While some have been praised and others panned, the skyrocketing growth has not
stopped. The platform grew from the 30 million users at the time of acquisition to over 115 million less
than a year later, 300 million by the end of 2014, 500 million by 2016, and topped one billion in 2018.
Instagram today
Now in 2020, the stats on Instagram are incredible. Today, there are around 1.08 billion monthly active users on the platform. This includes over 100 million in the U.S. alone. Over a third of all adults in the U.S. are on the platform. More than 50 percent of worldwide users are under the age of 35 and, in the US that number is over 70 percent. These numbers are gold for marketers and influencers and are why the platform is so lucrative for so many.
Influencers and Instagram
One of the most important concepts in the world of Instagram is the idea of influencers. Influencers are accounts that get more followers on Instagram than others and use those followers to earn money. Here is what you need to know about Instagram influencers.
How Instagram influencers came to be
The concept of having followers on social media was around well before Instagram even existed. What
Instagram did though, as a photo-based medium, was allow users to show things off visually more than any
other platform. This caught the eye of the fashion world before any other industry.
Fashion brands quickly realized that when Instagram users with a big following posted a picture of
themselves in their clothing, it would give them a boost in sales. This led to fashion brands trying to
convince, and ultimately paying, Instagram users with lots of followers to post pictures of themselves
wearing these brands. Most experts agree that the first big “influencer” on the platform to turn posting on
Instagram into a business was reality star, Kim Kardashian.
As more fashion brands flocked to Instagram influencers to get featured, other types of brands started to
take notice. Today, there are influencers in all different categories and a wide range of brands work with
them. Some of the most popular types of companies that work with influencers include beauty and cosmetics,
food and beverage, travel, home design, sports and fitness, and lifestyle brands.
What Instagram influencers do
Some Instagram influencers simply take pictures of themselves using a company’s products but it also goes beyond that. In order to become an influencer to begin with, these users need to build up a following on Instagram and create their own brand before they can help other brands. They do this by being authentic and establishing credibility with their audience. As they get likes for Instagram and engage more with their followers, companies become interested in what they can do to promote brands.
How to become an Instagram influencer
The easiest way to get Instagram followers is to be consistent, post engaging content, use the right hashtags, and engage with like-minded people on the platform. Doing this will allow you to get more Instagram followers, likes and comments for the posts you create. Also, especially when you are starting out and want to get your posts seen by more people with the help of the algorithm, you can buy Instagram likes and even buy real Instagram followers to get your account off the ground.
How many Instagram followers do you need to be an influencer?
“Instagram Influencer” is not a job title that Instagram or any company officially gives you. Because of this, the exact number of followers needed to become an influencer varies. There are different types of influencers based on how many followers they have:
Celebrity or mega influencers
The general rule of thumb though is that anyone with 500,000 or more followers is what you call a mega influencer. These are well-known celebrities and Instagram superstars.
Macro influencers
Influencers with 50,000 followers and up are generally considered macro-influencers. While these users are all lumped into the same general category, an influencer with 200,000 followers will be able to make a lot more money per post than one with 70,000.
Micro and nano influencers
If someone has between 1,000 and 50,000 followers, they are considered a micro-influencer. Users with even smaller followings can sometimes make money from their account as nano influencers but even these types of accounts need at least 200 followers or so.
How business works for Instagram influencers
Being an Instagram Influencer is like owning your own small business. You are responsible for all aspects of
the business from sales to marketing to accounting. If every time you say, “Follow me on Instagram!” you
increase Instagram followers on your account, you probably have the marketing piece down and are well on
your way to influencer status.
The sales part of this business may be a bit more difficult. If you have a ton of followers, especially in a
specific niche, companies may reach out to you. However, especially in the beginning, you will probably have
to reach out to companies you think might benefit from access to your specific followers ad you’ll be
experimenting with what to post on Instagram to get likes.
It is up to you to pitch the brand and negotiate your fee. While the biggest celebrities can get $1 million
or more per post, when you are a micro-influencer, you’ll probably receive anything from free products from
the company up to $1,000 per post if you are on the higher end of follower count. Many times, companies will
give you a personalized link or code to offer your followers so you can earn a commission on what they buy.
Who are the biggest Instagram influencers?
Celebrity Influencers
The biggest influencers on Instagram are celebrities. They get more views on Instagram because they are famous for other things. Some of these influencers have hundreds of millions of followers and are paid handsomely for influencer posts. There have been several celebrities who gained the top spot of most Instagram followers over the years. Here is what the top five looks like in 2020.- 1. Cristiano Rinaldo – @cristiano – soccer player ~ 235 million followers
- 2. Ariana Grande - @arianagrande – pop star ~ 197 million followers
- 3. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – @therock – actor/ wrestler ~ 193 million followers
- 4. Kylie Jenner – @kyliejenner – reality star ~ 189 million followers
- 5. Selena Gomez- @selenagomez – singer/ actor ~ 186 million followers
Standard Instagram influencers
This is the larger group of influencers and includes Instagram influencers who get more followers than anyone else on their own, without the aid of being an athlete, an actor, or having their own reality show. Here are five of the top Instagram influencers, in different categories, of 2020.- 1. Huda Kattan – @hudabeauty – beauty ~ 46.8 million followers
- 2. Michelle Lewin – @michelle_lewin – fitness ~ 13.6 million followers
- 3. Chiara Ferragni – @chiaraferragni – fashion ~ 20.7 million followers
- 4. Marian Ezzedine – @cookinwithmima – food ~ 2.2 million followers
- 5. Jay Alvarez – @jayalvarez – travel ~ 6.3 million followers
Instagram for marketing
If you have a business that offers some sort of product or service and you want to market that business as opposed to becoming an influencer for other businesses, Instagram is also a fantastic place to do this. Here is what you need to know about using Instagram for business marketing purposes.
What is social proof?
The key to Instagram marketing is social proof. It is a term you will hear a lot in relation to
marketing on
this platform. The term is from the 1984 book Influence by psychologist Robert Cialdini. It describes
the
phenomenon of people modeling their behavior after other people’s behavior. This is to say, if people
see
others - especially others they trust, respect, or look up to - doing something, they are more likely to
do
it themselves.
This is what Instagram marketing is all about. People follow influencers because they aspire to be like
them
in some way. They follow companies because they like and respect their products, services, or even just
their social media style. When these people or companies market a product to others and model social
proof,
their followers are more likely to buy that product or service.
Social proof is also why, circling back, you want to get likes on Instagram or get more Instagram
followers.
It conveys more social proof about your brand to your target audience. It is another reason why it makes
sense to buy real followers or Instagram likes. The Instagram likes benefits are numerous, not only
showing
the world your popularity, but also potential brands that you can engage your followers.
How brands advertise on Instagram?
There are several different ways to advertise on Instagram. There is organic advertising, paid organic
advertising, and paid advertising. Here is the difference between the three styles.
Organic
Organic advertising is simply using your Instagram account to share a business promotion. These can be graphics, videos, or deals you are using as part of a full-fledged campaign or something more subtle and Instagram-specific. The advantages of this are that it costs no money and can result in big returns. The downside is social media users are very savvy nowadays and know when they are being advertised to. If you do it poorly or too often, you can turn people off and actually lose followers.
Paid organic
Paid organic is just what it sounds like – organic-feeling ads that you pay for. Most of what falls into this category is Instagram influencer advertising. This is where you pay (with money or free products) a micro, macro, or mega influencer to post about your product, as overtly or subtly as you like. The upside is it comes across as less invasive than traditional advertising posts and it provides social proof. The negatives are that it can be expensive (it costs around $1 million per post from a Kardashian/Jenner… even the ones with fewer followers) and if you partner with the wrong influencer it can provide little benefit or even be detrimental to your brand.
Paid
This is buying an ad the old-fashioned way. You pay Instagram and they put your ad (with a note
that
says
“sponsored”) in front of a specific, targeted demographic. Instagram offers several different
styles of
ads
that your company can choose from. These include:
● Stories Ads – Ads that appear in the ever-popular Instagram Stories style and disappear after
a
certain
amount of time.
● Photo Ads – Create a simple ad with a bold, eye-catching photo.
● Video Ads – Like a traditional commercial or viral video, these ads are known to get the most
engagements.
● Carousel Ads – A series of multiple pictures users can scroll through and interact with.
● Collection Ads – This collage of products you offer is stoppable so people can click on the
pictures
and
go right to your e-commerce site.
On the plus side, these ads are transparently ads, you have a lot of choices, and you get a
guaranteed
amount of reach to a targeted audience. But, they can cost a lot and users sometimes ignore
them.
Return on investment (ROI)
No matter how you market or advertise your business on Instagram, there is some cost
involved
because it
is
a great way to get more Instagram followers and put your brand in front of people. Whether
it is
the
very
tangible cost of dollars spent or the more indirect cost of time spent creating content,
there
is always
a
cost. Determining whether or not the marketing you do on Instagram is worth the time and
money,
you need
to
track and calculate your ROI.
Calculating the ROI of your Instagram marketing is simple but it is not always easy. The
general
idea is
that you take what you spent and what revenue was returned as a result and come up with a
ratio.
Since
you’re dealing with time and creative power on one end and the fact that it can be hard to
attribute
exact
revenue numbers to the marketing on the other, calculating ROI accurately can be a
challenge.
If you are diligently tracking spending and time as well as assigning value to things like
an
increase
in
Instagram followers or likes and comments on Instagram though, you should be able to come up
with a good
idea of that ratio. A 5:1 ratio in most marketing (making $5 in sales for every $1 spent) is
considered
good
while 10:1 is considered exceptional. Any bigger than that and you have hit a marketing home
run!
Rated ★★★★★ by 15 reviews.
Here at Stormlikes, we pride ourselves on exceptional service and affordable prices. Don’t just take our word for it – check out our customer reviews below