Why Am I Getting Less Engagement on Instagram? The Real Reasons Behind Falling Likes
- Stephanie Quinones
- Jun 30
- 5 min read
There was a time when cracking the Instagram code was simple - post consistently, engage strategically, grow easily. But today, the landscape looks very different. User behavior has changed, content is oversaturated, and the algorithm keeps shifting. Recent data shows engagement is down across the board. It’s not you - it’s the environment you’re posting in.
A few years ago, building an Instagram following and getting strong engagement felt almost effortless. Posting consistent, quality content meant your audience would see, like, and comment with relative ease. The platform’s algorithm was simpler, and there was less competition for attention.
If you've been asking, "Why am I getting less engagement on Instagram?" or "Why are my posts getting fewer likes?", you’re not alone. From solo creators to global brands, nearly everyone has noticed a dip in performance. The platform has become more competitive, more complex, and less forgiving, and it’s forcing marketers and small businesses to adapt.
What the Data Says About Instagram Engagement in 2025
Engagement rates have dropped by nearly 28% year-over-year, with the average engagement rate now around 0.50% per post, a sharp decline from prior benchmarks
Organic reach is extremely low, on average, just 3.5% of a brand’s followers see each post.
Video content drives reach, but is also highly competitive. Reels perform well when they spark early interactions.
Instagram increasingly prioritizes keyword relevance over hashtags, signaling a shift toward SEO-style content discovery. So much so that posts without hashtags are seeing up to 23% more reach than those packed with them. The hashtag isn't dead yet however, Instagram wants you to think of it as a "content organization" tool.
Instagram treats AI-generated and human-made content equally.
Why Am I Getting Less Engagement on Instagram?
The algorithm is no longer predictable.
Instagram’s algorithm is constantly evolving. What worked last month might not work now. Posts are ranked based on a mix of signals - relevance, relationship, timeliness, format, and content type - and that mix keeps changing.
User behavior has shifted.
Users now scroll faster and spend less time engaging with posts that don’t immediately capture their interest. People also now spend more time in DMs and stories than ever before. Many users now “watch” more than they “like,” which means traditional metrics such as likes and comments naturally drop, even for great content.
Over-saturation is real.
There is far more content than attention to go around. With brands, creators, and AI-generated content flooding the platform, even excellent posts can get buried. You're not just competing for attention, you're competing with the algorithm’s attempt to decide what’s most relevant to each user.
Your audience isn't seeing all your content.
Instagram doesn’t show every post to all your followers. Instead, it prioritizes posts users are most likely to interact with based on past behavior. Without early engagement, your reach gets throttled.
Content fatigue among users.
Users are overwhelmed with similar content types and may become less responsive to repetitive, unoriginal posts.
Decline of traditional influencer impact.
As audiences become more skeptical of influencer marketing, engagement rates with branded or sponsored content drop.
Understanding Instagram’s Algorithm in 2025
Instagram’s algorithm considers multiple factors together when deciding what content to show:
Likes remain important alongside shares, comments, saves, and watch time.
Meaningful engagement (genuine, authentic interactions) carries more weight than superficial actions.
Relationship signals - how frequently you interact with an account influences how often you see their posts.
Time spent viewing content, especially reels and stories, is a key ranking factor.
Instagram prioritizes original, authentic content made specifically for the platform over reposted or recycled material from other platforms.
Private sharing (direct messages, stories) has grown in importance as users increasingly share content privately.
How to Fix Low Instagram Engagement: Practical Tips
Diversify content formats.
Use stories to foster daily, personal connections; reels to reach broader audiences; single images for quick, clear messages; and carousels to double your exposure, as they appear twice in users’ feeds.
Engage authentically.
Respond to comments and DMs promptly. Use interactive story features like polls, questions, and quizzes to spark conversations.
Optimize hashtags, but prioritize keywords.
While hashtags remain helpful, Instagram increasingly emphasizes keyword search for content discovery.
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Stop chasing irrelevant trends.
Avoid jumping on trends that don’t fit your niche or brand voice. Being gimmicky can turn your audience off. Instead, focus on creating content that’s genuinely helpful and encourages thoughtful engagement.
Plan content with varied purposes.
Your content strategy should include posts that connect with your audience on multiple levels - by entertaining, educating, inspiring, converting, and recognizing the values and interests unique to your niche. This balanced approach keeps your feed engaging and your followers invested.
Prioritize quality over quantity.
Posting consistently is good, but meaningful, relatable, and valuable content wins in the long run.
Leverage Instagram Insights.
Use analytics to understand what content formats, topics, and posting times work best for your audience.
Encourage all forms of genuine engagement.
Don’t just chase likes or comments. Aim to foster shares, saves, longer watch times, and meaningful interactions across formats.
Instagram Engagement FAQs (Beyond the Basics)
Are engagement drops seasonal?
Sometimes, holidays and industry events can cause short-term dips.
Does posting time still matter?
Posting when your audience is most active can help early engagement, but content quality remains paramount.
Should I delete low-performing posts?
There’s no evidence deleting old posts improves your overall engagement or reach.
Are saves and shares more important than likes?
Saves and shares can indicate deeper interest, but likes remain an important engagement signal since the abundance of them makes them easy for Instagram to quantify.
How important are captions?
Captions are crucial. Not just for sparking meaningful conversations but also for incorporating keywords that boost discoverability. While hashtags still help, strategically using relevant keywords in your captions can increase your content’s reach much more effectively.
What is a content calendar, and do I need one?
A content calendar is a schedule that plans your posts ahead of time. It helps ensure consistent posting and balanced content types that serve different purposes, from educating to entertaining your audience. Ever heard that expression "fail to plan, plan to fail"? Yes - you need one!
FAQs About The Marketology Lab
What services does The Marketology Lab offer?
We provide strategy, audits, content planning, brand building, and coaching specifically tailored for marketing departments, small businesses, and high-profile individuals.
What makes The Marketology Lab’s content calendars different to others available to download online?
Our tailored content calendars incorporate a diverse mix of post types and goals, designed to engage, educate, inspire, convert, and resonate with your specific audience. This balanced approach ensures your feed stays dynamic and meaningful.
Do you work with businesses in all industries?
Yes! We’ve worked with everyone from individuals building personal brands to global conglomerates launching products and executing award-winning guerrilla marketing campaigns.
What makes The Marketology Lab different from other marketing agencies?
We focus on transparency, collaboration, and education - empowering you with knowledge and tools rather than locking you into opaque contracts or cookie-cutter plans.
Can you help with paid advertising as well as organic growth?
Absolutely. We offer both organic strategy consulting and paid ad campaign planning to maximize your overall marketing impact.
Final Thoughts
If you’re asking yourself, “Why am I getting less engagement on Instagram?”, know that you’re facing a common challenge caused by evolving algorithms, increased competition, and shifting user behavior. This isn’t a sign of failure but an invitation to rethink your strategy. Tailoring your content specifically to Instagram’s unique features and audience expectations, whether that’s using Reels effectively, writing keyword-rich captions, or leveraging interactive Stories, will help you rebuild engagement and grow a loyal, active audience that truly values what you share.
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