The practice involves employing specific labels on Instagram posts with the explicit intention of attracting reciprocal engagement. This commonly manifests as users applying tags such as “#likeforlike” or similar variants in the hope that others within the community, observing these tags, will interact with their content, thereby increasing visibility and perceived popularity. For example, a photographer might post a landscape image and include these labels to prompt other users to “like” their photo in exchange for a “like” on the other users content.
Its use stems from a desire to rapidly increase post visibility and follower counts. In the nascent stages of social media marketing, this was seen as a quick route to gaining traction. While potentially increasing superficial metrics, the resulting engagement is often inauthentic and may not translate into meaningful connections or long-term growth. Historically, such strategies were more prevalent, but their effectiveness has diminished as Instagram’s algorithms prioritize genuine interaction.