I am guilty of the two extremes of Instagram.

On the one hand, I am a 'like' fiend, and consider it a failure if I get anything under 60 double-taps. On the other hand, I sometimes post random screenshots and low-resolution images, knowing all too well that people will scroll past them faster than you can say "follow-back." My point is, after two plus years on the social network, it's safe to say I have learned a few ways to guarantee an Instagram post is like-worthy. My motto, here, is "do as I say, not as I do."

#InstaGood. On that note, be sure that your post shows an object of interest. Content is all-important if your goal is to rack up likes. Your homemade chicken curry, a deja-vu ‘skinny arm’ pic of you and your sorority sisters, or a screenshot, are unlikely to capture people’s attention, whereas an incredible landscape, a famous monument, an adorable pet or a funny costume have a better chance of pleasing the crowd

#NoFilter. I don’t mean that literally. Filters are fine, although I find that most good pictures don’t need one, but I digress. What I mean is that your photo should be a good quality, high-resolution image to start with, otherwise no amount of filtering will make it more like-worthy or more interesting. For more information, check out Lauren Conrad’s guide to taking the perfect Insta      

#Selfie. Although selfies are far from being the most popular posts, except for those perfect people who always get 200 likes and make you wonder what’s wrong with your face, a selfie will guarantee you a solid base amount of pity likes. People are not mean enough to leave your poor pouty face with no virtual lovin’. 

#FoodPorn. Food can fall into the #InstaGood category, but the picture has to be right. It has to be a good quality shot of something either completely mouthwatering (think pancakes or anything with avocado), atypical (wonuts, cronuts and such, or haute cuisine masterpieces), or pretty (cupcakes, sushi, etc). 

#Caption. The caption helps. A vague philosophical rant will get you nowhere, whereas a hilarious one-liner, or a dramatic love letter to a friend, pet or significant other might make a positive difference. Emojis can make or break the deal.

#Hashtag. I tend to think of hashtags as a bad idea. They often look spammy, so I only use them to make a cute statement or little joke. If your hashtag is cute or funny enough, it might get you a few extra likes. If you really must use a hashtag as a search tool, try not to overdo it -- keep it clean and relevant. For instance, if you went to Paris, #eiffeltower and #paris will suffice. Please don’t go all #like4like #eurotravel #studyabroad #friends #girls #instagood #instadaily on your followers -- you’ll thank me later. 

If you were wondering why your posts were taking forever to hit the 11-like mark, hopefully, these tips will help. They are not infallible, just based on personal experience. fter much experimentation, they seem to do the trick.