How to view and track your Instagram metrics (and why you should)
Most marketing strategies today include multiple social media platforms, including, but not limited to, Instagram.
The American photo and video sharing social networking service rapidly gained popularity since 2010 and remains one of the most effective platforms for brand reach.
To learn how to view and track Instagram metrics to improve your business, read on.
How to view insights on your Instagram account
To view insights on your Instagram account, you must first sign-up for a business or creator account. To do this, complete the following instructions:
- From the Settings menu (located in the upper right-hand corner on your profile), select Account from the drop-down three-lined menu.
- If you have a personal account, select “Switch to Professional Account,” located at the bottom of the screen.
- If you have a business account, select “Switch to Creator Account,” located at the bottom of the screen.
As soon as you switch your account, you’ll gain access to the “Insights” tab that is found after you select the three-lined menu. Insights let you choose between the Content tab (which shows how posts performed), the Activity tab (shows user interactions), and the Audience tab (offers demographic information about your followers).
One of the best metrics to track is follower count, but in this “Instagram Analytics Explained” article, the author recommends staying on top of engagement rate, brand reach, and others.
Six important metrics to track for social media success
Managing your Instagram account without looking at your analytics will be tough, but it becomes more challenging to understand if you’re confused about what each metric means for your business.
The following six metrics are integral to your success on Instagram.
1) Engagement vs follower count
Also called “Engagements per Follower,” this metric tells you what posts your followers interact with the most. Avoid comparing numbers strictly because you’ll demotivate yourself even if your followers love to interact with your content.
Use a percentage amount for measuring engagement by using this formula: Total Engagements / Follower Count * 100 = Rate. A high engagement rate percentage is positive regardless of how small your following is.
2) Reach and reach vs impressions
The reach metric lets you know how many people are seeing your content. Many marketers will use impressions and reach interchangeably, but Impressions focus on the number of times your content is displayed across the website.
You would use a percentage amount to calculate reach as well, but conveniently, your react metrics are located in your Activity tab on Instagram.
3) Follower growth
Any positive number on your follower growth metric is a great sign. Losing followers may be scary, but you can use these metrics to learn where you went wrong with your content or reach numbers.
To receive consistent engagement on your Instagram, you must keep these numbers high. Most of your other metrics will revolve around your follower count.
4) Comments, likes, and shares
Engaging content will speak for itself. Instagram profiles that continue to create content that receives likes, comments, and shares keeps a happy audience. While likes and shares are important aspects of engagement, comments are an indication that your content has enough impact to deserve feedback. A loyal fan base will keep commenting and replying to your content.
5) Instagram stories (click-through rate)
Creating interesting Instagram Stories can improve the chance that a user will click on your account and become a loyal follower. Instagram stories provide another dimension of content, and its disappearing nature makes them feel exclusive. Concentrate on Story Replies, Story Taps Back, Taps Forward, and Story Exits to create stories that connect with people.
6) Hashtag performance
Hashtags are integral to the Instagram culture and helps users that don’t follow you find your content. A user that interacts with posts containing clothing or makeup is more likely to see ads or accounts in the search tab that offer that content. Use hashtags that are relevant to your brand to find a reliable way for new followers to locate you and keep engagement high.
