Over one billion people use Instagram worldwide, with the average user spending more than 30 minutes on the platform daily. These numbers present a vast opportunity for brands to reach their target audience. However, without Instagram analytics, your marketing endeavors might get lost in the sea of content.
In this guide, we offer a comprehensive breakdown of key Instagram metrics to help you get started on your Instagram marketing plan. The discussion will also include some free and paid Instagram analytics tools. Furthermore, you will get tips on leveraging analytics to enhance your Instagram strategy.
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Instagram Analytics: What is it?
Instagram offers an extensive array of metrics for gauging your performance, understanding your audience, and enhancing the outcomes of your Instagram marketing. Metrics can be categorized per level. Level-one data are those representing primary information. These Instagram metrics include the number of likes, followers, impressions, reach, comments, and clicks.
While these figures are helpful, they just show a glimpse of your performance. To achieve continuous improvement, growth, and optimization, you must shift your attention to level-two performance metrics — you need to fully understand the performance of your posts and account as a whole.
This is where Instagram analytics come into play.
While Instagram metrics refer to individual statistics, Instagram analytics assist in interpreting these figures and spotting patterns within them. A classic example of this data level difference are number of followers and follower growth rate. The former is only a level one metric, giving you an idea on how many people follows your account. On the other hand, the latter provides an analysis on how rapidly your follower counts increase over time.
By thoroughly reviewing your Instagram analytics, you can identify the successes and failures on your account. This can provide valuable feedback to enhance your social media strategy.
There are two primary methods to access your account's analytics: Instagram Insights, a tool native to Instagram, or a third-party Instagram analytics tool.
Why does it matter?
The significance of Instagram analytics lies in its ability to offer insights into your audience's characteristics, their most active hours, and the type of content that drives engagement. This level of audience comprehension is essential in developing a content strategy that produces favorable outcomes for your brand or business. Without it, you will essentially be operating in the dark.
Nonetheless, it can take time to determine the appropriate metrics to track and how to interpret them. Since every brand or business has distinct objectives, the most critical metrics vary on a case-by-case basis.
Once you have set goals, you can gain a wealth of information from your Instagram analytics. These pieces of relevant data will give you clear objectives to track in your social media reporting.
How is Instagram Analytics important in marketing?
By not utilizing Insights to monitor the performance and engagement of your content, you are missing out on a significant portion of effective marketing.
While it may seem time-consuming to social media managers, monitoring overall growth with Instagram analytics is crucial in this fiercely competitive digital market. Tracking your performance can hasten account growth and improve audience engagement more effectively.
Several factors to consider when tracking Insights include your account's follower count, comments, likes, reach, and impressions over time. By regularly monitoring this information, you can consistently deliver high-quality content to your audience on the platform.
Suppose you initially have a creator or business account with fewer than 100 followers. In this case, you may be unable to access specific data. Growing an account is a gradual process, and you will need to put in significant effort to make it successful.
Important Instagram Analytics Metrics
Several essential Instagram analytics metrics can help you track your performance and measure your success on the platform. Some of the most important metrics include the following:
Audience demographics
While not precisely a metric, a collection of vital data points can offer insights into the type of content likely to yield the best results.
Completion rate
This shows how many people have finished viewing your entire Instagram story. This metric is proof that your post is engaging with your audience. It also means that your story resonates with the people following your account.
Drop-off rate
If the completion rate stands for the number of followers that finish watching your Instagram story, the drop-off rate is the opposite. It indicates the number of Instagram followers who did not finish watching your story.
Engagement rate
The engagement rate refers to the percentage of followers or reaches actively engaging with your content. It's a fundamental metric for gauging the effectiveness of your content in connecting with your audience and driving them to take action.
Follower growth rate
This measures the speed at which your follower count increases or decreases on Instagram. It is a critical metric that significantly affects your organic reach on the platform.
Impressions
Impressions represent the frequency at which your post was displayed to Instagram users. This metric can show how effectively you promote your content and account to your target audience.
Most effective times to post
This metric refers to the times your social media content receives the most engagement or response from your audience.
Post comment rate
This specific metric refers to the percentage of comments received concerning the number of followers or reach. If your objective is to cultivate loyalty and nurture relationships with your audience, track the comment rate separately from other types of engagement. Also, strive to increase that metric specifically.
Post-engagement rate
This metric measures the percentage of social media users who engaged with your post in relation to your number of reach or followers. Although you can calculate this metric manually, using reliable Instagram analytics tools to compute it automatically is more convenient.
Reach
Reach refers to the total number of social media users who viewed your post. With the help of the Instagram algorithm, the more compelling your content is, the more likely it will reach a wider audience.
Reel interactions
This metric encompasses the collective count of saves, shares, comments, and likes your reels receive from platform users.
Reel shares
This metric denotes the number of social media users who shared your reel with their followers or friends.
Story engagement rate
The story engagement rate measures the percentage of social media users who engaged with your Instagram Story. This number is relative to your number of reach or followers.
Views vs. TikTok
This metric is the equivalent of TikTok views. This metric determines how many social media users watch each platform's content.
Website referral traffic
The number of website visitors driven by Instagram is a crucial metric to improve your Instagram return on investment (ROI). It's also vital to align your social media efforts with your off-platform goals.
Ways To Check Instagram Analytics
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You can check Instagram Analytics through your computer or phone.
Through mobile phone
This process is the quickest way to get Analytics on the go. This method is accessible on the Instagram App. With this, you only get an overview of your account's Instagram results. However, you can't export the results to a report. Here are the steps to check this on the app.
- To access your Instagram account insights, open the Instagram app, navigate to your profile, and select the Professional dashboard.
- From there, click "See all" next to Account insights to view your content overview. This step will show you the number of shared content, total followers, engagements, and accounts reached.
- You can also select a specific timeframe to analyze your data from the top menu.
- To explore these metrics further, click the right arrow next to the corresponding category.
Through your computer
This method is also a great way to check analytics on the go. It's best used to get basic per-post analytics from the web to your Instagram feed. To access Instagram analytics for a particular post in your feed, click "View insights. "
A pop-up screen will appear, displaying the following:
- Comments
- Direct message
- Likes
- Profile visits
- Reach
- Saves
- Share
If you're looking for more comprehensive data, you'll need to switch to other tools available on the web.
Through Meta Business Suite
If you want to use a desktop analytics solution native to the platform, switch to Meta's Business Suite.
- Once you've opened the suite, head to the Insights section. You'll find an overview screen showcasing high-level insights for Facebook and Instagram.
- These are located on the left and right sides of the screen.
- Click on any categories in the left menu for additional details about your Facebook and Instagram metrics.
- If you're interested in examining Instagram content metrics without any Facebook data interfering, navigate to the Content section in the left menu.
- After which, click "Content."
- Then, open the drop-down menu for Ads, Posts, and Stories. Deselect the Facebook options.
Through Hootsuite
Here are the steps for monitoring Analytics via Hootsuite.
- To access your Instagram analytics through Hootsuite, open your dashboard and select the Analytics icon in the sidebar.
- If you still need to do so, connect your Instagram account.
- Once you're on the Instagram Overview screen, you'll have a comprehensive view of all your analytics, including inbound message sentiment, audience demographics, and engagement rate.
- To share this data with your colleagues or create a custom report, utilize the buttons on the top navigation bar. This process will allow you to export the metrics and charts as a .csv, Excel, PowerPoint, or PDF file.
There are numerous Instagram metrics available for tracking and reporting. However, attempting to tackle all of them may not be the most effective use of your time.
It's often more efficient to clearly understand your brand's objectives and the essential Instagram metrics to help you accomplish them.
Once you've established your goals, create a social media report displaying your progress in a visually appealing and easily understandable manner.
Best Analytics Tools for Instagram
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Although the native Instagram analytics app provides specific data, other tools offer more comprehensive insights. If you require professional-level analysis, here are the top picks of solid and best Instagram analytics tools that provide flexibility and detailed information.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite's professional plan includes social media analytics that enables you to view a summary of your Instagram metrics within your social streams. This app provides an easy-to-access, at-a-glance view of your most significant outcomes.
Consider it your daily dose of high-level data, allowing you to detect any unexpected surges or drops in activity each time you access your dashboard.
If you wish to explore your Instagram metrics in greater detail, you can access them through the Instagram overview report. Alternatively, you can delve into specific metrics and customize notifications to meet your needs. Once completed, you can easily download and share the info with different stakeholders within your organization.
For instance, you can utilize the "Best Times to Publish" analytics functionality to determine when your audience is most active. This step can help you obtain personalized recommendations on when to post based on your specific objective. This function can also help you decide whether to increase engagement, awareness, or reach.
Keyhole
Keyhole is a specialized tool focusing on Instagram keyword tracking and hashtag analytics. This output is in addition to providing standard Instagram metrics. This platform can assess the performance of branded hashtags and monitor Instagram contests, user-generated content, and real-time promotions. Moreover, it's a valuable tool for monitoring Instagram analytics when collaborating with influencers.
Minter.io
Minter.io is a comprehensive analytics solution offering detailed insights for Instagram on desktop and mobile devices. It provides daily tracking of audience changes and hourly monitoring of content details.
One noteworthy feature is its capability to compare your fundamental Instagram metrics with a cohort of relevant accounts. Additionally, you can track your top followers and determine which filters yield the best outcomes for your content.
Squarelovin
With Squarelovin's Instagram analytics tool, you can monitor particular key performance indicators (KPIs). These numbers can help you better understand your Instagram efforts' success and determine which type of content yields the best outcomes.
Panoramic Insights
This Instagram analytics tool may be simple. However, it's highly effective in enabling you to track and report on follower and activity analytics. This tool can also provide a detailed analysis of your Instagram posts and stories. You can export the report to .csv or PDF formats.
Compiling Instagram analytics data into a report helps you easily compare results and identify trends.
Social Champ
Social Champ is a top-tier social media management software created to simplify scheduling and automation processes. Its dashboard allows for seamless post and first comment creation and scheduling, with easy-to-track performance analytics.
This tool also provides location tagging features and Canva integrations, perfect for enhancing the aesthetics of your posts. It also includes a complimentary social media calendar to organize your content.
Furthermore, Social Champ has recently launched the ability to schedule Instagram Reels. This new function lets you publish or schedule your reels directly from the Social Champ dashboard. You can do this while viewing your Instagram analytics all in one convenient location.
Brands With the Best Practices in Instagram Analytics
There are more than 200 million businesses on Instagram. This only means that companies cannot ignore the use of Instagram for marketing purposes. Many well-known brands on Instagram are effectively utilizing marketing tactics to their advantage. Here are a few of them.
Nike
Nike, the American multinational corporation renowned for producing footwear, equipment, apparel, services, and accessories, shows exceptional content curation on social media platforms. Boasting over 270 million Instagram followers, Nike has mastered the art of marketing and effectively persuading people to make purchases.
Burberry
Burberry, a British luxury brand catering to a wealthier audience, has established a solid online presence. The fashion house designs and distributes cosmetics, fragrances, accessories, eyewear, apparel, and footwear.
Their social media pages show their latest collections and feature high-quality content and clips from their studio. With its consistent posting, Burberry has solidified its presence on the platform.
& Other Stories
& Other Stories is a luxury fashion retailer owned by the clothing giant H&M Group. This company is known for its social media content. The brand's impressive content features user-generated content from fashion influencers, providing value and inspiration to their audience.
This approach effectively captures the attention of viewers, resulting in increased sales. It's a remarkable way of engaging customers.
Pro Tip: You need to include Instagram when planning your social media marketing strategy. With 59% of marketers and 49% of consumers intending to use it within the next few months, you need to pay attention to statistics. You must leverage your numbers to stay ahead of the competition.
Leverage Archive To Manage Your Instagram Analytics
Understanding your target audience is only one aspect of the multifaceted marketing process. Understanding your market needs and generating content capturing their attention is equally important. Selecting the right platform to increase your outreach is also crucial, and Instagram is a powerful tool to achieve these goals.
However, that's not the end step. Evaluating the performance of your content on the platform is essential. Analytics plays a vital role in enhancing your marketing campaigns by providing deeper insights. You can take your marketing efforts to the next level by combining your analytics tools with the Archive app.
Archive lets you review, save, and repurpose content to create more effective ads. It also helps you leverage these materials to supercharge your growth. Contact us today and witness the impact on your Instagram marketing endeavors!
To improve your social media marketing strategy, closely monitoring your Instagram analytics is essential. For more information and helpful tips on how to do this effectively, visit Archive today!
FAQs on Instagram Analytics
What are the limitations of Instagram Analytics?
Analytics are exclusively accessible to Instagram business and creator profiles. After linking your profile, you need to refresh its connection, switch to a creator or business profile, or upgrade your account. It may take around 24 hours for the analytics data to appear.
Can you view another account holder's Instagram Analytics?
Unfortunately, Instagram's internal statistics only allow you to view your account's metrics, making it impossible to analyze your competitors. You must utilize third-party analytics tools to view Instagram statistics for any profile other than yours.
Can you check who unfollowed your account on a computer?
There are a couple of methods to determine if someone is following you on Instagram. First, go to your Instagram profile and select "Followers," where you can search for the person's name. Second, you can visit the individual's profile and click "Following." Search for your name to see if they're following you.
