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Instagram analytics can help you understand how your strategy is working, both at the account level and at the individual post level. And knowing what works (and what doesn't) is the first step to growing your account and building a dedicated following on the platform.
Read on to find out how to start tracking Instagram analytics, learn which metrics matter most, and get comfortable with reporting your Instagram results to your boss.
Bonus: Get a free social media report template to easily and effectively present your social media performance to key stakeholders.
What is Instagram Analytics?
That’s Instagram analytics Metrics used to understand how content performs on Instagram. They help you understand your audience and their preferences and allow you to develop strategies based on data rather than creative hunches.
Instagram analytics data can range from the very simple (e.g. how many people saw or liked a single post) to the very specific (e.g. what time your account's followers are most likely to be online). are sufficient.
Examples of Instagram analytics metrics include impressions, likes, shares, and audience growth over time. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg – we will discuss this in more detail later in this post.
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Why are Instagram analytics so important?
Social media managers are often afraid of the part of their job that has to do with tracking data and creating reports. We get it, it's not as fun as creating content and interacting with followers. But try to think of Instagram Analytics as a fascinating puzzle. It can help you solve it Improve your overall results over time and Prove the value of your work to your boss and your larger team.
With Instagram analytics you can also:
- Understand your audience. By tracking how your audience interacts with your content (e.g. what posts they like and share), you get a better understanding of their preferences. This, in turn, allows you to fine-tune future content.
- Grow your account faster. Recognizing successful content and replicating successful strategies is a great way to skip trial and error and achieve more consistent results.
- Report with confidence. With a thorough understanding of Instagram analytics, you can create reports that truly tell a story. This will help you highlight the value of your work and position you as a true social expert in your company. It also supports requests for more budget or new hires.
15 Important Instagram Metrics You Should Track
Instagram analytics can provide a lot of data. So where do you start? Here are our picks for the 15 most important metrics to track in 2024.
Instagram account metrics
- Engagement rate: Number of engagements as a percentage of followers or reach. This is a basis for evaluating how well your content resonates with your audience and encourages action.
- Follower growth rate: How quickly you gain or lose followers. No other Instagram metric has a greater impact on organic reach. For reference, the average monthly follower growth rate is 0.98%.
- Website referral traffic: How many visitors does Instagram drive to your website? This is crucial if you want to increase your Instagram ROI and connect your Instagram efforts to off-platform goals.
- The most effective times to post: Which posting times get the most response?
- Audience demographics: This is not a precise metric, but rather a group of key data points that can help you understand what types of content are likely to be most effective.
Instagram post metrics
- Post engagement rate: Number of engagements as a percentage of followers or reach. You can calculate this manually, but good Instagram analytics tools will do the calculation for you.
- Post comment rate: Number of comments as a percentage of followers or reach. If your goals are to build loyalty or nurture relationships, count comments separately from total engagements and work to specifically increase that number.
- Impressions: Total number of times your post was served to users. This can indicate how well you are promoting your account and content.
- To reach: How many people saw your post? The more engaging your content is, the more people will see it – thanks to the Instagram algorithm.
Key figures for Instagram Stories
- Story engagement rate: Number of engagements as a percentage of followers or reach.
- Completion rate: How many people watch your story until the end? People viewing your full story shows that your content connects with your fans.
Instagram Reels metrics
- Role shares: How many users shared your Reel?
- Role interactions: Total number of likes, comments, shares and saves.
- Redemption rate: How many people stop watching before the end?
- Views vs. TikTok: How many people watch a Reel compared to an equivalent TikTok?
For more details on all the Instagram metrics you should be tracking depending on your goals for the platform – and how to track and calculate them – check out our full blog post dedicated to Instagram metrics.`
How to see Instagram analytics
Now that you know what to track, here's how to view Instagram analytics data on your phone or computer.
On mobile (with Instagram Insights)
If you're looking for quick information on the go, Instagram Insights offers basic Instagram analytics for free in the Instagram app. There's no way to export the data to a report, but it does give you a good basic overview of your Instagram results.
- Open the Instagram app, go to your profile and tap Professional dashboard.
- Next to Account Insightsbeat See everything.
- View your content overview, including accounts reached, engagements, total followers, and shares. In the top menu you can select a time frame to display.
- To dive deeper into any of these metrics, tap right arrow next to the corresponding category.
On the desktop
Navigating analytics on your phone is great for quickly tracking your Instagram metrics on the go, but isn't optimal if you're trying to analyze your data and growth over time and compare the results with your work on other social platforms to compare, or create a social media report. How to access your Instagram analytics on desktop.
Use of Instagram
The main Instagram Insights tool isn't available on desktop, but you can get some basic analysis of individual posts on the web directly from your Instagram feed.
Click Show insights under a post in your feed to display a pop-up screen with total likes, comments, saves, direct message shares, profile visits, and reach.
For more Instagram analytics on the web, you'll need to switch to other tools.
Using Hootsuite
1. Go to your Hootsuite dashboard and click Analytics Icon in the sidebar.
2. Select your Instagram overview (If you haven't already, follow these steps to connect your account.) On this screen, you'll see a complete picture of all your Instagram analytics, from engagement rate (without calculation) to audience demographics Mood of your incoming messages.
3. Use the buttons in the top navigation bar to share data with your colleagues or export the metrics and charts to a custom report in PDF, PowerPoint, Excel or CSV format.
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Free Instagram analytics report template
Instagram analytics data is most useful when summarized in a report that allows you to compare results and identify trends. We've created a free Instagram analytics report template that you can use to populate your data and share your insights.
If you prefer to receive your Instagram analytics reports automatically, check out Hootsuite's built-in Instagram analytics. There are three Instagram analytics report templates built into Hootsuite's analytics that you can use to automatically generate reports on engagement, your audience, or post performance.
Bonus: Get a free social media report template to easily and effectively present your social media performance to key stakeholders.
Save time managing your Instagram presence with Hootsuite: Schedule posts, Reels, and Stories in advance and monitor your efforts using our comprehensive suite of social media analytics tools. Try it for free today.
Getting started
All your social media analytics in one place. Use Hootsuite to see what works and where performance can be improved.
Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps