Whether you have an established Instagram account or are just starting out, figuring out which Instagram metrics to pay attention to can sometimes feel overwhelming. Likes and comments are what people see, but how much do they matter?
In this article, we’re going to teach you all about how to read and interpret your Instagram metrics to measure your success.
Finding the Metrics for Each Post
If you have an Instagram business profile, did you know that you can actually see more than just the likes and comments on a post? Instagram collects all sorts of measurements on your posts so you can measure your success.
All you have to do is go to your profile, click on a post and click “View Insights” in the bottom left-hand corner. This will bring up a menu that will show you your reach, profile visits, likes, comments, how many times the post was sent to someone by a user, and how many times the post was saved.
These measurements give you a much deeper understanding of how your content is performing than just likes alone.
Wait, but Aren’t Likes the Most Important?
Contrary to popular belief, likes are actually not the most important metric on Instagram. Think about it, how many times do you scroll through your feed and pause on a picture or click through to a profile without actually liking the photo? It’s probably quite a bit, right?
Likes are what is called a “vanity metric.” While nice to have and see, they are not actually a good measure of your post’s success. After all, likes don’t necessarily convert into customers for you. This is why Instagram is testing hiding likes from view. They don’t consider it a worthwhile metric and want to promote metrics like reach and shares which are more valuable and better showcase the success of the post.
What About My Videos? They Never Seem to Get Likes.
That’s correct. You will see less likes on a video post because Instagram measures views as more important than likes. You want people to stop scrolling and actually watch your video. At the end of the day, what really matters is how many views the video received and not how many likes.
Why Does Reach Matter?
The reach of your Instagram post is how many people actually saw the post. While, yes, you want people to engage with it, research says that people need to see something from a brand or store 6 to 8 times before they will actually engage with it or purchase.
The more reach your posts are getting, the more people are seeing them which means the higher the chance for purchase. You want to pay close attention to your posts’ reach so you can measure success more accurately.
How Can I See How Well My Account is Doing?
In addition to measuring individual posts, Instagram also gives you insight into the performance of your overall account. You can find it by going to your Instagram profile, clicking the three horizontal lines in the top right-hand corner and then clicking on “Insights.” This will show you all the content you have posted, all the interactions with your account including profile visits and website clicks, and give you a breakdown of your audience.
These are all valuable insights that can help you create better content and be more successful on Instagram.
That Was A Lot. What Do I Do Now?
Don’t worry! If you are feeling overwhelmed about posting content, engaging with followers and paying attention to your metrics, we’ve got you. Promote Creatively can help you not only create Instagram content that performs but also help you build a meaningful Instagram audience that turns into sales and leads. Contact us today for a free consultation!