Instagram is a platform that can improve any startup if used correctly. However, many startups do not know how to use it. They may purchase Instagram likes and have an idea of what content to post, which is good, but they may not understand how to use analytics to see what posts work, which don’t, and how they can improve.
Like any platform, Instagram has analytics or insights that can give you information on your audience, how your posts are performing, and more. Let’s examine why analytics are essential and how you can read them.
So Why Are Instagram Insights Important?
Instagram insights give you insight into what is working on your Instagram and what may need to be put back on the drawing board. If you have a startup, you probably have a target audience in mind and want to reach them. But your posts may not be reaching the right audience or may not be getting enough engagement at all.
Insights can tell you which posts are performing well, look at who your audience is, when they’re the most active, and give you other demographic information. This can give you a feel for the type of audience that you’re cultivating, and what the general age range, gender, and other personal factors are associated with those who interact with your account.
Insights are something that you should check regularly. We recommend checking them at least once a month, as they can change. As they change, you must consider your content marketing strategy and where to go next. If your analytics are going up, keep doing what you’re doing. If they’re going down, you may need to figure out why.
Some Vital Analytics to Consider
When looking at your insights, here are some ones you should consider if you want to learn and grow.
Audience Demographics
Knowing your audience is perhaps one of the most vital ways to grow on Instagram, and Instagram can give you an idea of who your audience is and if they match up with your target audience.
Instagram lets you see where your audience is from, their age range, the language they speak, their gender, and more. Different ages in different locations will have unique ways of being reached, and knowing who most of your audience is can help you with your content strategy.
Reach
Reach covers how many unique accounts have seen your posts. As a startup, you always want to reach new people and not stay in a smaller bubble. But sometimes, your reach may not be as far as you want.
If this happens, you must ask yourself why. Why are your posts not reaching enough people? Sometimes, it may be due to incorrect hashtags and keywords. It may be because you are not giving a strong enough CTA. Whatever the reason, figure it out and see if you can improve your reach.
Follower Growth Rate
This tells you how many followers you’ve gained over a period. As a startup, you want more followers, and if you’ve had a significant growth rate, that’s good. However, a low growth rate can accompany even large growth spurts. When this happens, you must ask yourself why this is. Sometimes, it can be due to a changing audience or your content grows stale. This is when you should change your content marketing strategy.
Engagement
Your engagement is how often your audience likes, comments, shares, and being active on your posts. A high engagement rate means your content will likely appear on Instagram’s Explore tab, allowing you to reach new audiences. A low engagement rate means it’s less likely to be seen by others.
How can you know what your engagement rate is? Instagram doesn’t give you this, but it does give you the likes and comments of a post. There is a formula that many believe to work, and that’s when you divide your number of likes and comments by your follower account. Then, multiply by 100. This should give you a percentage.
Instagram Story Views and Exits
Instagram Stories are a popular way to engage with people, and if you want to ensure that your Stories are doing well, one way is to look at how many views they have. The views a Story has need no introduction, but what are exits?
Exits are when your audience leaves your Story. Ideally, you want a Story that engages your audience from beginning to end to give you the best results. But if you notice that your audience is exiting on an earlier slide, this should raise a few eyebrows.
Investigate. Look critically at that slide and decide why you believe that it has more exits. Did it get boring? Was there some other reason why people exited? Find out.
Website Traffic
If you’re a business, chances are you have a website you use to conduct business with, and you have a link to that on Instagram. As a result, these analytics tell you how many of your followers and people looking at your account are visiting your website.
If your engagement is high, but your website traffic is low, why is that? Do you promote your website enough? Are you attracting an audience not interested in what you have to sell? Find out and make corrections.
Final Thoughts
When you use Instagram for business, it’s not a place where you should post random photos and videos. You need to have a content strategy and post consistently. In addition, your content should be what your target audience desires.
Analytics is a valuable tool in helping you know when you are on the right course and when your course needs correction. Check them regularly, and if you notice negative analytics, don’t fret. Knowing what works and what doesn’t lets you engage more people with your content.
And as usual, be sure to check every single analytics, as there may be some unique needs you have that this article did not cover.
