Six Instagram Metrics to Measure Success

By Cecilia Ugarte, Marketing Intern @ Foodie Tribe

Do you know which Instagram metrics you should be tracking to measure success? If not, you've come to the right place! Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, so if you are trying to grow your account or business, these are the metrics you should be keeping an eye on. In order to see what is working well and what you should do differently, you must track performance on multiple social media platforms, especially if you are a marketing agency managing social media for clients. 

If you find that you’re tactics are lacking in some areas, you can always adjust your strategy and work on keeping your numbers high. The beauty of social media is that nothing is permanent! You can always try different strategies, keep the ones that work, and nix the ones that don’t.

Here are the recommended metrics everyone should be tracking on Instagram: 

1.Follower Growth Rate

Measuring your follower count and growth rate over time is important when it comes to expanding its reach and its audience. If you begin to notice sustained, gradual growth over time, it means your audience enjoys the content you post and would like to see more of it. With this being said, a high follower count can add brand credibility, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that your marketing campaigns and Instagram strategy is working. Understanding what works or does not work is essential because you need to keep track of the content that does well and the content that needs improvement.

2.Engagement Rate

This refers to the amount of people who engage with your content, in relation to your follower count. Recently, Instagram has been constantly changing their algorithm and about 70% of Instagram posts do not get seen by anyone, which makes it extremely important to ensure your posts are being seen. At Foodie Tribe, we like to calculate engagement rates based on impressions. Calculating your engagement rate using impressions, rather than the number of followers your account has, gives you a better look at how people react to the content you post. By looking at the number of impressions, number of people that actually saw your post, and number of people that took action, you will receive a more accurate representation of your engagement rate.

3.Instagram Story Engagement: 

Instagram stories, which consist of videos or photos, are different from regular content because they disappear after 24 hours, making it more difficult to track engagement. In order to track this metric, you can use Instgram’s analytics tool called Insights, which you can only access if your profile is a business account. The main metrics to focus on are story views and exits, so you can see if the number is increasing and what content holds the most attention. If you post multiple stories and many people exit the story before getting through all of them, they probably lost interest.

4.Website Traffic: 

Despite not being able to add clickable links to an Instagram post, Instagram is still one of the most powerful social media platforms that drives traffic to your website. Referral traffic is a term that describes people who find your website through other platforms, rather than a search engine. One way to check your social network referral traffic or see if someone found your page through a social media link, is by using Google Analytics to see how much traffic Instagram has sent your way, including bio link click and Instagram story clicks. Another way is by using UTM codes that allow you to track where these visits come from.

5.Reach 

Reach is the metric that shows how many people are actually seeing your content. In order to see your Instagram insights, you must turn your profile into a public business account or creator account. One way to increase your reach is by using hashtags, which can help content reach a wider audience outside of your followers. Along with reach, you can also track your Reach Rate, which you can calculate by dividing the total reach of your post by the total number of followers you have. 

6.Comments Per Post: 

There is a huge difference between like and comments when it comes to an Instagram post and performance metrics. Commenting on a post requires time and thought, showing true interest in a post, rather than a simple double-tap. Tracking this type of engagement is important because if the number begins to decrease with each new post, figure out what kept them engaged before and adjust your strategy. This type of engagement, especially when it is positive, affects community building and can establish a loyal fanbase. 

Ready to dive into your social media strategy? We’re here to help! Reach out to Foodie Tribe today to learn more about how we can help your refresh your social media strategy and track the right metrics.