Keep reading to find out more about Instagram metrics.
Essential Instagram metrics to track
Feeling a bit overwhelmed? With a lot of information out there, it may be tough to determine which data really matters for your brand.
Here, we break down which Instagram metrics you need to track to achieve the goals that matter to you.
Account metrics
Engagement rate
How to calculate engagement rate:
Average across all posts: [Post interactions ÷ total follower count (or impressions) ✕ 100]
This metric is a baseline for evaluating how effectively your content is resonating with your audience and inspiring action. Note that this proportion will often dip as you gain more followers.
Almost all analytics tools will calculate this quantity for your account, as well as for each post.
As a result of some experts think the number of impressions is greater comparison than follower count, you might get a unique percentage from different calculators.
Follower growth rate
How to calculate follower growth rate:
Number of followers gained ÷ previous number of followers ✕ 100
If you don’t track growth over time, the number of your followers is pretty much just a vanity metric. That’s a wasted opportunity as result of no other Instagram metric has a bigger influence on organic reach.
(If one of your targets is increasing brand awareness, take a look at our tips for getting more Instagram followers.)
Website referral traffic
The number of people that visit your website from Instagram.
Monitoring the movement of traffic from Instagram to your website is essential if you want to increase your Instagram ROI.
There are three main methods to track website traffic from Instagram:
- Measure the number of people clicking the link in your bio;
- Measure the number of people swiping up in Instagram Stories;
- Use UTM parameters in your links. (UTM parameters can capture information from anyone who’s copy/pasted the link into their browser, messaged it to a friend, or been referred by an influencer.)
Individual post metrics
Post engagement rate
The right way to calculate post engagement rate:
Post interactions / total follower count (or impressions) ✕ 100
Engagements (likes, comments, and saves) show that you’re connecting with followers on Instagram. Some social media professions prioritize comments over likes because they take more effort and may indicate a higher level of interest.
Post comment rate
The way to calculate post comment rate:
Post comments ÷ total follower count (or impressions) ✕ 100
Alike is pretty easy to dish out, whereas you’ll need to pay attention to the people who take the step to leave a comment on your post.
If your targets involve building loyalty or nurturing relationships, count comments separately from total engagements, and work to lift that number specifically.
Impressions
The total number of times you publish posts was served to Instagram users.
The number of impressions a post earns can indicate how effectively you’re promoting your account and content.
Are you choosing the right hashtags? Cross-promoting successfully? Have you ever thought about advertising your posts with some ad spend?
Keep an eye on this number. Especially if your target is building awareness at the top of the sales funnel.
Reach
The total number of unique accounts that watched your post.
Your organic reach is related to the follower count you may have, but that’s not the entire story. It’s also related to how compelling your content is.
The more engaging your content is, the more people will watch it. That’s why it’s essential to understand how the Instagram algorithm works.
Instagram Stories metrics
Stories engagement
The way to calculate Stories engagement:
Total actions ÷ Total reach X 100
To track engagement on your Stories, add up the replies, profile visits, and sticker taps earned. These positive interactions can let you know what you’re doing right.
Completion rate
The way to calculate Stories completion rate:
The number of people that viewed the final Story segment ÷ Number of people that viewed the first Story segment X 100.
People who watch your Story all the way through indicates your content is connecting with your followers.
It’s also a good suggestion to keep an eye on all the navigational metrics for potentially negative feedback:
- Back (a.k.a., viewers need to watch the Story again—is it too fast?)
- Forward (a.k.a., skip it—is it boring?)
- Next Story (a.k.a., skip you—are you boring?)
- Exit (a.k.a., they went back to TikTok, ouch.)
Those are great suggestions for those who don’t mind a bit of tough love. Use this guide to up your game on Instagram Stories.
IGTV metrics
Average percentage watched
How a lot of your IGTV video the average viewer watches before clicking away.
The IGTV “video views” metric tracks anyone who watched for more than 3 seconds. That’s a great indication of initial interest, however, it’s not all that useful for tracking how effectively your video content related to followers.
Instead, track the average proportion watched to get a sense of how compelling your IGTV content actually is.
Reels metrics
Reel engagement rate
The way to calculate Reel engagement rate:
Reel interactions ÷ total follower count (or views) ✕ 100
Add up the total Reel likes, comments, shares, and saves, then compare that to either your number of followers or the number of viewers for the Reel.
Using your follower count in this figure will provide you with a sense of how compelling your Reels are for your overall audience while using the variety of viewers will provide you with a greater idea of how Reels perform against one another.
Live metrics
Live engagement rate
The way to calculate Live engagement rate:
Live interactions ÷ total follower count (or accounts reached) ✕ 100
Add up the entire Live comments and shares, then compare that to both your follower count or the number of accounts that Live stream reached.
Instagram Ads metrics
Click-through rate
The way to calculate ad click-through rate:
Clicks ÷ Impressions X 100
Click-through rate is a crucial metric to track, however, keep in mind that a better rate is not always what you’re looking for. If you’re paying for every click, you need to ensure your ad copy properly qualifies potential buyers so only those who are actually interested in your brand click through.
Conversions
For a lot of brands in eCommerce and B2B, this quantity is the ultimate goal. You need to sell your product, sign up for a new lead, or get an email address.
Cost per result
How to calculate cost per result:
Total amount spent ÷ number of results (for a specified time period)
How much did each of those conversions cost you? Keep an eye on this number to ensure you don’t pay more for conversion than it’s worth. You can find more information in Facebook Ads Manager.