Instagram Analytics Explained (Plus 5 Tools for 2023)

Instagram analytics is the backbone of any strong Instagram marketing strategy. All good marketing decisions are based on good data – and there’s a lot of data available to tell you what works on Instagram and what doesn’t, as well as inspire some ideas for new strategies you might want to try.

Instagram has 1.39 billion users who spend an average of 11.7 hours per month on the app. Nearly two-thirds (62.3%) of them use the app to follow or research brands and products. But during this time, a huge amount of content is fighting for their attention.

So where do you find the Instagram analytics data you need to refine your strategy? And what does it all mean? We cover all this in this post.

What is Instagram Analytics?

Instagram Analytics are tools that allow you to see key metrics and data related to your Instagram performance. This data can range from the most basic (such as how many people saw or liked a particular post) to very specific (such as what time your account followers are most likely to be online).

Tracking the data you can access through Instagram analytics is the only way to build an effective Instagram strategy. If you’re not tracking data, you’re just guessing what works.

You may get lucky and succeed just based on your intuition, but without numbers to back up your work, you will never be able to test, improve, or expand. Without data, you will also never be able to show the value of your work to your boss, team, client, or other stakeholders.

15 key Instagram analytics metrics

Instagram analytics can provide a wealth of data. So where do you start? Here’s our pick of the 15 most important metrics to track with Instagram analytics tools in 2023.

Instagram account metrics to track

1. Engagement Rate: The number of interactions as a percentage of followers or reach. This is the basis for assessing how well your content resonates with your audience and inspires action.
2. 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 subscriber growth is 0.98%.
3. Website Referral Traffic: How many visitors Instagram brings to your website. This is important if you want to increase your Instagram ROI and tie your Instagram efforts to off-platform goals.
4. Best Time to Post: What posting time gets the most response?
5. Audience Demographics: This is not a metric, but a group of important data that can help you understand what types of content are likely to perform best.

Instagram Feed Post Metrics to Track

1. Engagement rate after publication: the number of engagements as a percentage of subscribers or reach. You can calculate this manually, but good Instagram analytics tools will do it for you.
2. Post comment rate: The number of comments as a percentage of subscribers or reach. If your goals are related to building loyalty or developing relationships, keep comments separate from general interaction and work to specifically raise that number.
3. Impressions: The total number of times your post was shown to users. This may indicate how well you are promoting your account and content.
4. Reach: How many people saw your post. The more engaging your content is, the more people will see it, thanks to the Instagram algorithm.

Instagram Stories metrics to track

1. Story Engagement Rate: The number of engagements as a percentage of followers or reach.
2. Completion Rate: How many people view your story to the end. People viewing your full story indicate that your content is resonating with your fans.

Instagram Reels metrics to track

1. Reel Shares: How many users have shared your reel.
2. Interaction with videos: the total number of likes, comments, reposts and saves.
3. Dropout Rate: How many people stop watching to the end.
4. Views vs. TikTok: How many people watch a video compared to the equivalent TikTok?

For more details on all the Instagram metrics you should be tracking based on your platform goals, and how to track and calculate them, check out our full Instagram metrics blog post.

How to view Instagram analytics

Now that you know what to track, here’s how to view Instagram analytics data on your phone or computer.

On mobile (using Instagram Insights)

If you need quick insights on the go, Instagram Insights offers basic Instagram analytics for free in the Instagram app. There is no option to export the data to a report, but it gives you a good basic overview of your Instagram results.

1. Open the Instagram app, go to your profile and click Professional Dashboard.
2. Next to Account Statistics, click View All.
3. View an overview of your content, including achieved accounts, engagement, total followers, and total content. In the top menu, you can select the timeframe to view.
4. To delve deeper into any of these metrics, click the right arrow next to the relevant category.

On desktop

Navigating analytics on your phone is great for quickly tracking your Instagram metrics on the go, but it’s not the best when you’re trying to analyze your data and growth over time, comparing results to your performance on other social platforms. or create a social media report. Here’s how to access Instagram analytics on a computer.

Using Instagram

The main Instagram Insights tool isn’t available on a computer, but you can get some basic analytics on individual web posts right from your Instagram feed.

Click “View Stats”below a post in your feed to open a pop-up showing the total number of likes, comments, saves, direct messages, profile visits, and reach.

To get more Instagram analytics online, you need to switch to other tools.

Using Meta Business Suite

To access a real native analytics solution on desktop, you need to switch to Meta Business Suite.

1. Open Meta Business Suite and click on Insights. On the overview screen, you will see top-level statistics for Facebook on the left side of the screen and Instagram on the right side.
2. Click on any of the categories in the left menu for more details on your Instagram and Facebook metrics.
3. To view specific Instagram content metrics without Facebook data to distract you, click on “Content”in the left menu under the “Content”heading. Next, open the Ads, Posts, and Stories drop-down menu and uncheck the Facebook options.

Using Hootsuite

1. Go to the Hootsuite Dashboard and click the Analytics icon in the sidebar.

2. Select your Instagram review (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 rates (no calculations) to audience demographics and the sentiment of your inboxes.

3. Use the buttons on the top navigation bar to share data with colleagues or export metrics and charts to a custom report in PDF, PowerPoint, Excel, or. csv.

Get Hootsuite Professional Free for 30 Days

5 Instagram analytics tools for 2023

Analytics for Instagram goes far beyond the data provided in Instagram’s own analytics app. Here’s our top pick for more robust Instagram analytics tools that provide the detail and flexibility you need for professional Instagram analysis.

1. Houtsuit

The social media analytics built into the Hootsuite pro plan lets you see an overview of your Instagram metrics right in your social feeds, so you can always see your most important results at a glance.

Think of it as your daily top-level data retrieval and being able to spot any unusual bursts of activity every time you look at your dashboard.

If you want to dig deeper, you can view all your Instagram metrics on one screen in the Instagram Overview Report, or jump to specific metrics and custom reports that you can tailor to our own needs. Then download and share with other stakeholders in your organization with just a couple of clicks.

For example, you can use the Best Time to Post analytics feature to know when your audience is online and get personalized recommendations on when to post based on your specific goal: reach, awareness, or engagement.

Start Free 30 Day Trial

Hootsuite allows you to track Instagram analytics in more detail than native Instagram statistics. For example:

• Track and analyze data from the distant past: Meta Business Insights only allows you to view data for three years, so you can’t track the long-term progress of your Instagram account.
• Compare metrics over specific time periods to get a historical perspective: Most analytics provide comparisons for short time periods, such as a week or a month. In Hootsuite, you can compare any time period you choose to get an idea of ​​your progress on your own timeline.
• Find out the best time to post: These individual recommendations are based on an analysis of your past engagement, reach, and clicks data.
• Create custom reports in multiple formats that you can download or share with just a couple of clicks: You can also schedule reports to arrive in your inbox (and messages from your teammates) on a set schedule so you never forget or you don’t have to manually search for the data.
• Look at the mood (positive or negative) of the comments on your Instagram posts: engagement numbers only tell you what people are saying, while sentiment analysis shows you whether their comments are good or bad in general.
• Compare Instagram Reels and TikTok to get an idea of ​​where to focus your efforts: here are the up-to-date statistics to consider. Just over half (52.2%) of Instagram users also use TikTok. But 81% of TikTok users also use Instagram. You may or may not reach the same audience on both platforms, but only a side-by-side comparison can tell you which results in more engagement.

2. Keyhole

Keyhole specializes in Instagram hashtag analytics and keyword tracking, as well as all the usual Instagram metrics.

It can be used to measure the performance of branded hashtags, and track promotions, user-generated content, and Instagram contests in real time. It’s also a useful tool for tracking Instagram analytics when you’re working with influencers.

3. Minter.io

Minter.io is an analytics solution that provides in-depth insights about Instagram on PC and mobile devices. It monitors audience changes daily and refines content hourly.

An interesting feature is the ability to compare your core Instagram metrics with a group of related accounts. You’ll also be able to track top followers and even filters to help your content get the best results.

4. Skverlovin

Squarelovin’s Instagram analytics tool lets you track specific KPIs so you understand how your Instagram efforts are paying off and what content is performing best.

5. Panoramic ideas

This simple yet powerful Instagram analytics tool allows you to track and report on follower and activity analytics, as well as detailed reports on your Instagram posts and stories. You can export your reports to PDF or. csv.

Free Instagram Analytics Report Template

Instagram analytics data is most useful when compiled into a report that allows you to compare results and spot trends. We have created a free Instagram analytics report template that you can use to fill in your data and post the results.

If you’d rather get Instagram analytics reports automatically, check out Hootsuite’s built-in Instagram analytics. Three Instagram analytics report templates are built into Hootsuite analytics to automatically generate reports on engagement, your audience, or post performance.

Frequently Asked Questions About Instagram Analytics

In case you still have questions about how to use analytics for Instagram, here are some important basics.

How to get analytics on Instagram in 2023?

To access Instagram analytics, you need a Business or Creator account. If you’re still using a personal account, check out our step-by-step instructions to switch to an Instagram Business account now.

Is there a free Instagram analyzer?

Instagram Insights is Instagram’s free built-in analytics solution. This built-in analytics tool in the Instagram app provides information about the performance of your account, including reach, engagement, followers, and ads on Instagram. However, as noted above, it has some limitations which means it might not be the best tool for serious social marketers.

What is the difference between Instagram analytics and Instagram metrics?

Metrics are individual data points, such as how many people liked a particular post or the number of your followers. Analytics, as the name suggests, is based on analysis. So instead of just counting, analytics is designed to track and measure results over time.

What are Instagram analytics tools?

Data is difficult to process without context. Instagram analytics apps and tools help you track, understand, and use Instagram metrics and results.

Why bother with analytics for Instagram?

If you want to just throw content at the wall and see what sticks, no matter what, go ahead. But if you want to understand who your audience is and what content they like, you need Instagram analytics.