3 Instagram Metrics More Important Than Your Follower Count

3 Instagram Metrics More Important Than Your Follower Count

Ahhh, follower count. It’s a number that is all too easy to obsess over - your mood brightening every time the number ticks up or darkening every time a follower drops off. However, many users - both personal and professional - tend to put far too much weight on this number. Why? Well, there’s a few reasons.

Why does follower count not matter?

First of all, it’s all too easy to get fake followers - and even if all your followers are real people, are they all real customers? Your follower count does not give you an accurate count of how many people are truly interested in your brand. Wouldn’t you rather have 100 followers who actively pursue your product or service than 1,000 who have no interest in what you offer?

Instead of follower count, I suggest you look at these three metrics: reach, interactions, and audience breakdown.

How do I measure my success on Instagram?

If you have converted your Instagram page into a business account, it’s very easy to see your reach, interactions, and audience breakdown. On your profile page, there’s a button that says “Insights.” These insights are crucial to understanding if your efforts on Instagram are successful. The first metric we’ll focus on is reach.

What is my post reach on Instagram?

Your reach is, simply, how many accounts see you. This is important because it can help you determine if your content is being seen by new potential customers. To expand your reach, try out new hashtags, add your location, and most importantly - provide valuable content. Instagram will promote your post more if it sees that people are interacting with your content - in other words, your engagement.

What is my engagement rate on Instagram?

Your engagement rate is an indispensable metric. It tells you how many people are engaging with your content - liking, commenting, forwarding, or saving for later. Analyzing your engagement rate is a great way to see what your customers identify with and what resonates with them, so you can refine your content strategy going forward. Also, the Instagram algorithm increases your reach if it sees a post performing well.

Why is it important to look at my audience on Instagram?

Just as we said earlier, you can have a million followers on Instagram, but if none of them are buying what you’re selling, then that is ultimately worthless. Analyzing your current audience is an important step in knowing if your content is attracting your target audience. For example, if you’re a wedding photographer in Tampa and your target audience is brides-to-be in Florida, then you most likely don’t want your audience to be all male, all under 18, or all outside the US. You may want to rethink your content strategy going forward.

How can I use these metrics to improve my Instagram?

Analyzing your reach, engagement, and audience breakdown are essential in order to improve your Instagram and attract new clients. Consider the imagery, captions, and hashtags you’re using and if they appeal to your target audience. Look at the patterns of what does well and what does poorly and adjust. And if all this sounds like gibberish? I’m here to help - just send me a quick email!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susanna Moore is a writer and social media manager. A UF grad, Susanna has ten years of experience in marketing and social media management. You can usually find her with a coffee in hand, dreaming of her next trip. She lives in Tampa, Florida with her two cats.

For more social media tips and tricks, or full-service social media management, contact Susanna or visit Perfect Moments Marketing on Facebook. She can help you create a personalized hashtag strategy so you show up on the feeds you want to show up on.

And she has a new website also: https://www.perfectmomentsmarketing.com/