How to Make the Most of the Free Instagram Reporting and Analytics

You may not realize it, but Instagram has many free reporting and analytic features built right into the app. Using these features will give you important insights into your Instagram marketing strategy. From there, you can more easily determine what changes you need to make and when to make them.

The following information should help you get the most out of the free reporting and analytics already included in Instagram.

An Overview of Instagram Insights

The main feature that you will use for reporting and analytics is called Instagram Insights. Keep in mind that you can only view it on the mobile app, not on desktop.

You can use Instagram insights to view data on metrics such as performance, followers, and more. You will see overall trends and specific insights for various posts, reels, videos, Stories, and Live videos. If you have ads, paid activity is also included in the reporting.

If your Instagram account hasn’t always been a creator or business account, you will only be able to see insights since you changed it to one of those account types.

Where to Find Insights

To access Instagram Insights, you must have a creator or business account on Instagram. Consider making the switch to this type of Instagram account to take advantage of the features in this guide and other tools.

With a creator or business Instagram account, viewing your insights is as simple as navigating to your portfolio. From there, just tap the “Insights” action button. Alternatively, you can click on the three horizontal lines in the top right corner and then select “Insights.”

You will see an overview of your insights on this page. But you can access specific content or any of the metrics under Overview. Doing so will show you more detailed information for that particular piece of content or metric.

From there, you will be able to adjust the timeframe of the insights. You can choose one of the preset time frames or create a custom timeframe. This is limited to the last 90 days, and preset timeframes are the Last 7 Days, Last 30 Days, Previous Month, and Last 90 Days.

What to Expect from the Insights Overview

The overview portion of the insights will show you the following information for your chosen timeframe:

• Number of accounts reached
• Number of accounts engaged
• Total followers
• Approximate earnings

You will also be able to see some demographic data. This data depends on the information that users give in their Instagram and Facebook profiles as well as data from other sources.

Tapping on any of the metrics gives you more details about it.

The Recent Highlights Section

You will also notice a section in the insights called Recent Highlights. This will showcase any significant increases in your account performance within your chosen timeframe.

Insights Available for Specific Posts, Reels, Videos, Stories, and Live Videos

When you look at a specific post, reel, or video, you will be able to see detailed information about the accounts reached, accounts engaged, plays, ads, and content interactions.

To see this information, just select “View Insights” under the content in question. For Stories and IG Live videos, you just swipe up on the content.

To get the most out of Instagram Insights, you need to know what they measure. Here are the details for the most important metrics.

• Accounts Reached

  This metric lists the number of unique accounts that have viewed your content at least once. For reels, the number refers to the unique accounts that have seen the reel on their screen, even if it wasn’t played. Keep in mind that reach only counts unique accounts, while impressions can include multiple views by the same account.

  It includes demographic information on those accounts, including the following:

  • Gender breakdown
  • Top countries
  • Top age ranges
  • Top cities

  Importantly, that demographic data is only available if you have reached more than 100 accounts and are using preset timeframes. Because of that threshold of 100 accounts reached, increase your preset timeframe if you can’t view demographics for your chosen timeframe.

• Accounts Engaged

  This metric tracks the number of unique accounts that have actually interacted with your content. You can have the same demographic breakdown with the same restrictions, so you need at least 100 accounts engaged, and you must apply preset timeframes.

  In the case of posts, Instagram Live, and stories, this metric is further broken down into non-followers and followers.

• Total Followers

Look at this data to see the trends within your followers. You will need to have 100 followers to see this information. The metrics include the following:

• Growth (increase or decrease in followers)
• Age range
• Top locations
• Times of the most activity

Other Terms You’ll Encounter in Instagram Insights

As you look at your insights, you will also encounter the following sections.

• Content You Shared

  This includes the content you posted and also boosted in your feed, video, and stories within your timeframe. Since this metric shows only the content you boosted, you can navigate to the media library to see all posts. In the media library, you can view content by reach, interactions, timeframe, and media type.

• Content Interactions

  This refers to the actions that people have made when engaging with your content. It includes the following:

  • Replies
  • Shares
  • Saves
  • Comments
  • Likes

• Ad

  You will only see this section for posts you have boosted.

• Plays

  Plays include when someone clicks on the video to play it as well as when a video starts automatically.

Note That Many Metrics Are In Development

When using Instagram insights, keep in mind that a lot of the metrics are still in development and are estimates. As such, the figures may change quickly.

If you want more in-depth analytics and reporting, there are numerous third-party tools designed to evaluate your Instagram profile. These include both free and paid options, so you will have to decide which program works best for you.

Conclusion

Instagram includes a variety of metrics and data points for users with creator and business profiles. You can view these when logged into your creator or business profile on a mobile device. Use those metrics wisely, and if necessary, supplement them with analytics from third-party reporting.