You have likely heard the term analytics in relation to Instagram, as it is frequently mentioned. However, you may not be aware of all the nuances associated with this topic.
In this post, I aim to share my experience managing multiple Instagram accounts to clarify this topic, assisting you in further growing your account.
First, I will discuss the most important analytics for Instagram and how to access them. After that, I will cover the key analytics apps and their features.
Table of Contents
Key Instagram Analytics to Monitor
As you will discover, Instagram influencers have developed various sophisticated methods for tracking their growth and performance. These are commonly referred to as Instagram metrics and can be categorized into a few groups.
The following sections will discuss Instagram metrics, starting with the least important and progressing to the most significant:
Account Metrics
The primary aspect to focus on concerning Instagram accounts is their overall performance. This can be easily monitored by:
- The engagement rate, which shows the number of followers the account reaches
- Follower increase rate, which tracks the amount of lost and gained followers over a certain period of time. Most accounts grow at the rate of 1% per month.
- Best times for posting. This metric takes into account which time of the day brings in the most engagement from followers.
- Knowledge of target audience. Knowing the exact interests and needs of your audience demographics is essential. This will help you bring the best relevant content, which will have the most success.
Post Metrics
Post metrics are important and rank as the second most significant metric. Analyzing a post’s performance enables you to anticipate which types of posts will be successful in the future. Here are some key post metrics:
- The most talked about post metric is engagement rate. It counts the percentage of the audience that has interacted with your post. It can be checked using apps, but it is most commonly checked manually.
- The rate of comments is another big thing. We can look at comments as a subcategory of engagement, although it pays to view them as a separate entity. Having a good amount of comments is important for having a strong community.
- The amount of views is also essential. It is the most telling measurement of how well your content is performing.
Stories Metrics
Instagram stories are a fundamental aspect of Instagram. They serve as excellent tools to update your followers on recent events and to promote temporary content. Therefore, they are crucial for your Instagram account, and it is essential to know how to track them:
Here are two simple metrics to track the performance of your stories:
- The story engagement rate is useful for understanding the number of followers your story has reached.
- Another important metric is the number of full views. It is always good to know which content has performed so well that a user has watched it till the end.
Reels Metrics
When it comes to reel metrics, there are three key aspects to consider:
- The number of reel shares will tell us how many users liked the post enough to share it. This is big since Instagram counts shares, and the more shares a reel has, the more it will be pushed to new users.
- Then there are reel interactions. These are some basic things like the number of likes, comments, shares, and saves. Following these and comparing them to other posts is key to understanding what content works and what does not.
- Finally, the number of full views. Having users watch content till the end is the final goal. Knowing which users have done so and why will definitely help you grow in the future.
Checking Instagram Analytics
Now that you understand which analytics are important to track, the next logical step is for me to demonstrate how to monitor them.
On the Mobile App
When you need quick and detailed insights on Instagram, using the mobile app is the best option. Although the app does not permit exporting your analytics, it provides an excellent overview.
Here are the steps to check Instagram analytics within the app:
- Launch the Instagram app and go to your profile.
- Open the Professional dashboard, then click See all that is next to Account insights.
Now you can view an overview of all your content. This includes accounts reached, engagement metrics, content shared, and your total number of followers. There is also an option to select a timeframe for your statistics.
If you would like more detailed statistics for any of these, you can simply click on the right arrow next to the corresponding category.
On the Instagram Website
Using Instagram analytics tools on mobile is beneficial. They offer essential data while on the go, but if you seek more detailed insights, you will certainly need to explore additional methods.
There are two methods we can use to gain more Instagram insights on desktop: using the Instagram website and the Meta Business Suite.
The primary Instagram analytics tool is not accessible on the Instagram web version; the most you can do is click “View insights” under a post. This action will open a detailed popup screen that displays total shares, likes, saves, comments, and more.
The second tool that provides the most Instagram insights is Meta Business Suite. When you open this tool, you will see high-level insights for both Instagram and Facebook. A menu on the left will allow you to access more detailed Instagram metrics.
10 Best Instagram Analytics Tools
1. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a leading app for tracking and growing your Instagram account. They specialize in monitoring Instagram analytics and advertising.
This service allows you to schedule posts for automatic publication, track and monitor activity and trends, and manage messages from various social channels.
Hootsuite pricing begins at $49 for 1 user and 10 accounts, reaching up to $739 for 5 users and 35 accounts. Additionally, you can negotiate larger plans with them.
2. Pixlee
Pixlee is a marketing agency that asserts it can execute word-of-mouth marketing on a large scale. They provide a variety of services, but the one that stands out the most is their “Influencer Marketing” service.
Pixlee’s “Influencer Marketing” campaign can help you identify relevant competitors and enhance brand awareness among your target audience demographics. It manages and measures campaigns to effectively track the ROI of your influencer initiatives.
The company does not display any prices on its website, but you can complete a form for a demo and have them reach out to you with their rates.
3. Crowdfire
Crowdfire is a popular option for creators seeking to expand their Instagram following. Their plans offer excellent value, starting at $0.00.
The free plan allows you to schedule posts on three accounts at no cost, with a limit of ten posts per account. Additionally, it includes unlimited competitor tracking, providing you with curated feeds from various social media platforms and websites.
This service also offers Instagram analytics tools that can monitor data from 1 to 90 days. You can analyze your own analytics or those of your competitors. The duration of tracking depends on the subscription you select.
The highest-paid plan for this service costs just $74.98 per month. It enables you to link and manage 25 accounts simultaneously, schedule and auto-post 800 posts, track 20 competitors for each account, and much more.
4. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a prominent player in the Instagram marketing arena. They provide services that are neatly categorized into listening, publishing, engagement, and analytics.
- Listening is developed to help you gain actionable insights about the most recent trends.
- Publishing allows you to plan, organize and publish content with your team across all social media.
- The engagement category creates a streamlined inbox that features all your social media content for monitoring.
Analytics gathers all the data from your chosen social media platform and presents it using well-designed, straightforward graphs.
This service does charge a premium price, starting at $249 per month, with the most expensive plan costing $499 per month.
5. Minter.io
In contrast to other websites that provide a wide range of marketing services, Minter.io primarily focuses on Instagram analytics tools.
The first thing you will notice about this website is its extremely simple and refreshing interface. The tools function consistently; they are detailed, comprehensive, and easy to use.
Minter.io is an excellent tool for agencies, businesses, and brands. It allows you to track Instagram analytics for posts, stories, and your overall profile. All data points can be exported to a file and accessed using tools like Google Docs, Word, and others.
The service is somewhat limited compared to some of the previously mentioned apps, such as Sprout Social, but it is reasonably priced.
The starter plan is priced at $9, while the most expensive plan costs $39. The starter plan includes analytics, email reports, and audit scores.
The more costly plans will provide options for data export, the ability to add team members, quicker data updates, Instagram hashtag analytics, and more.
6. Rival IQ
Rival IQ is a prominent Instagram marketing service that provides a wide range of Instagram analytics tools and resources.
The primary selling point of Rival IQ is its user-friendliness, as highlighted by their slogan, “Powerful social media analytics. No data scientist required.” However, this efficiency comes at a substantial cost.
Rival IQ plans begin at $239 per month. This plan offers tracking for 10 companies, includes 6 months of data history, and provides 1 user account.
The second plan costs $329 per month, tracks up to 20 companies, provides 12 months of data history, and allows for 2 user accounts.
The highest-paid plan is priced at $519 per month. It can track 40 companies, provides 24 months of data history, and allows for up to 5 user accounts.
You can pay for these on an annual basis and save 15%.
7. Later
Later is one of the most prominent platforms in the online marketing space. You will recognize their professionalism as soon as you arrive at their well-designed website homepage.
The unique feature that Later offers is the ability to create bio links that can be used on any social platform. Typically, this link will direct users to a page containing additional links that connect your audience to your websites and other social media accounts.
The bio links are highly customizable, allowing you to make them unique and reflective of your brand. Additionally, they provide extensive analytics to help you assess the performance of your links.
In addition to these impressive bio links, they offer all the most common services, including scheduled posts and analytics tools.
Later pricing begins at $18 per month. This plan includes bio links, one social set (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.), 30 posts on each profile within the social set, and three months of analytics history.
The slightly more costly plan is priced at $40 per month and includes bio links, three social sets, 150 posts for each social profile, and one year of analytics history.
The most expensive plan at $80 per month includes bio links, 6 social sets, unlimited posts, 1 year of analytics history, and live chat support.
8. Smartmetrics
Smartmetrics is one of the best free Instagram analytics tools available. They provide an extensive range of Instagram insights, including over 30 metrics for accounts and more than 20 metrics for hashtags.
This tool can analyze followers’ geography, demographics, age, engagement rate, and competitor analytics. It also provides the option to export data in PDF and CSV formats.
Smartmetrics offers a free Instagram analytics tool for 14 days. If you wish to continue using it after that period, you can choose from one of their affordable plans.
The most affordable plan is $9 per month, allowing you to track analytics for 3 accounts. These accounts can belong to you or your competitors. The highest-priced plan is $39 per month, which can monitor up to 15 accounts.
The great thing about Smartmetrics is that even the most affordable plan includes competition tracking, which is uncommon among these types of services. Additionally, they offer a 25% discount if you purchase an annual subscription.
9. Hypeauditor
Hypeauditor is a tool designed to enhance essential Instagram metrics by leveraging advanced machine-learning technologies. It can analyze all analytics to identify fraudulent and fake engagement.
Hypeauditor’s vision system can analyze audience gender and age through visual detection technologies. This is certainly a novelty in this field, but it is incredibly useful, and we will likely see it much more in the future.
There is no publicly available official pricing for this service. To purchase it, you must complete a form on the Hypeauditor website and wait for their team to contact you.
10. Analisa
Analisa is an excellent app that provides free Instagram analytics and key metrics. Their website offers three tools: profile analytics, follower analytics, and hashtag analytics.
To obtain your free sample, simply enter your username in any of the three boxes provided when you visit the Analisa website. You can use the app once a day, but if you wish to use it without limitations, you will need to purchase a subscription.
Conclusion
Analytics is a crucial component of growing a successful and healthy Instagram account. By tracking and understanding analytics, we can identify what works and what does not. We can monitor analytics using Instagram’s built-in tools, as well as third-party tools.
When selecting the best tool for Instagram analytics, the decision primarily depends on the number of accounts you are managing and your budget. For larger campaigns with multiple accounts, I recommend Hootsuite, while for smaller influencers, “Later” is a suitable choice.
FAQ
How do I get Instagram analytics?
There are many ways to get Instagram analytics. You can check them via the professional dashboard on the Instagram app or use third-party services like u0022Lateru0022 and u0022Analisa.u0022
How do you analyze followers on Instagram?
The easiest way to analyze followers on Instagram is by using the website u0022Analisa.u0022 The website will have a box where you can enter your Instagram username. After filling out the box, it will provide you with a follower analysis.
What are the best analytics tools for Instagram?
For small companies and agencies, the best analytic tools are provided by ‘Smartmetricsu0022 and u0022Last.u0022 For bigger companies, I would recommend u0022Hootsuiteu0022 and u0022Sprout Social.u0022
Are insights on Instagram free?
Insights on Instagram are completely free. You can access them on the Instagram website, where there will be a blue button named u0022View Insights.u0022
