If you market your company through Instagram, then Instagram analytics tools like Instagram insights are essential.
Learn how you can use Instagram insights to improve your business’s social media marketing strategy and increase sales
What are Instagram insights?
Instagram insights are key metrics available to users with an Instagram business account.
From individual post performance to audience demographics, insights are available for data produced within the past 90 days. They can help you understand your audience and the Instagram algorithm.
How to access Instagram insights
Instagram analytics tools are straightforward to use from your Instagram business profile.
From your profile page in the Instagram mobile app, tap “Professional dashboard” near the top of the page, then tap “Account insights.”
Alternatively, tap the menu button in the top right-hand corner, then hit “View insights.” Once you’ve accessed the Insights overview page, you can scroll through a variety of profile activity metrics, including content interactions, link clicks, content reach, and more.
Tip: If you can’t access insights, your profile may be set to the default personal account.
To make it a business account, tap the menu button in the top right corner of your profile page, then tap “Settings and Privacy.” From there, tap “Accounts Center,” then choose “Account type and tools.” At the bottom of the screen, select “Switch to a professional account.”
Next, navigate the prompts to choose a category that describes your business. When asked if you are a business or a content creator, be sure to tap “Business.” Next, enter your company’s contact information and decide whether to link to your Facebook page.
Important Instagram insights to track
Insights provide the following information:
Accounts reached
Accounts reached is the number of unique accounts that have seen your content at least once in a specified period of up to 90 days. It also displays demographic information, including country, city, age, and gender, so you can see if your posts are reaching enough of the right people. Use this data to refine your content approach. For example, comparing accounts reached to follower growth and engagement rates shows if you’re converting views into meaningful interactions and long-term followers. If you’ve reached many accounts but your follow count stayed the same, there might be a disconnect with the content you’re posting.
Profile activity
Profile activity shows how users interact with your entire profile. View the number of profile visits, website clicks, and email or call button taps to see where your audience engages, gauge interest in overall brand presence, and determine the effectiveness of your bio and call-to-action (CTA) buttons.
This information will help you optimize profile elements such as bio content, link placement, and contact options.
You can see Profile activity in the Accounts reached tab.
Accounts engaged
Accounts engaged is the number of unique accounts that have interacted with your content. This view also includes demographic information for the accounts you’ve engaged, including top countries and cities, age ranges, and gender breakdowns.
With Accounts engaged, you can determine if your content inspires action. See which types of posts resonate with your audience and use this information to fuel your content strategies.
Total followers
Total followers shows how your follower count has increased or decreased over a specific period. (Note, you need more than 100 followers for this feature to work). It also displays your account followers’ age range and the times of day they are most active—a key point that can help you know when to schedule your posts for optimal impact.
Content you’ve shared
Insights give you the power to dive into the stats for specific Instagram posts. These post performance metrics include impressions, likes, comments, shares, saves, profile and website visits, and discovery, which shows how many non-follower accounts your post reached.
This helps you see what kind of content your audience enjoys so you can create more of it.
Engagement rate per post
The engagement rate per post displays how well individual pieces of content resonate with your audience. This metric calculates the percentage of engaged users (those who like, comment, save, or share) relative to the total number of accounts that saw that post.
With this metric, you get a quick picture of which content types, themes, or formats generate the most engagement. Use this information to experiment with post elements, like captions, visuals, or CTAs, and to measure their impact on engagement.
Top-performing posts and content types
Sorting by content type shows which formats—e.g. photos, carousels, videos, or Reels—generate the best metrics. By analyzing top performers, you can spot common themes, styles, or topics your audience likes.
Use these insights to inform decisions about what visuals to include, what topics to cover, and which content types to prioritize.
Audience demographics
Followers insights provide a clear idea of who your followers are and where they’re geographically based. This data typically includes age ranges, gender distribution, and top cities or countries.
Track these metrics to understand your target audience’s characteristics and create content that speaks directly to their interests and needs. Use location information to adjust posting times to audience time zones, or to develop location-specific campaigns.
Understanding exactly who your audience is can also inform product development and overall marketing strategies. For example, if you notice a significant following from an unexpected location, you might consider localizing content or exploring opportunities in that market.
How to use Instagram insights
Here’s how you can use Instagram insights to level up your Instagram game.
1. Use metrics to inform what and when to post
Insights show which of your posts garner the most engagement. This can help you determine what type of content (video content, product photos, infographics, how-to carousels, etc.) to post. Follower activity can also inform the best time of day to post for maximum impressions and engagement.
2. Follow demographics to explore new markets
Insights can show if your followers come from a certain city, state, or country, data that can inform your Instagram marketing strategy in those locations and help you develop a closer relationship with your customers. Since Insights provides age and gender data, you can also learn which posts are broadly appealing and use that information to expand your target market.
3. Grow your follower base and push sales
Using Insights can help you discover what types of posts generate new followers, website clicks, and conversions. As you gain a better sense of what works and what doesn’t, Insights can help you make the case for adjusting your social media marketing strategy.
Instagram insights FAQ
Are there any limitations to using Instagram insights?
Insights are only available through the Instagram app and are not accessible via computer. Certain Instagram insights (like the number of times a post gets shared) are geo-locked and available only outside Europe. Other features, such as the “Total followers” metrics are available only once your page has at least 100 followers.
How often is Instagram insights updated?
Data is updated every 24 hours. When viewing your Insights, Instagram offers several preset time frames: the past 7, 14, 30, or 90 days.
Can you see how competitors are performing on Instagram through Insights?
>No. There are third-party social media tools such as Sprout Social and Supermetrics that can help your business compare and contrast your social media performance against competitors, but Instagram insights does not offer that service.
Can you see insights past 90 days on Instagram?
No, you can only view data from your Instagram account over the previous 90 days.
Can you export data from Instagram insights?
No. Instagram does not offer a method for exporting your business’s data from Insights.
Does Instagram insights show who views your profile?
No, it doesn’t show exactly who views your profile. While it does show the total number of accounts that viewed your profile and how this number has changed over time, it doesn’t share the specific usernames or accounts of individuals who viewed your profile.
