Are you unsure which Instagram metrics to focus on? In today’s post, I’ll break down the essential Instagram metrics every social media manager should know. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your strategy, understanding these metrics is crucial for aligning your social media efforts with your business goals.
The Importance of Tailoring Instagram Metrics to Your Business
When it comes to determining what Instagram metrics to focus on, it really depends on your specific type of business, the goals you have, and your unique buyer journey. No two businesses are alike, and as a social media manager, you need to dig into these three things. Otherwise, you’re going to be posting and creating content blindly, whether for yourself or your clients, and you won’t fully understand where all your social media efforts are going.
Why Understanding Your Goals is Crucial
Instead of randomly picking a metric to focus on—such as follower growth—you need to understand why your business wants to focus on that. What’s the overall objective? By doing so, you can align your social media strategy with those specific goals. Often, companies and brands focus on the wrong metrics, such as vanity metrics like likes or follower count, without considering how those metrics affect their bottom line. While growth can indicate that you’re doing something right, it can also mean you aren’t attracting the right people to your page—people who are actually interested in engaging or purchasing down the line.
Real-World Examples of Misaligned Metrics
A great example is a client I had while working for an Instagram marketing company. She was a jewelry designer with over 300k followers but complained that none of them were buying. A deeper look revealed that most of those followers were bought, adding no real value to her business. They weren’t interested in her brand, engaging, or purchasing. Despite her large follower count, her account wasn’t helping her reach her business objectives—selling her jewelry and converting followers into customers.
Another viral example is an Instagram influencer with over 2.5 million followers who failed to sell just 36 shirts during a launch. Even if 1% of her audience bought her merch, that would have been 25k t-shirts, but she only sold 36. This highlights the importance of focusing on the right Instagram metrics and aligning social media efforts with goals and the unique buyer journey.
Understanding the Buyer Journey
There are three phases a customer goes through before purchasing a product or service: Awareness, Consideration, and Decision. As a social media manager, you need to understand each phase to develop the right content strategy for your audience or clients.
Awareness Phase
This is typically the first goal for business owners or brands, especially when starting an account from scratch. It’s about making potential customers aware of your business or brand and the products or services you offer. Key Instagram metrics to focus on in this phase include growth, impressions, and reach.
Follower Growth: Track how many people are liking your content and pressing follow to see more. However, remember that follower growth isn’t the end-all-be-all, especially if you aren’t attracting the right people or nurturing your audience.
Impressions: The total number of times your content is seen.
Reach: The total number of unique users that see your content. Impressions are often higher than reach because multiple views from the same user count as multiple impressions.
Consideration Phase
In this phase, potential customers know who you are and are considering if you’re the right solution for their needs. Focus on building your personal brand, connecting with your audience, and emphasizing your unique selling points. Key metrics here include:
Engagement Rate: The number of interactions a post receives divided by how many people saw it. Increase engagement by focusing on content types your audience responds to, engaging with your audience, and including calls to action.
Website Taps: How many people click on your website link from social media. This can be found in Instagram Insights under Profile Activity.
Decision Phase
This phase is about converting potential customers into paying customers. Conversions don’t always involve monetary transactions; they can also mean signing up for newsletters, inquiring about services, or adding products to carts. Metrics to track include:
Conversion Rate: How many followers become customers.
Link Clicks: Track how many people are clicking on product or service links.
Sales: Measure actual purchases made through Instagram.
Conclusion
By understanding your buyer journey and unique goals, you can create an aligned Instagram content strategy and determine if your content is moving the needle forward in your business. Instead of posting just to please the algorithm, each post should have a purpose and intention. Know what Instagram metrics to focus on based on your own unique business and goals.
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The Tropical Social Podcast
Your go-to podcast for social media managers, freelancers, and service providers who want to stand out online and build a brand that lasts.
Whether you're dreaming of working from anywhere, building a business that supports your lifestyle, or simply wanting your marketing to finally click, The Tropical Social Podcast is here to help you make it happen.
Through honest conversations, actionable tips, and behind-the-scenes insights, host Shannon Segall shares the tools you need to grow a personal brand, attract aligned clients, and market yourself without burning out.
