A complete guide to Instagram analytics (Insights) for artists
Paying attention to your Instagram analytics is key if you’re an artist seeking to grow your audience and expand your reach.
Understanding your Instagram analytics and leveraging these insights is vital for boosting your reach, engagement, and ultimately growing your career as an artist. Of course, the music should be the most important thing to you, as a musician. But, the life of an independent artist also means being a master marketer, especially on social media. Rather than shooting in the dark, getting to grips with your analytics will help you refine your strategy and get better results faster. If the thought of stats and data is stressing you out, we’re here to help.
Why Instagram analytics matter to musicians
Instagram is a powerful platform for connecting with fans, showcasing your brand, and promoting your music. Reports in 2024 heavily suggest that independent artists feel more at home on social media rather than DSPs like Spotify and Apple Music. Social media is where fans are also heading to connect with artists they love and feel part of a unique community. Now has never been a more key time to leverage platforms like Instagram. However, success isn’t just about posting content – it’s about understanding how that content performs. Analytics help you:
- Identify what resonates with your audience: Know which posts get the most engagement and why.
- Refine your content strategy: Focus on creating content that aligns with audience preferences.
- Measure growth: Track followers, engagement, and reach over time.
- Boost engagement: Tailor your posts to what your audience loves.
- Save time and effort: Focus on strategies and formats that deliver the best results.
At the end of the day, most artists just want to make music, share their music with people, and do it more and more. Harnessing Instagram analytics and insights can help significantly in making this a possibility.
Key Instagram metrics explained
You don’t have to bend over backwards trying to improve every single metric on Instagram all the time. But, understanding all of them will help you know which ones to prioritise in order to reach your specific goals more efficiently.
There is a variety of metrics that fall into certain categories, and that indicate different things. Here is a breakdown of all the main metrics you should take notice of on Instagram.
Engagement metrics
- Likes, comments, and shares: These metrics measure how your audience interacts with your posts. High engagement indicates your content is resonating with your followers.
- Engagement rate: Calculated as the percentage of interactions relative to your followers or reach. It’s a crucial indicator of content performance.
Reach and impressions
- Reach: The number of unique accounts that have seen your content. Reach helps you understand how far your content spreads.
- Impressions: The total number of times your content is viewed, including multiple views by the same user.
Follow metrics
- Follower growth: Tracks the increase or decrease in your followers over time. Monitoring growth helps gauge the effectiveness of your content and promotional activities.
- Follower demographics: Understand your audience’s age, gender, location, and activity times to tailor your posts accordingly.
Content performance metrics
- Saves: The number of users saving your posts for later reference. This indicates valuable or share-worthy content.
- Profile visits: The number of times users visit your profile after seeing your content.
- Website clicks: Tracks the number of users who click the link in your bio, often reflecting interest in your music or other offerings.
Stories and reels
- Story replies: Measures audience engagement through direct responses to your Stories.
- Taps forwards and backwards: Shows how users navigate your Stories. Backward taps suggest high interest, while forward taps may indicate a need for more engaging content.
- Reel plays and shares: Tracks how many times your Reel has been played and shared, signalling potential virality.
Where can you find Instagram analytics?
You’ll need to know where these data insights are and how to access them in order to utilise them.
To access analytics, you need a professional account (Business or Creator):
- Switch to a Professional Account:
- Go to your profile and tap the three lines in the top right corner.
- Select Settings > Account > Switch to Professional Account.
- Access Insights:
- Tap the Insights button on your profile or navigate to the Professional Dashboard.
- Explore Insights:
- View data for individual posts by tapping on a post and selecting View Insights.
- Explore Stories and Reels insights by swiping up on the respective content.
Tips to improve your Instagram analytics and performance
There are so many dos and don’ts when it comes to social media marketing for independent artists. If you’ve been trying different strategies and are wondering why your Instagram account isn’t growing, we’ve got some tips that should help you start seeing some positive growth.
- Post high-quality content – ensure your content is relevant to your audience and is consistent with your artistic identity
- Optimise posting times – experiment with posting at different times of day to see what works best with your audience
- Leverage Instagram’s features – incorporate the interactive elements on offer to engage your audience and keep your content varied
- Engage with your audience – respond to comments and direct messages to help build connections
- Use relevant hashtags – include a combination of broad and niche hashtags to increase reach
- Track and adapt – regularly review your analytics to identify trends and adapt your strategy
- Collaborate with others – work with other musicians and influencers for cross-promotion
- Test fresh ideas – experiment with content formats and your style to help find what feels natural without being stale
Summing up
Understanding and utilising Instagram analytics is a game-changer for artists and musicians who want to maximise their impact on the platform. Analytics provide valuable insights into what resonates with your audience, helping you refine your content strategy and make data-driven decisions. By focusing on key metrics such as engagement rates, reach, follower growth, and content performance, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your current approach and adapt accordingly.
Consistent improvement requires a proactive mindset – track your analytics regularly, experiment with new ideas, and embrace Instagram’s wide array of features. Whether it’s posting visually compelling content, engaging directly with your fans, or collaborating with other artists, your efforts can eventually translate into tangible growth.
Most importantly, Instagram analytics empower you to connect meaningfully with your audience, creating a loyal fanbase and strengthening your music career. These tools aren’t just about numbers – they’re about understanding and building relationships with the people who support your artistry.