Table of Contents
QUICK SUMMARY:
Instagram metrics reveal how content performs and how audiences respond across the platform. By analyzing key data points—such as reach, engagement, conversions, and audience growth—agencies can refine strategy, identify trends, and optimize campaigns for better results. Consistent monitoring ensures Instagram efforts align with client goals, drive meaningful engagement, and support long-term business growth.
Instagram remains a powerhouse for digital marketers. But with shifting algorithms and more competition for attention, understanding your client’s performance data is more important than ever.
With over 1.4 billion users glued to the platform, the potential for growth is just unreal! But as any savvy content creator knows, it's not just about the numbers–it's how you make those numbers count. That's where Instagram metrics come in. They show what’s driving results, what needs optimization, and whether your strategy is truly supporting your client’s goals.
However, tracking performance in a meaningful way requires more than glancing at basic stats. So the burning questions remain: Which metrics matter most? And how do you turn those insights into action for your clients?
In this article, we're going to dig a little deeper. I'm talking about the 23 key metrics that should be on every marketing agency's watchlist. We’ll also share the importance of an all-in-one reporting solution to consolidate data, instead of relying on multiple third-party tools or tedious logins each time.
What are Instagram metrics?
Simply put, an Instagram metric is a qualitative measure of performance that reflects how a client’s content is performing. They show what’s driving results, what needs optimization, and whether your strategy is truly supporting your client’s business goals.
By monitoring these Instagram insights over time, you’ll be able to expand on high-performing content, make recommendations for future campaigns, and even discover top locations of untapped markets.
Why do they matter?
Instagram metrics provide measurable insight into whether content is contributing to real business outcomes. This is especially important for clients with professional accounts, since they’ll often prioritize strategic planning, social listening, and data beyond surface-level insights.
Without tracking performance, it’s impossible to determine if campaigns are generating meaningful engagement, driving traffic, or producing conversions.
For agencies, monitoring Instagram analytics helps:
Tie content performance directly to client goals.
Identify which formats and topics generate the strongest response.
Detect performance shifts early and adjust strategy accordingly.
Demonstrate clear ROI through structured reporting.
When decisions are backed by data, strategies become more focused, Instagram reports become more credible, and long-term growth becomes more predictable.
23 Instagram metrics to track
While each Instagram metric offers insight into overall performance, they measure different aspects of content effectiveness.
Below are the 23 most essential metrics to track and evaluate your client’s performance.
Awareness metrics
At the awareness stage, the goal is visibility. These key Instagram metrics show how effectively your client’s content is reaching new audiences and expanding brand exposure.
1. Views
Views measure how many times a client’s Instagram content is shown on screen.
A view is counted each time the client’s content appears, even if it’s seen multiple times by the same account. Because of this, views reflect content visibility and distribution, not unique users or engagement.
Use this metric to understand:
How widely a client’s content is being distributed by Instagram.
Whether posts, Reels, or Stories are gaining visibility beyond existing followers.
How awareness-focused campaigns are performing at the top of the funnel.
To better understand performance, views should be reviewed alongside engagement metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and saves.
Easily consolidate Instagram data across multiple client campaigns. Assess social media performance and make more strategic decisions; try AgencyAnalytics, free for 14 days.
2. Reach
Reach measures the number of unique accounts that have seen a client’s Instagram content at least once. In other words, reach doesn’t count multiple views from the same person.
It also provides more insight into overall content visibility beyond the number of followers or likes.
More specifically, reach is useful for:
Evaluating how far content spreads beyond existing followers.
Measuring the impact of awareness and brand-building campaigns.
Comparing visibility across different formats, such as Reels, posts, and Instagram Live.
When reviewed alongside views, reach provides valuable context. A high number of views with lower reach may indicate repeat exposure to the same audience. On the other hand, strong reach suggests content is being shown to a broader, more diverse set of accounts.
One way to support your client’s reach is to use relevant hashtags. That said, they work best when used alongside strong creative, keyword-rich captions, and engaging formats like Reels.
Agency Tip: Instead of maxing out all 30 hashtags, focus on a strategic mix of branded, niche-specific, and moderately competitive hashtags. Monitor performance over time to see which tags contribute to impressions and engagement. It’s also helpful to analyze competitors’ hashtag strategies and identify gaps where your client can differentiate.
3. Follower vs non-follower reach
Follower vs. non-follower reach shows what portion of your client’s Instagram content is seen by existing followers versus new audiences.
For quick reference:
Follower reach indicates how consistently content is reaching an established audience.
Non-follower reach shows how well content is being distributed through Explore, Reels, hashtags, and recommendations.
A higher share of non-followers often signals strong discovery and growth potential.
In a nutshell, this breakdown reveals whether content reinforces engagement with the current community or expands visibility beyond it.
Engagement metrics
Engagement metrics show how audiences interact with a client’s Instagram content after seeing it. These social media KPIs highlight actions like liking, commenting, sharing, or saving — all signals of interest, relevance, and content quality.
4. Likes
Likes show how many users reacted positively to a client’s Instagram content with a tap. While they’re a more lightweight form of engagement, they still indicate content resonance and audience interest.
Use this metric to:
Gauge quick, surface-level reactions to a client’s content.
Compare performance across posts and content formats.
Identify themes or visuals that consistently resonate.
Likes are best interpreted alongside other engagement metrics, as they don’t reflect deeper intent or interaction on their own.
Stream Instagram’s native analytics into a visual, professional dashboard. Track historical data, view insights from Instagram Stories, and more–explore AgencyAnalytics by signing up for a free 14-day trial.
5. Comments
Comments measure how many users took the time to leave a response on a client’s Instagram post. This metric reflects a higher level of engagement than likes, as it requires more effort and intent from the audience.
Comments help clients understand:
How conversation-worthy their content is.
Audience sentiment, feedback, and questions.
Which posts encourage discussion or community interaction.
Comment activity often signals meaningful engagement and a stronger audience connection. It may also signal purchase intent, uncover audience insights, and reveal topics worth expanding into future content.
6. Shares
Shares track how many times a client’s content is shared with others, either through direct messages or Stories. This metric indicates how valuable, entertaining, or relevant users find the content.
Generally speaking, shares suggest:
Content is resonating strongly enough to be passed along.
Increased visibility beyond the original audience.
Higher potential for organic reach and discovery.
To increase the chances of shares, focus on creating highly relatable content that solves a problem or sparks discussion. It also helps to repost visually appealing user-generated content, as posts from creator accounts may feel more authentic and encourage audiences to pass them along.
7. Saves
Saves measure how often users bookmark a client’s content to revisit later. This is one of the strongest indicators of long-term value and intent.
When users save your client’s posts, it shows that they’re seeing ongoing value or planning to return at a later point. Content with high saves often performs well over time, even if immediate engagement appears lower.
8. Engagement rate
Engagement rate measures how actively users interact with a client’s content relative to its visibility. It’s typically calculated by combining likes, comments, shares, and saves, then dividing by views or reach.
The only way to assess how your message is perceived is by studying the reactions to your content. Whether someone clicks, shares, or replies are the “facial expressions” and “words” that tell you how well your conversation is going.
Seth Giammanco, Principal–Strategy and Technology, Minds On Design Lab
Use average engagement rate to assess how compelling your client’s content truly is—not just how often it appears in feeds. It also helps your agency compare performance across posts and measure content effectiveness over time.
For more context, check out our free Instagram engagement rate calculator.
Access actionable insights without having to log into each client’s Instagram account. Monitor Instagram engagement, audience demographics, and other detailed metrics–try AgencyAnalytics, free for 14 days.
Community growth metrics
Community growth metrics track how your client’s Instagram audience evolves over time. They help determine whether gains in reach and engagement are translating into new followers.
9. Follower growth
Follower growth tracks the change in a client’s total follower count over a selected time period. This metric helps clients measure progress, identify spikes or drops tied to specific campaigns, and understand long-term performance beyond specific posts.
A consistent follower growth rate is a promising sign–it often indicates strong brand positioning and sustained interest. It may also show growing brand awareness, depending on the client’s industry or goals.
Bars and restaurants can use some metrics, such as the number of followers, as a gauge of how much buzz they are creating in their city.
Guy Hudson, Founder, Bespoke Marketing Plans
10. Follows per reach
Follows per reach measures the followers gained relative to the number of unique accounts reached. This metric helps evaluate how effectively content converts exposure into audience growth.
This metric:
Shows how compelling content is to new users.
Highlights which individual posts or campaigns drive the most follower conversions.
Provides context beyond raw follower growth numbers.
A higher follows-per-reach ratio suggests content reaches a significant number of users and motivates them to follow.
Share data that reflects your client’s unique goals and KPIs. Try the custom metric feature in AgencyAnalytics–sign up for a free 14-day trial today.
Intent + traffic metrics
Intent and traffic metrics show what audiences do after engaging with a client’s Instagram content. These metrics indicate that users are taking steps to learn more, start a conversation, or visit an external destination.
11. Profile visits
Profile visits reflect how many users viewed a client’s Instagram profile after seeing their content. This metric signals growing interest, as users are actively seeking more information about the brand.
Use this metric to assess:
Which content drives curiosity and brand exploration.
How effectively posts and Reels encourage next-step actions.
It also helps identify patterns in user behavior, revealing which campaigns, formats, or CTAs consistently drive profile traffic over time.
12. Website taps / link clicks
Website taps or link clicks track how often users click a client’s bio link or in-profile call-to-action. This metric shows how effectively Instagram content drives traffic to external websites or landing pages.
It’s also a good way to measure the traffic generated from Instagram, evaluate CTA effectiveness, and connect social performance to website activity.
Accurately measure the ROI of your social media efforts. Track conversions in Google Analytics and assess whether your client’s Instagram traffic converts–try AgencyAnalytics free for 14 days!
Reels (video performance)
Reel analytics focus on how a client’s video content performs on Instagram. These Instagram marketing metrics help evaluate how long users watch, how they interact, and whether the content holds attention.
13. Plays / views
Plays (or views) measure how many times a client’s Reel starts playing, including repeat views from the same account. This metric indicates how widely the video is being distributed across feeds, the Reels tab, and Explore.
Keep in mind that plays measure exposure, not retention. Pair this metric with watch time or completion rate to evaluate true engagement. Otherwise, you may just end up with a number that looks nice on paper but doesn’t meaningfully contribute to growth.
Any metric taken in isolation is a vanity metric. To understand performance, you need a range of KPIs, and they need to be analyzed together.
Paul Morris, Managing Director, Superb Digital
14. Watch time
Watch time measures the total time users spend watching a client’s Reel, while average watch time shows how long viewers spend on average.
These metrics help clients understand:
Whether videos hold audience attention.
How engaging content is beyond the first few seconds.
Opportunities to improve hooks, pacing, and video length.
To attain higher watch times, create strong hooks within the first few seconds and focus on delivering value early.
15. Reel interactions (likes, comments, saves, shares)
Reel interactions track how viewers engage with a client’s video content through likes, comments, saves, and shares. These signals show how compelling and valuable a Reel is beyond simple views.
Use this data to identify high-performing videos, reveal which content drives meaningful action, and measure engagement quality alongside watch time.
Story metrics
Story metrics help measure how a client’s short-form, time-sensitive content performs with their target audience. These Instagram insights focus on visibility and direct interaction, offering insight into how Stories prompt immediate responses.
16. Reach + impressions
Reach measures the number of unique accounts that viewed a client’s Story, while impressions track the total number of times the Story was viewed, including repeat views.
Together, these metrics help clients understand:
How many people are seeing their Stories.
How often Stories are being viewed by the same audience.
Overall visibility and consistency of Story performance.
To get a fuller picture, track Story completion rate alongside these metrics to assess how many viewers watch from start to finish.
17. DMs / replies
DMs and replies measure how often users initiate direct conversations or respond to Stories. These actions represent high-intent engagement, as users are choosing to interact one-on-one.
In some cases, DMs and replies indicate strong interest or purchase intent. When this happens, it’s an opportunity to build relationships, generate leads, and engage on a 1:1 basis.
For best results, create content that encourages personal interaction, such as questions, polls, limited-time offers, or prompts that invite Instagram followers to message directly.
18. Exits
This metric measures how many users leave a client’s Stories after viewing a specific frame. This metric helps identify where viewers lose interest or choose not to continue watching.
Monitor this metric to:
Understand which Stories hold attention and which don’t.
Identify drop-off points within a Story sequence.
Improve pacing, structure, and content relevance.
Instagram ads metrics
Instagram Ads metrics help clients understand how efficiently their paid campaigns perform and how ad spend translates into results. These social media analytics focus on cost, engagement, and return, making them essential for evaluating campaign effectiveness and optimizing budgets.
19. CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions)
CPM measures how much a client pays for every 1,000 times their ad is shown. This metric reflects the cost of visibility and awareness in paid campaigns.
This metric helps any business account to:
Understand the cost of reaching an audience.
Compare awareness efficiency across campaigns.
Identify audience or placement competition.
Enter your total campaign cost and total number of impressions to calculate your CPM (Cost per Thousand Impressions).
CPM: $0.00
20. CPC (cost per click)
CPC measures the average amount a client pays for each ad click, making it a key metric for traffic and consideration campaigns.
It reveals how efficiently ads generate clicks, the effectiveness of creative and targeting, and opportunities to refine messaging.
21. CTR (click-through rate)
CTR measures the percentage of users who click on a client’s Instagram ad after seeing it. It reflects how well the ad captures attention and motivates the intended audience to take action.
For clients, CTR provides insight into ad relevance, creative effectiveness, and targeting precision. A strong CTR suggests the content resonates, while a low CTR may signal the need to refine the offer, visuals, or audience selection.
22. Cost per result
Cost per result measures how much is spent to achieve a specific campaign outcome, such as a click, lead, conversion, or engagement. It links budget directly to campaign performance and clarifies the true cost of reaching an objective.
This metric makes it easier to evaluate efficiency, compare results across campaigns, and identify which strategies generate the strongest ROI.
23. ROAS (return on ad spend)
ROAS measures how much revenue is generated for every dollar spent on Instagram ads. It’s especially important for ecommerce and revenue-focused campaigns where profitability is the primary goal.
For clients, ROAS helps:
Evaluate the financial return of paid Instagram efforts.
Identify top-performing campaigns and products.
Make informed decisions about scaling or reallocating budget.
Show your clients exactly how their content strategy is performing. View Instagram metrics without logging into the app each time–explore AgencyAnalytics, free for 14 days.
Track and report Instagram metrics with the click of a button
There's no question that Instagram is a great social media channel. It’s fun, it’s an artistic outlet, and it lets you connect with their audiences.
As we’ve covered, if you want your agency’s Instagram marketing to be profitable, you’ll need to track the right metrics to showcase your agency’s efforts (and value).
Whether your client wants to track organic growth, impressions, or Instagram ad performance, use AgencyAnalytics to streamline the entire reporting process. Here are a few ways to get the most from our platform:
Use the social media report template to compile the top metrics that clients care most about.
Customize reports and dashboards based on your client’s unique needs or desired account insights.
Consolidate data from 80+ top social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and more.
Access reliable first-party industry benchmarks, sourced from 150,000+ campaigns and 7,000+ agencies.
No need for multiple Instagram analytics tools. Use a comprehensive reporting solution to create white-labeled reports, share performance based on a specific date range, and so much more!
View key insights like accounts engaged and post metrics, all in one place. Stream client data into a centralized hub–try AgencyAnalytics free for 14 days.
Your Instagram Metrics Questions, Answered
Let’s clear up the confusion around what to track, how often, and what it all really means.
Reach counts how many unique users saw your content. Impressions count how many times your content was displayed—even if it was to the same user multiple times. Both metrics appear in your account insights under insights overview.
To accurately measure Instagram engagement, track likes, comments, shares, saves, profile interactions, and replies from non-followers. Then calculate the average engagement rate as: (Total Engagements ÷ Total Followers) × 100. Check this under your posts section for specific posts. Or use a platform like AgencyAnalytics that does the calculations for you.
A good Instagram engagement rate is typically between 1% and 5%, depending on industry benchmarks, location, and follower count. Use it to gauge how well your Instagram content performs with your target audience. Higher rates show stronger audience connection and content performance.
Track total followers over a defined time frame using account insights. Review spikes after campaigns, compare top countries and top locations, and look at how many people interacted with content to evaluate growth trends. Or use an automated reporting platform like AgencyAnalytics, and have these metrics at your fingertips, automatically.
The most important Instagram metrics for agencies include accounts reached, impressions, engagement rate, follower growth, profile interactions, and traffic from the bio link. These key IG metrics help clients increase brand awareness and track ROI.
The best way to track Instagram metrics is with a platform like AgencyAnalytics that automates reporting, pulls up-to-date Instagram across all posts data automatically, and visualizes insights on custom dashboards. From video views to website traffic to specific metrics that matter to your agency, everything is in one platform.
To track traffic from Instagram, use UTM links in your bio link and check referral traffic in your analytics tools. Tap into account insights to see link clicks and profile actions over a chosen time period.
The easiest way to start tracking Instagram performance is to connect your client’s Instagram profile to AgencyAnalytics. It pulls in metrics from Stories, Reels, and posts—automating reports and creating professional dashboards in minutes instead of hours.
With AgencyAnalytics, agencies typically create a full Instagram metrics report in under 30 minutes. The platform auto-pulls data from your client's Instagram profile, tracks important indicators like accounts engaged and comments left, and builds a branded report—no manual work required.
Written by
Joe is the co-founder and CEO of AgencyAnalytics, a marketing reporting platform used by more than 7,000 agencies. With experience creating multiple businesses, he thrives on tackling the challenges of sustainable growth and innovation.
Read more posts by Joe KindnessWhat other agency experts are reading
The 7 Best Instagram Analytics Tools: A 2025 Comparison
Compare top platforms and determine the 7 best Instagram analytics tools to help grow your social media strategy.
How to create Instagram analytics reports: The 2025 guide (+tools and templates)
Learn how to create an Instagram report that stands out, offering clear analysis and client-focused insights, tailored for social media success.
Explaining Instagram Insights: How To View and Use Instagram Insights
Learn how to use Instagram Insights to track content performance and boost client campaigns, and how to streamline it all with AgencyAnalytics.
See how 7,000+ marketing agencies help clients win
Free 14-day trial. No credit card required.
