Every small business owner has done it. You hit “post” on a new photo or Reel, then you wait, refreshing the page every few minutes to see how many likes it gets. If the numbers are high, you feel a rush of validation.
If they’re low, you feel a twinge of disappointment. But here’s the truth: focusing on likes is a vanity metric. It feels good, but it doesn’t tell you anything useful about how your content is performing or if your account is actually growing.
What if you could look past the likes and see the real story? What if you knew exactly which posts were getting you new followers, driving traffic, and building a loyal audience?
That’s where Instagram analytics come in. Think of your analytics dashboard as a powerful GPS for your growth. It tells you what’s working, what’s not, and where to go next. In this guide, we’ll break down the 5 most important metrics you should be tracking—and exactly how to use them to stop guessing and start growing with a smart, data-driven strategy.
1. Saves: The Ultimate Signal of Value 💾
Likes are nice, but saves are the real golden ticket. A like is just a quick tap; a save is a deliberate action that says, “I need this information for later.” When a user saves your post, it means your content is so valuable and actionable that they want to revisit it.
Think of it like bookmarking a webpage. People save things they want to learn from, reference in the future, or apply to their own lives. A high number of saves on your post tells you a few key things:
- Your content is a problem-solver: You’re directly addressing a pain point or providing a helpful solution.
- Your content is evergreen: The information you’ve shared isn’t just a one-time thought; it has long-term relevance.
- Your content is a “keeper”: You’ve created a piece of content that is so useful, it earns a spot in someone’s personal library of knowledge.
The Instagram algorithm sees saves as a major indicator of quality. A post with a high number of saves is often pushed to more users because the platform recognizes it as a valuable resource. So, when you look at your analytics, go straight to the save count. A high number here means you’re on the right track.
2. Shares: Your Content is Worth Spreading 🗣️
A share is the ultimate form of endorsement on social media. It’s a user saying, “This is so good, my friends need to see it.” When someone shares your post to their Story or sends it in a direct message, they are literally marketing for you, and that’s pure gold.
The Instagram algorithm views shares as a massive signal of quality and relevance. It reasons, “If this many people are sharing this post, it must be incredibly valuable or entertaining.” As a result, the algorithm will often push highly-shared content to more people who don’t yet follow you, increasing your potential for virality and new followers. A high share count on your post tells you:
- Your content is highly relatable: You’ve created a meme, quote, or piece of advice that resonated so deeply, people want to send it to their friends.
- Your content is a conversation starter: You’ve sparked a thought or provided information that people want to discuss.
- Your content is a powerful recommendation: Your audience is endorsing your brand to their personal network, which is the most valuable form of word-of-mouth marketing.
When you see a post with a high share count, you know you’ve hit a home run. Analyze what made that post so shareable, and then create more content with a similar theme or format.
3. Reach: Your Content’s True Audience 📈
Reach is one of the most important metrics to watch because it tells you exactly how many unique users saw your content. Don’t confuse this with impressions—impressions are the total number of times your post was seen, but a single person could have seen it multiple times. Reach tells you the total number of individual people you connected with.
Looking at your reach gives you a clear picture of your post’s true performance. You can see how widely it was distributed and whether it broke out beyond your existing follower base. But the most valuable part of the reach metric is the breakdown. You can see where your reach is coming from:
- Followers: How many of your existing followers saw the post.
- Hashtags: How many people discovered your post through a hashtag they were following or searching.
- Explore Page: How many people found your content on the Explore Page, which is a key growth channel.
This breakdown is a roadmap. If you see a high number from hashtags or the Explore Page, it means you’re successfully reaching new audiences, which is the ultimate goal for growth. It tells you your content is resonating with people who don’t already know about your brand.
4. Impressions from Explore & Hashtags: Your Discovery Engine 🚀
This metric is a deep dive into your reach. While total reach is a great overview, a high number of impressions from the Explore Page and hashtags is a direct sign that you are successfully reaching new people. This is where you find your potential new audience.
The Explore Page is a personalized feed for each user, filled with content that the algorithm thinks they will love. Getting on the Explore Page for a relevant hashtag or topic is like having a digital billboard in the middle of a busy city square, but only for people who are interested in exactly what you’re selling. When you see a high number of impressions from these sources, it means:
- Your content is highly relevant to a target audience. You’ve created something so good that the algorithm is recommending it to people outside of your existing circle.
- Your hashtag strategy is working. You’ve chosen the right hashtags that are not only relevant but also getting your content seen.
- You’re finding a new audience. This is the first step in turning a stranger into a follower, and a follower into a customer.
By tracking this specific metric, you can pinpoint the exact content that is helping you grow. You can then create more content with similar topics, formats, and hashtags to replicate that success.
5. Profile Visits: The Gateway to Your Brand 🚪
All of the previous metrics—saves, shares, reach—are designed to drive one crucial outcome: profile visits. Think of your Instagram profile as your storefront. Your posts are like billboards, but a profile visit is when a potential customer walks through the door to see what you’re all about. This is where you have the opportunity to turn a casual viewer into a dedicated follower.
A high number of profile visits tells you that your content is doing its job. It’s so compelling that people are taking the next step to learn more about you. But a profile visit is just the first step. The real magic happens when you analyze the conversion rate: how many of those visitors actually click the “Follow” button.
If you have a lot of profile visits but a low number of new followers, it’s a sign that your profile itself needs some work. It could be that:
- Your bio is unclear: It doesn’t immediately tell people who you are and what you do.
- Your link isn’t compelling: The link in your bio doesn’t offer a clear reason to click.
- Your highlights are unorganized: Your Stories highlights don’t give a clear overview of your brand and services.
By optimizing your profile, you can turn those visits into followers and, ultimately, customers. This metric is the final puzzle piece that connects your content performance to your overall business growth.
Putting It All Together: Your Weekly Analytics Routine
Now that you know which metrics matter, here’s a simple routine to make them actionable without getting overwhelmed.
- Every week, pick your best-performing post from the past seven days. Look past the likes and go straight to the data.
- Analyze the top three metrics:
- Saves: Did this post get a high number of saves? If so, what made it so valuable? Was it a guide, a checklist, or a piece of advice?
- Shares: Was this post shared a lot? Why? Was it funny, relatable, or a piece of content that people wanted to show to a friend?
- Impressions from Explore/Hashtags: Did this post reach a lot of people outside of your existing followers? If so, which hashtags were most effective?
- Create more content like that! Your audience is literally telling you what they want to see more of. If a step-by-step guide on “how to get more followers” got a ton of saves, create another one on “how to find your best hashtags.”
This simple routine will help you move from posting randomly to creating a data-driven strategy that consistently works for your business.
Conclusion: Analyze, Optimize, and Grow
Stop guessing what works on Instagram and start using your data to make smart decisions. The numbers you see in your analytics aren’t just for show; they are your most valuable tool for growth. By focusing on saves, shares, reach, impressions from discovery, and profile visits, you’ll have a clear roadmap to create content that not only looks good but also drives real results for your business.
Remember, the goal isn’t to get a million likes. The goal is to build a thriving business. And a smart analytics strategy is the key to unlocking that growth.
Ready to start tracking your progress? Comment “ANALYTICS” below and I’ll send you a free cheat sheet to help you keep track of these key metrics every week!