Instagram® Best Practices

If you're new to Instagram®, particularly for your business, it can be challenging to get used to the platform and understand how to get the most out of it for your business.

Prioritizing one thing over another and understanding the importance of analytics and metrics can set your head-spinning.

Still, it's essential if you're going to get the most out of the Gram for your business.

In this post, we share five of the best Instagram® practices that help you get the most out of the platform.

Monitor Analytics Over Time

If you're currently monitoring your analytics on a day-to-day basis, it isn't easy to discern any noticeable pattern.

This then makes it nigh-on impossible to inform a successful Insta strategy.

To get the most out of your analytics, you need to look back on them over a more extended period, perhaps a month, as this gives you a much better picture of how your business is performing on Instagram®. 

Focus on Some, Not All Metrics 

There are literally dozens of metrics you could track on Instagram®.

However, a crucial part of your strategy should be deciding upon which metrics to focus on, so you can monitor your success on defined parameters.

For example, you might choose to focus on three key metrics: reach, sales, and story views. If this is the case, you should develop a strategy that helps you perform well in these metrics, and you should then review your progress in this specific area.

Limiting your focus to a few metrics is much easier to manage and will help deliver results in the long run. 

Periodically Check Your Metrics

This goes hand-in-hand with the first point. In order to understand your performance on Instagram®, you should periodically review your chosen metrics.

In order to do this, you should set a date in your diary on which to check your data.

For example, you should make an effort to sit down every thirty days and review how your posts have performed. If you don't review periodically, it won't be easy to monitor your success. 

Keep a Set Goal With Exact Numbers 

Setting SMART goals for your social media analytics is imperative. If you want to increase your number of followers quickly, you need to get specific.

For example, set yourself a target of increasing your number of followers over the course of a month to twenty, meaning you're looking for five new followers each week.

This way, you can hold yourself to account by the end of the month, and you can problem solve if you don't meet your target. 

Learn to Understand Your Data

After you've done the hard work of collecting your data, and periodically reviewing your metrics, make sure you learn to understand your data.

You don't want to fall into the trap of viewing your data as vanity metrics; for example, I have 1000 followers, so I must be popular. You need to interact with your data and learn what it's telling you.

Do you get more followers on the weekend? Do you post a particular type of content on the weekends?

Asking questions about your data and looking for trends is the best way to improve your overall performance on Instagram®.