Instagram Follower Analytics: 8 Top Metrics to Track

Team Locowise posted on 10 July 2024

From influencers and top creators to brands leveraging eCommerce opportunities, Instagram continues to dominate as a popular social media platform. Its users are highly engaged and use the channel for multiple purposes and content types. But are you using your Instagram follower analytics to their full potential?

Top content begins with a deep understanding of your audience’s preferences and behaviour. So, whether you’re pursuing organic growth or running ad campaigns, take a refresher course on Instagram follower data and how to track it.

Need better insights on Instagram followers? Big brands and agencies leverage Locowise to monitor competitors, audit performance and generate in-depth reports and insights on performance.

You can try it out for free here!

What are insights for Instagram followers?

Instagram insights for followers are valuable pieces of data that help you understand your audience better. These insights go beyond simple follower counts and provide detailed information about the people who engage with your content. By leveraging these insights, you can tailor your content strategy, improve engagement, and ultimately grow your follower base more effectively.

Key insights include demographics such as age, gender, and location, as well as behaviour patterns like when your followers are most active on the platform. You can also track the types of content that resonate most with your audience, which can guide you in creating more of what they love.

Understanding these insights allows you to make data-driven decisions on your social media management. For instance, if you notice that a large portion of your audience is active in the evening, you can schedule your posts for that time to maximise engagement. Similarly, if a particular type of post consistently performs well, you can create more similar content to keep your followers engaged and attract new ones.

Want a wider look at Instagram data? Check out this in-depth guide to Instagram insights.

How can you access follower data on Instagram?

Accessing follower data on Instagram depends on the type of account you have and the platform you’re using, whether it’s mobile or desktop. Here’s a detailed guide to help you navigate the process:

Finding Instagram Follower Insights on Mobile vs. Desktop

Mobile

To access follower data on a mobile device, you need to use the Instagram app, which provides a user-friendly interface and comprehensive insights.

Desktop

The desktop version of Instagram has limited functionality compared to the mobile app. While you can view some follower information, detailed analytics are primarily accessible through the mobile app or third-party tools.

What kind of follower data can you access on a professional account vs. a standard account on Instagram?

Standard Account

With a standard personal account, your access to follower data is limited. You can see basic information such as follower count and individual profiles, but you won’t have access to detailed insights or analytics.

Business Account

Switching to a business or creator account unlocks a wealth of analytics. Here’s how to switch your account:

Open Instagram App: Go to your profile.
Settings: Tap on the three horizontal lines (menu) in the top right corner and select “Settings.”
Account: Scroll down and select “Switch to Professional Account.”
Choose a Category: Pick a category that best describes your account and select “Business.”
Complete Setup: Follow the prompts to complete the setup, including connecting to a Facebook Page if desired.

Accessing Instagram Follower Data

On Mobile

Open Instagram App: Go to your profile.
Insights: Tap the three horizontal lines (menu) in the top right corner and select “Insights.”
Audience: Navigate to the “Audience” tab to view detailed follower insights.

Here’s what you can access:

Follower Growth: Track the increase or decrease in your follower count over time.
Top Locations: See where your followers are located geographically.
Age and Gender: View the age and gender breakdown of your followers.
Active Times: Find out when your followers are most active, broken down by hours and days.

On Desktop

Log In: Visit Instagram.com and log in to your account.
Profile: Go to your profile by clicking on your profile picture.
Professional Dashboard: If available, click on “Professional Dashboard” to access some insights, though this feature is more limited than the mobile app.

For more comprehensive desktop analytics, you can use third-party tools like Locowise to get in-depth analytics and reports.

How to Pull Follower Data on Instagram

Accessing and pulling follower data on Instagram is essential for understanding your audience and optimising your content strategy. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to pull follower data using the built-in Instagram Insights feature and third-party tools.

Using Instagram Insights

Open the Instagram app and go to your profile. Tap the three horizontal lines (menu) in the top right corner and select “Insights.”

Navigate to Audience Data and in the Insights dashboard, tap on the “Audience” tab. Here, you can view detailed follower insights, including:

Follower Growth: Track the increase or decrease in your follower count over time.
Top Locations: See where your followers are located geographically.
Age and Gender: View the age and gender breakdown of your followers.
Active Times: Find out when your followers are most active, broken down by hours and days.

Instagram doesn’t currently offer a direct export feature for insights within the app. However, you can manually record the data or use screenshots for reference.

If you link your Instagram profile to a Facebook business page, you can login to Meta Business Suite and export your Instagram data from there. However it’s extremely time consuming and manual to do this regularly.

Using Third Party Tools

The only other way to export and drilldown into Instagram follower analytics is through a third party tool like Locowise. These tools use special APIs to connect to your Instagram profile and save the data in a way that it can be gathered, mined and analysed to identify trends and insights.

For example, with Locowise, you can see and report on Instagram follower data like audience growth and demographic breakdowns. You can even combine this with predictive analytics on optimal content and posting schedules – Learn more about Instagram follower reporting through Locowise here!

Can you see follower demographics on Instagram?

Yes, you can see follower demographics on Instagram if you have a business or creator account. These demographics include information such as age, gender, and location of your followers.

Understanding follower demographics is key to fine-tuning your content strategy. By knowing the age groups and genders of your followers, you can create content that truly resonates with them. Plus, posting when your followers are most active boosts engagement. And if you know where your followers are located, you can tailor your content to appeal to specific regions or time zones, making your posts more relevant and effective.

8 Instagram Follower Metrics to Track and Analyse

Follower Count

Follower count is the total number of people who follow your Instagram account. This basic metric gives you an idea of your audience size. Monitoring this over time helps you understand how your content and engagement strategies are working. A growing follower count typically indicates that your content is attracting new viewers, while a stagnant or declining count may suggest the need for adjustments in your strategy.

Follower Growth Rate

Follower growth rate measures the pace at which your follower count is increasing. This metric is crucial because it shows not just how many followers you have, but how quickly you are gaining them. A higher growth rate can signal successful campaigns, content that resonates well with your audience, or effective use of hashtags. Conversely, a slow growth rate may indicate the need for better engagement strategies or more compelling content.

Follower Age

Knowing the age distribution of your followers helps you create content that appeals to different age groups. For example, if a significant portion of your followers are teenagers, your content might focus more on trends and entertainment. In contrast, if your audience is primarily adults, your content could be more informative or professional. Understanding the age demographics allows you to tailor your posts to better engage your followers.

Follower Gender

Tracking the gender breakdown of your followers can provide insights into who is most interested in your content. If you notice a significant imbalance, you might want to adjust your content strategy to appeal more broadly. For instance, if your follower base is predominantly female, incorporating content that appeals to males could help diversify and grow your audience.

Follower Location

Geographical data about your followers’ locations helps you understand where your audience is based. This information is crucial for timing your posts to reach the maximum number of followers when they are most active. Additionally, if you have a large international audience, you can create content that is culturally relevant to different regions, enhancing engagement and follower loyalty.

Follower Activity

Follower activity tells you when your followers are most active on Instagram. This metric helps you schedule your posts for maximum visibility and engagement. By posting when your followers are most active, you increase the likelihood of your content being seen and interacted with, which can lead to higher engagement rates and more followers.

New vs. Returning Followers

Tracking the ratio of new followers to returning followers can provide insights into your content’s appeal and retention. A high number of new followers indicates that your content is attracting fresh interest, while a high number of returning followers suggests that your existing audience remains engaged and loyal. Balancing both is key to maintaining a healthy and growing follower base.

Unfollows

Monitoring the number of unfollowers can help you understand if specific content or actions are causing people to leave your account. By analysing when and why people unfollow, you can make necessary adjustments to your content strategy to reduce follower loss and maintain a stable or growing follower count.

FAQs About Follower Analytics on Instagram

Why can’t I see follower data on Instagram?

There are a few reasons you may not be able to see any, or only some, follower metrics on your Instagram account:

No Insights Available: If you don’t see the Insights option, make sure your account is a business or creator account.
Limited Data: Insights may be limited if you have a new account or a small follower base. As your account grows, more data will become available.
App Updates: Ensure your Instagram app is updated to the latest version to access all features.

What are the differences between Instagram follower insights on creator vs business accounts?

Both business and creator accounts on Instagram provide detailed follower insights, but the focus and presentation of these insights cater to the unique needs of businesses and creators. Both account types offer comprehensive analytics, including follower growth, content performance, demographics, and active times, allowing users to track their follower count over time, analyse post engagement, view follower demographics, and discover when followers are most active.

The main differences lie in the emphasis of the insights provided. Business accounts prioritise commercial metrics crucial for sales and marketing strategies, such as website clicks, call-to-action button clicks (like “Email,” “Call,” or “Directions”), and the performance of promoted posts and ads. They also offer tools to track customer interactions, essential for managing customer service and support. On the other hand, creator accounts focus more on follower interaction insights and growth analytics. These accounts provide detailed metrics on how followers engage with content, helping creators understand audience preferences and refine their content strategies to better engage and grow their audience.

Can you see follower analytics for other Instagram accounts?

No, Instagram doesn’t let you see detailed follower analytics for other accounts. Only the account owner can access insights like demographics, activity times, and engagement rates through Instagram Insights or Meta Business Suite. This keeps follower information private and secure.

However, you can still get a sense of another account’s engagement by looking at their likes, comments, and shares. While you won’t get the full picture, it gives you an idea of how active and engaged their followers are. Some third-party tools can offer additional insights by analysing public data, but they won’t be as detailed or accurate as the account owner’s analytics.

For example, Locowise provides insights on the follower data of other accounts so you can more accurately benchmark your channel and set comparative targets – Try it out for yourself here.

Insights and Predictive Analytics to Make Your Social Media Reporting a Breeze

Locowise makes Instagram analytics easy and insightful. With features like detailed follower stats, engagement metrics, and demographic insights, you can quickly see what’s working and what needs tweaking. The platform’s predictive analytics help you discover the best times to post and the most effective content types, taking the guesswork out of your strategy.

Ready to streamline your social media reporting? Start making data-driven decisions and improve your Instagram game today. Try Locowise for free.