Instagram: Responsible for addicting all of us to strobing, our yearly #bestnine, and those flats made from recycled plastic bottles. See also: An incredible source of engagement, inspiration, and income for influencers. Recently, Instagram has beta-tested some updates (hiding like counts) in test markets, and quietly fully implemented some other updates that will make influencers’ lives a lot easier. Read on!
First and foremost, if you haven’t changed your Instagram account to a business one, go do so, right now (we’ll wait). With a business account, you gain access to all of these updates, including… Instagram Insights, their analytics platform.
1. Aggregated Mentions: Track Your Mentions
Who’s talking about you? If you don’t know, you might be doing harm to your personal brand by not staying on top of potential controversy.
Tap on the “Activity” tab in Instagram Insights to see a list of the Stories that mentioned your account in the past 24 hours. If you follow the account that tagged you, you can automatically add it to your “About You” story reel, which is a quick & easy way to boost your UGC (User-Generated Content). Regardless of whether or not you follow an account, you can manually share any Stories you’re mentioned in, but you should always tag the original creator to thank them.
2. Instagram Insights: New Growth Analytics
A recent Insights update brought new growth analytics, showing you not only how many followers you’ve gained, but WHICH POSTS & IG STORIES got you the most engagement and the most new followers. If you’re trying to grow your IG following fast, knowing which posts drove the most new faces to your content is key.
The update will also show you how your follower count has changed, either over the past week, or the past 24 hours: How many unfollowed you, how many new people followed you, and the overall net difference.
3. Inbox Organization Updates
Do you get a TON of DMs from fans, fellow creators, and brands? You can now organize your Instagram inbox with primary and general tabs, and move messages from tab to tab with a swipe.
