Discover the power of Instagram Analytics—a must-have tool for studio success
As fitness studio owners, you know how important Instagram has become for growing your business and connecting with clients. With so many metrics and analytics available on Instagram these days, it can be tough to know where to focus your efforts. But the reality is that followers and engagement drive sales and help support your business—so getting savvy with metrics is key.
Especially in a time where everyone is using Instagram to promote their brands, being knowledgeable about your audience can mean the difference between a client choosing your studio over another.
The Power of Instagram Analytics & Why They Matter
If you're looking to create an effective content strategy on Instagram, analytics should be at the top of your to-do list. They provide insights into who your audience is, when they're most likely to be active and what type of content they engage with. This knowledge is invaluable for creating content that resonates with your followers and drives results for your studio.
Understanding your unique goals or ‘content pillars’ is crucial when it comes to monitoring your Instagram analytics.
For example, if you’re trying to push your intro offer, are you getting more engagement off of an Instagram Story, or a Reel? Metrics can tell you exactly how many people clicked your intro offer link after viewing any given post. So, if 10 people are clicking after watching a Story version just one after the Reel, that would greatly affect how you choose to market that offer going forward.
By clarifying your content pillars, you'll be better equipped to make the most of your social media reporting and you can begin to fine-tune your Instagram strategy and track the metrics that matter.
Two main content pillars that can be supported by your metrics are sales and client nurturing.
Sales content will be anything you post with the aim of getting people to make a purchase. Whether it’s promoting a workshop, new merchandise or an upcoming Teacher Training, utilizing metrics will assist you to see what prompted your audience to click on an external link.
Nurture content is anything you post with the goal of adding to your brand, building/fostering community and gaining followers. This type of content is useful because it helps your followers feel like they’re a part of your community, and that your studio is about more than just sales (which it is of course!).
The 5 Essential Instagram Metrics to Track in 2024
Figuring out which metrics to pay attention to can be overwhelming, but these top metrics are great when just getting started:
Reach: Shows how many unique accounts have seen your post and is a great way to gauge the success of your content.
Engagement + Watch Through Rate: Metrics that calculates the percentage of your following that interacts with your content, and how long they stay with it.
Profile Activity: Shows the clicks driven to your website, CTA’s and Instagram Stories link stickers.
Saves and Shares: Two metrics that give insight into the value and resonance of your content based on how people choose to further engage with them.
Audience Growth: A key way to understand who is finding and following your brand.
By tracking these data points, you’ll be able to ensure you’re putting your efforts in the right places when creating Instagram content for your studio.
How to use the Instagram Analytics Tool
Instagram Insights is a free native analytics tool that offers a wealth of useful data that will give you a better understanding of how your content is performing and who your audience is.
However, keep in mind that you'll need to switch to an Instagram Business or Creator account to access the feature and analytics will only be available for content published after the switch. Additionally, you will have the option to connect a Facebook page to your business account which will allow you to dove deeper into analytics through the Meta Business Suite. However, this is not required.
Once you switch your account, you’ll be able see how your account is performing. From the professional dashboard, you can get a rundown of the metrics listed above.
Filtering your Insights by a specific time frame is a good way to get a closer look at how your content is resonating with users. This will clue you into some of the outside-factors that could be playing into your content’s performance. For example, your engagement might look low the first week in January, but consider that many people make New Year’s resolutions to be on social media less frequently, and this could be the reason.
You can also dive deeper into the performance of specific posts just by tapping on the "View Insights" button in the bottom left corner.
How to Track, Report and Make Sense of Your Findings
Focusing on the key metrics that align with your brand goals is the most efficient use of your time. Once you have a clear understanding of your objectives, creating a social media report to track your progress and visually showcase your results is a worthwhile investment, (Social Media tools like Later have free templates that make this easy!)
By analyzing your Instagram analytics over time, you'll gain insight into what type of content resonates with your audience.
From understanding which posts receive the most engagement to identifying areas for improvement, tracking your metrics allows you to make data-driven decisions and effectively reach your clients. Knowing your audience will give you an advantage when it comes to promotion, especially at times like New Years, Black Friday and the Summer when everyone is promoting their studio specials—analytics will give you a huge edge. Start now, stay consistent with tracking and you’ll be on your way to getting one step-ahead.
Telomere Consulting provides business consulting and marketing services to studio owners in the boutique fitness and yoga space. The Telomere team helps you navigate business strategy from conception to implementation. We provide end-to-end marketing support and would love to hear from you. Click here to book your free intro call. We want you to treat your business the way you treat your body – making the right choices now to optimize its potential for a long and healthy life. Visit us here to learn more.
