Instagram is one of the most powerful business tools in the world. With one billion users per month, the potential to grow your company from the ground up is limitless. The biggest factor that will determine success is engagement. Instagram engagement refers to likes, comments, shares, and other actions that validate that your content is resonating with users who see it.
Engagement is only valuable when it is genuine: from active accounts and not “paid” followers or spam content farming bots. Knowing this, buying followers or likes/comments does more harm than help and could actually count against your engagement progress. The Instagram algorithm rewards organic engagement by increasing post visibility to other users, especially in the case of reels. The main focus of Instagram as a business is to keep users using their app, so any account that helps them reach this goal gets rewarded.
How to Calculate Engagement Rate
Instagram insights provides some key analysis for each post created by a user, but there is no specific metric for engagement rate. But not to worry, since calculating engagement rate is rather quite simple. Engagement rate is the amount of total engagement received by an Instagram account over a specific period of time; defined by likes, comments, and shares of posts. To calculate engagement, simply divide the total number of likes and comments by your total follower count then multiply by 100 to get the percentage.
Engagement Rate = ((Likes + Comments)/ Followers) x 100
Your Instagram engagement rate gives you a clear picture of how your content is resonating with your audience. If you’re seeing consistently strong engagement rates, you know your followers are enjoying your content.
What Can I Do to Increase Engagement?
If your engagement rate is not currently as high as you hoped it to be, there are some steps you can take to ensure your posts are seen by a wider audience. Some keys to increasing engagement are:
- Be Consistent – Create a weekly post schedule and stick to it.
- Use Hashtags – Hashtags connect users to relevant posts, working as a great search tool which allows accounts to find similar, relevant content. Use 7-10 per post for best results.
- Post Reels – Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes reels over other content, focusing on keeping up with TikTok in terms of engagement. Reels have a greater reach and are more likely to be featured.
- Create Conversations – Some of the biggest factors of engagement are comments and shares. Get your audience involved by presenting questions, polls, or opinion sharing.
- Post Stories – The story feature is one of the most engaged with assets on Instagram, allowing your audience to find your content in one place instead of needing to scroll endlessly.
- Create carousel posts – Carousels are proven to get more engagement, forcing your follower to click through each part which encourages likes, comments, and shares.
- Interact – The best way to get likes and comments is to like and comment! Make sure you’re staying engaged with your followers, commenting helps other followers to notice you as well.
Engagement is the cornerstone of social media, most importantly on Instagram. The Instagram algorithm is tricky to understand but with the right approach it could be a savior to your business, just remember that your Instagram journey never stops. While that might sound daunting, your Instagram profile is like your business: constantly growing and evolving while creating a following of enthusiastic individuals. These tips for improving Instagram engagement can maximize your Instagram channel’s potential, so no matter how the network evolves you can increase Instagram engagement and keep those likes, shares, and comments coming.
Target Points Inc
Target Points Inc is a digital marketing company with a strong focus on social media management. Social media profiles are the windows into your world, allowing your business to connect, educate, and stay in touch with your fans as well as new potential customers. Reach out to the Target Points team today for a free consultation and learn how to make the most impact with your social media presence.
