Welcome to this lesson of the Instagram Academy, where we will talk about metrics on the photo-led social network and look specifically at a very important figure to keep in mind: the engagement rate on Instagram.
A mistake many people make on Instagram is to think the only figures worth watching are follower count and likes per post. Engagement rate on Instagram is perhaps the most important number of all, and certainly the one brands and companies look at when hunting for possible influencer partnerships.
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Engagement rate: definition and meaning
When we talk about engagement rate, what exactly do we mean? Not many of the people working actively on Instagram know what engagement rate means or what it actually measures.
Engagement — what does it mean?
Engagement means the number of interactions a piece of content, a page or an activity of any kind earns on the web. Each platform, though, has its own definition of an interaction, and that is always worth bearing in mind.
On Instagram, interactions are calculated mainly on posts, whether photos or videos.
There are several ways of working this out by hand, with a first broad distinction between a single piece of content and several.
- Engagement rate of one post: this figure shows how much people engaged with a specific post. How is it calculated? Divide the sum of the interactions by the number of people who actually saw the content. The formula is: (sum of interactions / people reached) * 100
- Engagement rate across several posts – the average engagement with our posts. The formula is: {[(sum of interactions on post A / people reached)] + [(sum of interactions on post B / people reached)] / 2}*100
Think that’s hard? Not at all — it just takes a little practice. You are probably wondering whether there are other ways. The answer is certainly yes.
Free image from Pixabay
Engagement rate on Instagram
When we want to work out engagement on Instagram we essentially want to measure the potential of work tied closely to influencers. So let’s take a small step back.
Being an influencer on Instagram is now a genuine profession. Whether the fanbase is very large or we are talking about micro influencers with a smaller base but potentially more loyal followers, these people are an ally of real importance.
For brands large and small, choosing the right person is fundamental to a successful influencer marketing strategy.
All of which is to say that engagement rate on Instagram is the metric brands and companies look at when considering marketing work with these professionals.
The figure matters because it shows the real power of a given Instagram profile.
So let’s puncture a myth: follower count alone is not what matters (given the countless ways to buy fake ones). Those are not the influencers companies choose.
So how do you work out engagement on Instagram other than by hand?
On Instagram the engagement rate tends to be higher than on other networks. On average it sits between 3 and 6%.
Many formulas are used for this calculation, and one of the most common and easiest to apply is this:
{[(sum of likes on the last 10 photos – likes on the most recent post) / 10] / follower count} * 100
The web also offers plenty of tools, free ones included, for working out engagement on Instagram. Two of the most used are:
- Phlanx (go to the site)
Image from phlanx.com
- Influencer Fee (go to the site)
Image from influencerfee.com
These give you very detailed data on the profile you care about, offering a useful overview of whether the influencer in question would be a good investment.
There is no single official formula, so my advice is: if you have to assess two different profiles, always use the same platform, so the result is as true to life as possible.
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How do you raise your engagement rate on Instagram?
We have looked at what engagement means and at the definition of engagement rate.
We have seen what matters from a company’s point of view when running influencer analysis for a possible partnership.
Now let’s take the point of view of a future influencer moving into these collaborations who wants their profile to look good to companies and brands.
If you have used one of the tools above to work out your engagement rate and think it is too low, don’t worry — there are things you can do to improve it.
Let’s go through a few.
What you can do to raise your engagement rate on Instagram:
- Work on the content. Don’t be endlessly self-promotional; post things your audience will find interesting too.
- Lean on photos, the most engaging medium, then lean on video.
- Pick a posting time that works for you. There is no formula for this, so you have to try and try again until you find the right mix.
- Learn to know your audience.
- Don’t disappear — post consistently. The right number of posts? As always it depends on the brand, but to test you can try three posts a day.
- Give your followers something. Got discount codes, tips, or need their help with something? Don’t be afraid to use this network spontaneously.
- The most important thing of all is listening. Take the hint from criticism and praise alike and change what you say or how you say it to get closer to your fanbase.
These are the first steps you can take to try to raise your engagement rate on Instagram.
They work well for some people and not for others. The only real answer is to try, test, and read the early results to decide whether to change course or keep going.
Image from ninjalitics.com
Conclusion
In this lesson of your favourite Instagram Academy we looked at what engagement means and worked through the metric. We saw how to calculate it by hand and which free tools on the web give you an immediate answer.
If your engagement rate on Instagram sits between 3 and 6%, you are already doing an excellent job. If you think it is too low, don’t despair. There is plenty you can start doing to raise it.
Good luck with your future as a successful influencer.
We will see you in the next lessons, where we will go deeper into other Instagram subjects you are sure to find interesting. Stay tuned and keep following your favourite Instagram Academy.
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