Instagram Stories Analytics
Know how to measure your Instagram stories campaigns? We cover Instagram stories analytics explaining the metrics to track for organic stories and promoted stories ads using Facebook Ad Manager. With our guide you will be able to benchmark the performance of your ephemeral content and optimise!
Instagram Stories are booming right now.
But as is the case with any social media trend, it’s only natural for marketers to be a bit skeptical about Stories’ staying power.
Don’t mistake this boom for a passing phase, though.
Why? Social trends like the ephemeral, time-sensitive content of Instagram Stories aren’t just “trends” anymore. In fact, they may very well be the future of social content itself.
With 400 million Stories published daily and new features being rolled out by Instagram, brands should get on board if they haven’t already.
Easy to publish in an instant and tapping into people’s sense of instant gratification, Instagram Stories are also a creative goldmine for brands.
And in the grand scheme of things, Instagram Stories are still relatively new territory for ads and marketing campaigns. There’s perhaps no better way for marketers to score organic reach on Instagram since the Stories feature is still fresh.
So if you haven’t gotten into the Stories game yet, you haven’t missed the boat. .
That said, marketers are rightfully concerned about data when it comes to their Stories.
Because you want to get the most bang for your buck, right?
And so in order to assess your ROI, you need to nail down your Instagram Stories analytics.
Breaking Down Your Instagram Stories Analytics
In this post, we’re going to give you a kitchen table explanation of how you can measure Instagram Stories and assess your posts’ performance.
Because whether you’re running an organic or paid campaign, there are some specific metrics you need to keep a close eye on.
With these numbers in mind, you can figure out how to fine-tune your Stories campaigns and tap into your top-performing storytelling content.
Key Metrics for Non-Sponsored Instagram Stories
Before getting knee-deep in running a Stories ad, perhaps it’s most important to understand the basics of an organic post.
Consider first that Instagram Stories analytics for non-sponsored campaigns are unique because you’re actually not concerned with clicks, likes or shares.
Here’s a quick rundown of the essential Stories metrics that you can pull from Instagram Insights:
Impressions - The total number of views on your Story. Ideally, this number should tick upward as you grow your Instagram presence.
Reach - How many unique users viewed your Story.
Taps Forward - How many times somebody tapped to skip a slide in your Story.
Unlike other interaction metrics, taps forward aren’t necessarily a net positive since they could signal that someone was bored with your content. On the flip side, it could also mean that someone simply wanted to scan your Story to see what it was at a glance.
Taps Back - How many times someone tapped to go back to a previous slide within your Story. This metric could mean there was something in your Story that your audience really wanted to see or spend more time on.
Replies - How many people sent messages to you directly through your Story. If you have a specific call-to-action in your story, you could view this as a sort of click-through or conversion rate.
Swipe Away - How many times someone swiped your Story away to view someone else’s. This could be viewed as a potential bounce rate metric.
Exits - How many times someone left your Story to return to their Instagram feed. This also could be treated as someone bouncing.
Additionally, there are additional post-specific metrics to consider such as poll results if you’re taking advantage of the Questions Sticker.
The takeaways you should glean from your Instagram Stories Analytics are three-fold:
- Is your audience watching your Stories all the way through?
- How many people are seeing your Stories in the first place?
- Which pieces of your Stories are your followers spending the most time on?
A rule of thumb would be to incorporate video and use specific Instagram apps to step up your storytelling.
The downside of Instagram Stories as it stands is that you can’t export your data into a fancy report.
Even so, you can still do your reporting the old-fashioned way by tracking your metrics via spreadsheets. This might seem like a pain, but minding your metrics is crucial toward tracking your progress.
Oh, and also bear in mind that you’ll need an Instagram business account to see analytics for your Stories posts.
Essential Instagram Stories Analytics for Sponsored Posts
Among the various Instagram ad types, Stories ads are gaining steam given their sleek, full-screen functionality and interactive nature.
And so beyond impressions and the base metrics above, what ad-specific analytics should you be looking at when you measure Stories ads?
Swipes Up - Think of this are your click-through or tap-through rate. Swiping up translates to someone taking the next step within your ad, whether it’s an external promotion or a visit to your profile.
As highlighted by the Gymshark Stories ad above, highlighting your swipe call-to-action is a smart move to help encourage followers to take the next step.
Cost Per-Click - As always, the price tag is something you should keep in mind prior to running any sort of paid campaign.
According to a 2017 study by AdEspresso, Stories ads have some of the highest levels of engagement with a relatively low cost-per-click.
But if the history of Facebook’s ad platform is anything to go off of, that number will likely trend upward as the ad type continues to gain steam.
Conversion Rate - Finally, the end-game of any ad campaign is for followers to convert. The data above reinforces the fact that Stories are insanely popular and therefore represent an attractive option for marketers who are comfortable with the in’s and out’s of the Stories format.
Are You Tracking Your Stories Analytics?
Stories’ have proven themselves to be much more than a shiny new toy for brands.
Boasting high engagement rates and tons of creative freedom, they’re enticing for organic posts and sponsored content alike.
No matter how you use them, keeping an eye on your Story metrics can help you fine-tune your campaigns to maximise engagement. As more and more brands hop on the bandwagon, knowing your metrics now can keep you ahead of the game.
