How To Run an Instagram Audit in 6 Steps
If you've been posting consistently on Instagram but aren't seeing the growth or results you want, it might be time for an Instagram audit. An Instagram audit is a deep dive into your account's performance, content strategy, and audience engagement. The goal is to figure out what's working, what’s not, and where you can improve.
Doing regular Instagram audits is super important for a few reasons:
By looking at your Instagram analytics, you can see what your audience likes, which types of content get the most engagement, and the best times to post.
You can break through the noise of all social media marketing advice you see online, and get data-driven insights based on your unique audience.
An audit shows you where your strategy might be falling short, so you can make data-driven changes to boost your growth.
Regularly checking your performance against your goals (like more engagement, leads, or brand awareness) helps you stay focused and on track.
By doing a thorough Instagram audit, you can uncover and recognize patterns in what your audience likes, find areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your Instagram presence and get results in alignment with your goals.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Goals
First things first, you need to know what you’re aiming for with your efforts on Instagram. Do you want more engagement, leads, or brand awareness? Your goals will change which metrics you look at and how you measure your content’s success. Without clear goals, it’s easy to get lost in the number of likes. (Which is not always most important)
Here’s a quick guide if you're not sure which metrics you should be focusing on.
Build brand awareness = reach & impressions
Grow community = followers.
Increase engagement = likes, comments, mentions, & engagement rate
Lead generation = DM’s, sign-ups, & form submissions from social media.
Step 2: Know Your Target Audience
This step is super important. You need to know who you’re talking to if you want them to listen. . This goes beyond basic demographics like age, location, and income level. You need to dig deeper into their interests, pain points, goals, and online behavior. Think about:
Demographics (age, gender, location, education, income)
Job title and industry
Interests and hobbies
Goals and challenges
Preferred social media platforms and online behavior
If you haven’t already I highly recommend filling out a buyer persona for your target audience, this will help guide what kind of content you should be creating. Remember, your target audience isn't everyone. By narrowing your focus to a specific group, you can create more relevant and valuable content that speaks directly to their needs and interests.
Step 3: Optimize Your Profile
Your profile is often the first impression for potential followers and clients, so make sure it accurately represents your brand and appeals to your target audience. A well-optimized profile can increase visibility, establish credibility, and encourage users to engage with your content.
Take a look at your profile photo, Instagram highlights, and bio. Make sure that someone who’s never heard of your business can quickly understand what you do and who you serve just by glancing at your profile. Use keywords that people might search for when looking for a service provides or a business like yours. Align highlights with your brand’s offerings or product lines.
Step 4: Pull Out Those Analytics
Start by looking at your top-performing posts based on your defined goals. If you're aiming for more engagement, sort your posts by likes, comments, shares, and saves to identify the content that resonated most with your audience. For lead generation, focus on posts that drove the most link clicks, direct messages, or form submissions. If brand awareness is your priority, look for posts with high impressions and reach.
As you review your top-performing content, look for patterns. What types of posts, formats (e.g., videos, carousels, static images), or topics seem to resonate best with your audience? Make note of any common themes or elements that could inform your future content strategy.
Next, explore your audience insights. Instagram gives demographic data, including age, gender, location, and activity patterns. Use this info to assess whether you’re reaching and engaging the right audience.
Step 5: Reflection Time
After checking out your Instagram analytics and spotting trends in your best-performing posts and audience data, it’s time to reflect on what all this info really means. This reflection phase is your chance to understand what’s working, what’s not, and where you can improve.
Think about these questions:
What types of content resonated most? Look at the themes, formats, or topics that got the most engagement, reach, or conversions. These are your winners! How can you create more content like this?
Where did your content fall short? Find the patterns in posts that didn’t do well. Was it the topic, the format, or the messaging? Think about how you can adjust your approach for better results.
Are you attracting your ideal audience? Check out who’s following you. Do their demographics and interests match your target audience? If not, it might be time to tweak your content strategy.
What gaps or opportunities exist? Are there any content themes, formats, or audience segments you haven’t explored yet? These could be new opportunities to diversify your content and reach more people.
Step 6: Decide What Your Next Steps Should Be
Based on your reflections, make a to-do list of actionable steps. Maybe it’s time to update your bio with more relevant keywords, explore more of the topics that performed the best, or refine your messaging to better target your audience. Be sure to make a broken down todo list, so you know you’re making clear steps forward.
Looking for More Social Media Marketing Support?
You can purchase a social media audit here or fill out the form and we’ll come up with a customized approach that works for you, whether that means full-service social media management, strategy support, or a consultation!
