Instagram Reels are now the hottest Instagram content format. Don’t be fooled by users saying they don’t watch Reels or they’re overwhelmed by this type of content on Instagram. The data says the opposite – over 2 billion people interact with Reels every month.

Since Reels is definitely staying with us in 2023 and Instagram will be pushing them in the upcoming months, let’s learn how to get the most out of this content format and seamlessly approach Instagram Reels analytics.

Why Instagram Reels should be included in your strategy

As a social media manager, you have to keep up with the latest trends. Being up to date with every feature that’s released on different social media platforms (and testing them) is one of your obligations.

We bet delivering what was promised to clients is important to you. After all, you’re not only helping them grow their business, but also expanding your expertise and portfolio. 

That’s why implementing the latest content formats, in this case, Reels, in your strategy is crucial to your Instagram performance.

You need to be aware that Instagram usually favors the newest content formats. The reason is simple – it wants as many users as possible to familiarize themselves with this format and get comfortable with it. However, that doesn’t mean other content types automatically perform worse and you shouldn’t publish them.

How Instagram’s algorithm works is not an easy nut to crack, but those complexities are worth figuring out.

Another argument for implementing Reels in your Instagram strategy is that they drive higher engagement – some brands that did so even observed a 20% increase in total engagement. There’s a lot to fight for. 

Since the Instagram Explore Page is now dominated by video content, utilizing Reels will help you reach new users more effectively.

Why you should conduct Instagram Reels analytics 

It’s clear you should utilize Reels. Once you start publishing them, the time comes for the inevitable – analysis.

After all, everything you do on social media should be thoroughly analyzed and monitored. No matter if you’re posting an in-feed video, a Reel, or an image post, you should always know how it performed. Understanding what your audience likes is necessary for your profile’s growth – with this information, you can decide what you need to post more often or less.

Here’s how you can find out which of your Reels are the top performers.

How to start analyzing your Reels

Under your videos (under videos published by anyone), you’ll see how many plays, comments, and likes each Reel had. Checking this is a good starting point, but it won’t be enough.

We advise you to head to Instagram Insights (which you’ll get access to after switching to a business profile). Doing this will provide you with a bunch of metrics about your Reels, such as the number of:

• Comments
• Likes
• Shares
• Saves
• Interactions
• Accounts reached

Also, once you boost a selected Reel, in Instagram Insights you’ll see some ad metrics, too. 

Alternatively, you can start using a social media analytics tool for a better experience and a more thorough understanding of your Reels performance.

In Sotrender, you’ll see which of your Reels had the best results.  

Instagram Reels analysis in the Sotrender app

Apart from all the well-known metrics mentioned above, Sotrender also provides you with a variety of color-coded charts and visualizations. For example, a particularly useful one is the chart that shows the share of user activities by media type.

This one will tell you which content types your audience was most often engaging with in the selected period. It’ll become clear what drives engagement on your profile and what should be published more often in the future. 

Share of activities by media type in Sotrender

In the example above, we can see that Reels and image posts are equally interesting to the target audience and should be prioritized over other content types (e.g., carousel posts or in-feed videos).

Depending on your package, in Sotrender you can go as far back in time as you want with your Instagram Reels analytics. 

5 steps to succeeding with Instagram Reels

There is no secret formula to creating engaging and eye-catching Reels. It’s mostly about understanding what your Instagram followers want to see and presenting it in an appealing way. 

First of all, your Reels should be:

• Authentic. Don’t pretend you’re someone else and don’t pretend to know something when you don’t.
• Appropriate to your audience demographics, interests, and expectations. A Reel doesn’t have to be funny – educational Reels can be even more effective. What’s crucial here is to understand what you want to communicate to your audience and what they want to see on your profile. 
• Leaving users with a feeling of “I want more”. Everyone watching your Reels should feel inspired and willing to consume more of your content. 
• Visually attractive. It’s obvious, but worth highlighting. Everything you post on Instagram should be high quality. 
• Easy to consume. Not every user will be consuming your Reels the same way. For example, keep in mind that many users will be watching your Reels with the sound off. With that in mind, make them as easy to watch as possible by investing time in preparing subtitles (even though it may sometimes be troublesome, e.g., when publishing funny videos). 
• Thoroughly analyzed. How will you know which types of Reels to post more often if you don’t spend enough time on Instagram Reels analytics? 

Make sure your Reels bring value to the person watching whether the sound is on or off.

Your own practices (creating Reels, testing their length, making subtitles, etc.) and observing what others post will be your road to success.

PS – don’t be afraid of spying on your competitors along the way, too.

Wrapping up

We hope it’s now clear that you should invest time in creating Reels, both for your personal growth and the success of the profile you run.

Instagram Reels analytics is essential to achieving that, as it will help you understand how the Instagram algorithm works and what content your Instagram followers are likely to consume.