How to Improve Your Instagram Reach

If you’ve been active on Instagram for a while, you may have noticed a significant decline in your organic reach. Whether you’re sharing personal content, managing social media accounts, or building a brand, this drop can be frustrating.

If you’re struggling with reach, keep reading. We’ll explain what organic reach means, why it’s declining, and share insights from the Metricool 2024 Instagram Study to help you regain momentum and grow your audience. We’ll also explore how Metricool can enhance your reach with powerful data insights and tools.

What is Reach on Instagram?

Instagram reach refers to the number of unique users who see your content across the app. This includes views from the Explore tab, feed, tagged posts, location, or hashtag searches. Unlike impressions, reach counts the number of individual users, not how many times each one views the content. For example, if your post has 50 views, that means 50 different people have seen it.

Tracking your Instagram reach is essential if you’re aiming to grow your brand or connect with new followers. Reach helps you measure which content resonates with your audience, helping you optimize your strategy to increase visibility, engagement, and conversions.

How to Measure Instagram Reach

Instagram offers Insights to business and creator accounts to help monitor performance. You can view overall trends across your account or dive into specific posts, Stories, Reels, and live videos to see how they performed. 

Here’s how you can track Accounts Reached using Instagram Insights:

1. Go to your Instagram profile.
2. Tap the three-line menu in the top right corner.
3. Tap Insights.
4. Under the Overview section, you’ll see Accounts Reached—this shows how many unique accounts have seen your content.

For a more detailed view, you can also explore the demographics of the accounts reached, including top countries, cities, age ranges, and gender breakdown.

Instagram Insights also breaks down reach by content type, so you can see which format (posts, Stories, Reels) is most effective in attracting both followers and non-followers. This can help you fine-tune your strategy and focus on the content that drives the most discovery and engagement

Why is Instagram Reach Declining?

If you’ve noticed a drop in your Instagram reach, you’re not alone. Several factors are contributing to this trend:

• Increased Competition: Instagram now has over 2 billion monthly active users, with brands and creators posting more content than ever. This surge in content has made it harder for individual posts to stand out.
• Reels Saturation: Reels are still the top-performing content format on Instagram, reaching 37.87% of users. This is largely because Reels appear in the Explore section, unlike Stories. Even though Reels are the star of reach, they have still experienced a major decrease from 2023. This could be due to the competitive nature of the format, and that more and more brands are utilizing this content type for their strategy
• Algorithm Changes: Instagram’s 2024 algorithm updates favor unique, native content. Reposting or using recycled content from other platforms can harm your reach. Trending keywords, post frequency, and content relevance are now critical factors in determining how often your posts are shown.
• Hashtag Strategy: Using the wrong mix of hashtags can limit your post’s visibility. Instagram is constantly evolving its hashtag algorithms, making it important to use a mix of popular and niche tags to reach a wider audience.
• Inconsistent Posting: While posting too frequently can overwhelm followers, not posting regularly enough can cause your content to disappear from feeds entirely. Maintaining a consistent posting schedule is crucial for visibility.
• Seasonality: Your audience’s activity can vary by season, holidays, and local events. This means engagement may naturally dip during off-seasons or certain periods of the year.

How to Increase Your Reach on Instagram

While Instagram reach might be declining for many users, adopting the right strategies can help you turn things around. Based on the latest findings from the Metricool 2024 Instagram Study, here’s what you can do to boost your reach:

Prioritize Quality Content

Instagram’s algorithm favors content that engages users and keeps them on the app. Rather than focusing on quantity, prioritize creating high-quality, visually appealing posts. Authentic content that offers value to your audience will perform better in 2024.

Optimize Posting Times

The time of day you post can significantly impact your reach. According to Metricool’s global data, the optimal time to post across all time zones is 8 PM, with the highest engagement on Wednesdays and Fridays. For more precise data, check your Instagram Insights or use Metricool’s heat map feature, which highlights the most active times for your specific audience on your content calendar under the ‘Planning’ section.

Focus on Profile Optimization

A strong, clear profile is essential to converting visitors into followers. Make sure your bio is optimized with relevant keywords, your website link, and a compelling call-to-action (CTA). Your profile is often the first impression for new users, so make it count.

Utilize Strategic Hashtags

Hashtags remain a powerful tool for increasing visibility. In 2024, it’s important to use a balanced mix of trending and niche hashtags. Aim to combine high-volume tags with those specific to your industry or niche for maximum reach.

Incorporate Influencer Marketing

Working with influencers can significantly expand your reach. Micro-influencers, in particular, can connect you with highly engaged niche audiences. To find the right influencers for your brand, check out our Influencer Marketing Guide.

Post Consistently

Consistency is key when it comes to staying relevant in your followers’ feeds. You don’t need to post every day, but maintaining a regular schedule—whether it’s two or five times a week—will help keep your audience engaged and your account in the algorithm’s favor.

How to Use Metricool to Improve Your Instagram Reach

One of the most effective ways to boost your Instagram reach is by leveraging the full power of Metricool. This all-in-one platform provides detailed analytics, post-scheduling, and content optimization tools that can transform your Instagram strategy. 

Here are the key ways Metricool can help you improve your reach:

1. Analyze Your Performance with Detailed Metrics

Metricool provides detailed insights into your Instagram account, allowing you to track key metrics like reach, engagement, and follower growth. The platform gives you a complete overview of your Avg. Reach Per Day, enabling you to measure the success of your posts over time and adjust your strategy accordingly.

• Track reach: See how much of your reach is driven by organic growth versus paid promotions for posts, Reels, and Stories.
• Analyze engagement trends: Use data to understand which posts drive the most interactions, helping you identify the type of content that resonates best with your audience.

2. Post at Optimal Times

Metricool can help you identify the best times to post based on your audience’s activity. According to the 2024 study, 8 PM is the time with the highest average number of connected users globally. Wednesdays and Fridays are the best days to post for maximum reach.

• Heat maps for audience activity: Metricool provides color-coded calendars that show the peak times when your audience is most active. The darker time slots represent the highest engagement periods.
• Automated posting: Schedule your posts to go live during the optimal engagement windows, ensuring that your content reaches as many users as possible.

3. Optimize Hashtags for Maximum Reach

Metricool helps you refine your hashtag strategy by showing which hashtags bring in the most traffic. By analyzing which tags work best for your content, you can ensure your posts reach both broad and niche audiences.

• Hashtag performance tracking: Metricool tracks the effectiveness of each hashtag, allowing you to adjust your strategy to focus on high-performing tags.
• Automated suggestions: Discover the top trending hashtags on Instagram when planning your content, to reach your target audience more effectively.

4. Monitor Competitors

Stay ahead of the competition by using Metricool to track the performance of competitors’ Instagram accounts. You can compare your metrics with others in your industry and use this data to fine-tune your content strategy.

• Benchmarking tools: Compare your engagement, and follower growth against competitors to identify areas for improvement.
• Trend analysis: Use insights from your competitors’ posts to spot trends and adopt successful strategies.

5. Schedule and Automate Your Content

Consistency is key when it comes to Instagram reach. Metricool’s content calendar allows you to schedule posts in advance, ensuring you maintain a regular posting schedule without having to manually publish each post.

• Automated posting: Upload and schedule posts, Reels, and Stories to ensure your content is distributed at the right times.
• Content planning: Plan out your content in advance using Metricool’s visual calendar, ensuring a cohesive content strategy across all platforms.