Instagram is rolling out a series of new analytics features designed to give creators deeper visibility into how users interact with their content.
Highlights
- Granular Reel Insights: Creators can now see second-by-second “like” data on Reels, helping pinpoint high-engagement moments in videos.
- Carousel Slide Performance: Slide-specific insights show which carousel slide triggered engagement, aiding smarter sequencing and storytelling.
- Post-Level Demographics: Creators now get age, gender, and location data per post — enabling precise audience targeting and tailored content planning.
- Follower Growth Attribution: New tools reveal which posts and Reels drive new followers, plus improved charts track follow/unfollow trends.
- New Viewers Metric: “Accounts Reached” is being replaced by “Viewers,” a more comprehensive metric that includes repeat views across content types.
- Deeper Content Optimization: These insights empower creators to test, iterate, and refine content based on viewer behavior, conversion, and retention.
- Boosts for Brand Strategy: Post-level insights help creators better pitch to brands with detailed demographic engagement data and proven follower growth.
Announced Tuesday, the updates introduce detailed metrics for Reels and carousel posts, post-level audience demographics, and changes to how content performance is measured — marking a significant upgrade to the platform’s creator-facing insights.
New Features
- Reel Like Insights – Second-by-second breakdown of when users liked a video
- Carousel Slide Insights – Identifies which slide triggered engagement
- Post-Level Demographics – Age, gender, and location data per post or Reel
- Follower Growth Attribution – Tracks which content drives new followers
- Viewers Metric (Replacing Accounts Reached) – Counts total views across formats, including repeat views
- Improved Growth Chart – Shows follow/unfollow trends over time
Granular, Actionable Data
At the center of this update is Instagram’s effort to move beyond vanity metrics like basic likes or views, and instead empower creators with high-resolution performance data.
Reel Like Insights
Creators can now access second-by-second analytics showing precisely when users hit the “like” button during a Reel.
This timestamped data allows for a detailed understanding of viewer engagement, helping creators identify which moments in their videos resonate most — and which may need refinement.
Carousel Like Insights
For carousel posts, creators can now determine which specific slide prompted a like. The platform displays this information in a pie chart format, also showing whether interactions came from followers or non-followers.
This insight enables more strategic content sequencing and messaging within carousels.
Post-Level Demographics
One of the most significant additions is the ability to view audience demographics per individual post — including age, gender, and geographic location of users who engaged. Previously, such insights were only available at the account level.
This data enables creators to,
- Tailor content formats and themes to specific audience segments
- Inform brand partnerships with accurate targeting
- Optimize publishing schedules and messaging strategies
Measuring Growth and Reach More Effectively
Follower Growth Attribution
Instagram now allows creators to see which specific posts and Reels led to follower gains — a valuable tool for identifying content that drives real audience growth. This includes an improved chart that tracks follow and unfollow trends over time.
Viewers Metric Replaces Accounts Reached
In a move to unify measurement across content formats, Instagram is phasing out the “Accounts Reached” metric and introducing Viewers as its primary reach indicator.
Unlike reach, which counts only unique users, the Viewers metric includes repeat exposures — offering a more consistent view across Reels, posts, Stories, and carousels.
Insights for Content Optimization
These new metrics give creators tools to analyze content performance in more sophisticated ways.
- Use Reel Like timestamps to align key messages or hooks with high-engagement moments
- Track which posts convert to followers to improve content ROI
- Match post-level demographics with creative strategies to target specific audience segments more effectively
- Monitor repeat views to measure viewer retention and content relevance
