What Is Reach on Instagram, and Is It Important?

There are so many technical concepts to remember on social media. One of them is the concept of “reach.” What is reach on Instagram? Reach is the Instagram metric that tells you how many IG users saw a post.

The Instagram post could be a picture, a carousel of photos, or an Instagram Reel. This metric tells you how many users saw a piece of content. When you see this number, it reflects the number of Instagram users. You can think of it in terms of the hundreds of millions of users on the platform.

It helps you know how many individuals got the chance to see your content. Then, you can think about what they did when they saw your content. Maybe they engaged with it a little bit. Perhaps they went to your page and followed you afterward.

Your reach is an important number to pay attention to. It gives you a very good idea of how much growth you can have on the platform. People can’t follow you if they don’t know your content exists.

In this article, we talk about how you can expand your reach. Reach is a metric that doesn’t get enough attention. That is a shame because it is arguably the first step to increasing your following.

Let’s see how much growth you can achieve by paying attention to this metric. Keep reading for all the information you need on your Instagram reach!

What Does Reach Mean on Instagram: Other Metrics You Should Know About

When you go into your Instagram analytics, you will see many metrics. It’s hard not to confuse reach with something else. Let’s discuss why reach is so different from other metrics on Instagram.

1. Impressions

You will likely confuse reach with impressions at some point in your Instagram career. So, let’s get the distinction out of the way right now. Reach indicates how many users saw a post. Instagram impressions indicate how many times your post received a view.

Your reach counts the viewers. Your impressions count the views. Put it this way: one user can give multiple impressions. But you can only reach a user once. Let’s use a practical scenario. A user sees a photo on Instagram. This counts as one reach and one impression.

That user may save this post and revisit it later. That’s another impression. Maybe someone shares this post on their Instagram Stories. If this user sees it, that’s another impression.

A friend may send the same post to that user in their Direct Messages (DMs). That post now racks up another impression. All of these impressions came from the same user. Still, the reach count is one for that user. 

Having a high number of impressions is great. It could mean that your content is getting around Instagram. However, knowing how many accounts you reach is important as well. This number indicates the potential following you could amass.

2. Engagement

Your interaction on a post is your engagement. This metric considers how many likes, comments, shares, and saves your content gets. It is an indication of how well you compel people with your content.

You can reach people without compelling them to engage with your content. Sometimes, people see your content and keep scrolling. You can also secure multiple instances of engagement from one Instagram user. Meanwhile, you can only reach a user once.

Your engagement rate is a powerful metric to take note of. It is a huge bargaining tool for creators who want to collaborate with brands. It best indicates that brands can secure sales by working with you. How well people engage with your content shows the level of command creators have over their target audiences. 

3. Follower Count

Your follower count is the number of followers you have on Instagram. This concept is fairly simple. Let’s talk about its relationship with your Instagram reach. You can reach an account but not get them to follow you. Because of this, you might have a higher reach than a new follower count within a period.

Your aim should be to reach accounts that will follow you. High reach is great, but you should attempt to convert that to followers. Increasing your reach increases the chances of more followers.

We should focus on ways to increase your Instagram reach. It is a good first step to ultimately growing your following.

4 Key Factors That Impact Reach on Instagram

Your follower count can reach new heights if you expand your reach. Unfortunately, figuring out how that works can be tricky. There are so many factors at play on Instagram that could impact your reach.

The same piece of content that works for one user may not work for another. Let’s talk about the factors on Instagram that can improve your luck.

1. Algorithm Changes

Every time you think you have figured out the algorithm, it changes. Suddenly, the CEO is publicly announcing the new Instagram rules. At some point, you received adequate visibility by just posting photos. You knew that the people who followed you would see it. Sometimes, people who didn’t follow you would see it as well.

Then, Instagram introduced Reels. This feature changed the game. The algorithm was now prioritizing short-form video content. Content creators realized that they increased their reach when they focused on Reels. They quickly potted and started creating videos. 

Instagram resembled TikTok as many creators simply repurposed videos. Other creators complained that their photos did not receive as much attention.

Perhaps Instagram’s algorithm has reached a balance now. Regular images are on the Explore page. Creators can post photos hoping to receive adequate reach. Since the algorithm is not static, this could change. It’s helpful to follow pages like Plixi that give you updates on the algorithm.

2. Post Timing

You always hear that timing is everything, but it’s true. Knowing when to post content on Instagram will impact your reach. You can’t just post when it’s convenient for you. You have to think about the users you are trying to reach. When are they likely to be using their phones? What time do you think they’re online?

Fortunately, Instagram has made this somewhat easier for you. You can go into your Instagram Insights to find information about your followers. There, you will see information on where they live, their ages, and gender specifications. More importantly, you will see when most of them are online.

Instagram will tell you when your followers are usually online. It breaks it down by the day and hour. It doesn’t end there. You have the option to schedule your posts on Instagram. 

Maybe you found out that your followers are online when you are busy. Edit your post and schedule it to go live at the most optimal time. 

When you schedule your Instagram post to go live at the optimal posting time, you can increase your reach. 

3. Use of Hashtags

We will always promote using hashtags for page growth wherever possible. They are still a very effective way to reach new Instagram users. 

Take a look at the insights for your posts. Instagram will show you how many people saw your post because of your hashtags. That means it is still a very important part of social media reach.

Maybe you need to revamp your marketing strategy if you don’t think they’re helpful. There is an ideal formula for hashtags on Instagram. It involves using both popular and hashtags to get a wide reach. If you don’t want to do all that work, try using a free hashtag generator.

With this online tool, you just need to describe your high-quality content. The generator will pump out the hashtags that work best with it. Ultimately, you should find a wider audience through posts. 

4. Interaction With Followers

You can’t just for people to find you. Sometimes, you need to interact with your followers first. Look at your comment section. Consider all the people who took the time to comment on your content. Did you reply to them? Did you leave an emoji in response? 

Increasing engagement on your posts could ultimately increase your reach on the platform. Instagram will notice all the engagement on a post. To the algorithm, the content is stirring up conversation. This increases the chances of Instagram promoting your content to other people. The same content can now reach new users.

Frequently Asked Questions About Instagram Impressions

Are you wondering, “What is Instagram reach?” The concept of Instagram reach might confuse some people. Before, people focused more on engagement. Now, they know that reach is also a metric to pay attention to. It’s no wonder that there are so many questions online about it. We did our best to give answers to the questions below.

FAQ: What is a good reach on Instagram?

Aim to have a reach of between 5 to 12% for your Instagram posts. For stories, between 1% and 2% is good. You might need to know how to arrive at this figure. You calculate reach by dividing the reach on a post by the number of followers. This percentage represents the value you need to keep in mind.

FAQ: What is the difference between views and reach on Instagram?

Your Instagram account reach is the number of Instagram accounts that came into contact with your content. Your views represent how many times users played your Reels. An Instagram account can only add to your reach one time. 

However, that same Instagram account can give you multiple views on a Reel.

FAQ: How does Instagram determine your reach?

Instagram calculates your reach by counting the accounts that view your content. All types of posts come with an individual reach count. You see the total number of times the post reached an account. 

One post can only go towards the total number once. However, that post can rack up multiple impressions from the same user.

Keep an Eye on Your Insights 

When you post, make a habit of checking the stats. Check to see if your marketing strategies are working. Are you reaching more accounts than you were before? Why do you think you are? 

Maybe it’s because of your new hashtag generator. This could be due to collaboration with another user.

Your Instagram Insights will help you check what works and what doesn’t. You shouldn’t just make a note of the numbers and go. You can make changes to your overall strategy with this information. Remember that a good reach is how you secure followers. 

The numbers will tell you if you are reaching new people or existing followers. It’s great to maintain visibility with your followers. Some creators complain that their followers don’t see their content anymore. But it’s even better to know that more people see your content.

What Is Reach on Instagram Going To Do for My Growth?

To gain the following that you want, you’ll have to increase your reach. An Instagram page can’t follow you unless you reach them. What’s your plan? How are you going to show yourself to brand-new accounts on Instagram? Are you OK with just reaching the same people every time?

If you want more from social media platforms, you came to the right place. Plixi is a social media growth site that specializes in results. We are responsible for increasing engagement rates for many social media influencers. We think you should be next.

You might create the types of posts that a particular kind of follower would like. We want to help you reach them. If the methods you use aren’t working, why not try us? We have very sophisticated tools at our disposal. Our AI targeting algorithm can bring results that even a business profile on Instagram can’t.

Are you ready to take your page to the next level? You’re no longer asking, “What is reach on Instagram?” Now, you want to know how you can increase it for your brand. We want to help you with that. 

Start growing your following with Plixi today!