How to create an Instagram analytics report (+ free template)

Instagram Insights

What’s worse than watching your Instagram analytics plummet? Not knowing why. 

If you’re manually tracking performance across multiple clients, things can get unsustainable real fast. Some tools give you surface-level insights. Others flat-out mislead. For busy agency teams, every manual export is billable time lost and proof of ROI gets buried.

Add to that the constant changes Instagram is rolling out, and it’s no wonder marketers feel like they’re always playing catch-up.

That’s where a smart, streamlined Instagram analytics report comes in. In this guide, we’ll show you exactly what to track, how to track it, and give you our proven template you use immediately. No more flying blind with your social media strategy.

Why you need an Instagram analytics report?

Creating an Instagram analytics report isn't just busywork but an essential for success on the platform. Here's why you need one:

• Track real results: See actual numbers instead of guessing if your content works
• Spot trends: Identify what content drives the most engagement before your competitors
• Justify your efforts: Show clients or your boss concrete results from your social media marketing
• Save time: Stop manually checking metrics and automate your reporting process
• Make better decisions: Use data-driven decisions instead of hunches for your content strategy

“It took us some time to find the solution to seamlessly build custom reports with a high degree of personalization. Our reports have now all the required information the way we want it, including amazing visualizations." - Angela Bridgers, NH Digital

Key metrics to include in your Instagram analytics report

Your Instagram analytics report should include these essential metrics to give you a complete picture of performance:

• Audience metrics:
  
  • Follower count and growth rate
  • Audience demographics (age, location, gender)
  • Active hours and days
• Engagement metrics:
  
  • Engagement rates (likes, comments, shares, saves)
  • Average engagement rate by post type
  • Comment sentiment analysis
• Content metrics:
  
  • Top-performing posts
  • Best content types (photos, videos, carousels)
  • Instagram Stories completion rates
• Reach metrics:
  
  • Account reach
  • Organic reach rate
  • Impression counts
• Conversion metrics:
  
  • Profile visits
  • Website clicks
  • Action button taps

How to create an Instagram analytics report

Option 1: Instagram Insights (manual method)

Instagram Insights is the platform's native analytics tool. While basic, it's free and gives you direct access to your data.

Step #1: Switch to a Business account

You need a Business or Creator account to access Instagram Insights. 

Go to “Settings” > Switch to “Professional account”

Step #2: Access Instagram Insights

Tap the “Dashboard” icon on your profile page

1. This takes you to your "Professional Dashboard" near the top where you can view overall performance

Step #3: Navigate Instagram Insights Data

The Instagram Insights is divided into two primary categories:

• Account: Shows overall account performance
• Content: Displays metrics for individual posts, Stories, Reels, and Live videos

Tap the dropdown "Insights" button to toggle between these views. Here's what each section includes:

Account Insights:

• Overview: Total accounts reached, content interactions, and followers
• Accounts Reached: Shows the number of unique accounts that saw your content
• Accounts Engaged: Indicates how many accounts interacted with your content
• Total Followers: Displays your current follower count and growth

Content Insights:

• Content You Shared: Lists all your posts, Stories, Reels, Live videos
• Content Interactions: Shows engagement on individual pieces of content

For any metric, click the dropdown to view detailed breakdowns and additional data points.

Step #4: Export your data

Unlike Reporting Ninja that allows you create custom reports in minutes, Instagram Insights doesn't directly export reports. So you'll need to manually record data, take screenshots or enter data into a spreadsheet.

Step #5: Organize your metrics

Group your metrics by audience, content, and growth to spot patterns. Focus on actionable insights that can improve your strategy.

Step #6: Create visual representations

Turn your data into charts and graphs to make trends easier to spot. This helps you communicate findings to clients or team members.

Option 2: Instagram Analytics Tools

For more robust reporting, dedicated Instagram analytics tools make the process faster and more thorough.

#1 Reporting Ninja 

Reporting Ninja stands out as the most affordable social media analytics tool with comprehensive Instagram analytics.  What makes it unique is its three-in-one approach: you can create and deliver reports in three different destinations: our custom reports platform, Looker Studio, and Google Sheets.

Reporting Ninja automatically pulls your data and creates beautiful, customizable reports.

Key features:

• Real-time data refreshing
• White-label reporting for agencies
• Automated email delivery of reports
• Integration with 50+ marketing platforms
• Pre-built Instagram analytics report templates

"As the leader of a marketing team, we used to spend hours immersed in spreadsheets and gathering data. Thanks to Reporting Ninja, we've transformed that process. Automation has freed up my team, allowing us to focus on what truly matters: crafting effective strategies." - Daniel Kristoffersen, Fox Real Estate

[Try Reporting Ninja Free for 15 Days - No Credit Card Required]

#2 Later 

Later offers scheduling and Instagram analytics capabilities but at a higher price point. It's popular for its visual content calendar and scheduling features.

Key features:

• Content scheduling
• Basic analytics on posts and Stories
• Best time to post recommendations

#3 Rival IQ 

Rival IQ focuses on competitive analysis alongside Instagram analytics. It's pricier than Reporting Ninja but offers benchmarking against competitors.

Key features:

• Competitor benchmarking
• Social media industry trends reports
• Cross-platform analytics

6 benefits of an Instagram analytics report or dashboard

An Instagram analytics report gives you a clear picture of what's working and what's not. Here's why that matters:

The benefit #1: Improved content strategy

With an analytics report, you can identify which content types perform best. This lets you create more of what works and less of what doesn't.

For example, you might discover your carousel posts get 3x more saves than single images, or that video tutorials generate 5x more shares than promotional content. This specific knowledge lets you double down on high-performing formats and stop wasting time on content that flops.

The benefit #2: Better understanding of your audience

Your report reveals detailed audience demographics and behavior patterns, helping you tailor content to your specific target audience.

This detailed profile helps you craft hyper-targeted content that feels personally relevant to followers. Say you discover your audience is primarily 25-34 year old professionals who browse Instagram during lunch breaks and engage most with educational content, you’ve just gotten information that completely reshapes your content strategy.

The benefit #3: Optimized posting schedule

Identifying when your audience is most active to maximize reach is so important that it’s attracted several research. 

B2B audiences, for instance, are likely to be most active between 8-9 AM and 4-5 PM on weekdays, aligning with typical work hours. Scheduling your posts during these windows can trigger an engagement rate increase virtually overnight.

The benefit #4: Clearer ROI measurement

Without proper tracking, Instagram can feel like a black hole for your marketing efforts. An analytics report connects your social activity directly to business outcomes through conversion metrics.

Track the complete journey from impression to website visit to lead or sale. You'll know exactly which content drives business results and can calculate a precise return on your Instagram investment.

The benefit #5: Client satisfaction

For agencies and social media managers, professional Instagram analytics reports don't just impress clients, they retain them. Stunning visual reports showing clear progress keep clients invested in your services.

Instead of vague promises, you deliver concrete proof of your value with beautiful white-label reports showing exactly how your work impacts their business. 

The benefit #6: Time savings

Manual reporting is a productivity killer. Social media managers typically spend hours weekly just gathering data and creating reports; time that could be spent on strategy or content creation.

Automated analytics reports eliminate this busywork entirely. Saving an average of 8 hours per week with automated data collection is over 400 hours saved annually. This is time you can reinvest in activities that actually grow accounts rather than just measuring them.

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Instagram analytics report template [free to use]

Don't want to build a report from scratch? Use this free Instagram analytics report template for Looker Studio to get started right away. We'll also show you Reporting Ninja's custom report platform with even more Instagram templates soon.

Tracking detailed metrics like reach, impressions, engagement, follower growth, and post performance shouldn’t be scattered across screenshots and spreadsheets. 

This free template brings everything into one clean, intuitive dashboard. This makes it easier to spot trends, understand what’s working, and back every decision with data.

And perhaps most importantly, it makes your reporting sustainable. Instead of rebuilding charts or scrambling to answer, "How did that carousel actually do?", you’ll have a go-to system that grows with you. 

Use it weekly, monthly, or quarterly to track progress, optimize your strategy, and clearly show the ROI of your efforts.

[Try the free Instagram analytics report template]

5 must-have KPIs for your Instagram analytics report template

Every effective Instagram analytics report template should include these key performance indicators:

Key performance indicator #1: follower growth rate

Track how quickly your audience is growing with the follower growth rate formula: 

(New followers ÷ Total followers at start of period) × 100

This metric shows if your type of content is attracting new followers consistently.

KPI #2: engagement rate

The engagement rate measures how actively your audience interacts with your content: 

(Total engagements ÷ Total followers) × 100

This is more valuable than raw follower counts as it shows actual audience interest.

KPI #3: reach rate

Your reach rate shows what percentage of your followers actually see your content: 

(Average reach per post ÷ Total followers) × 100

This helps you gauge content visibility and Instagram algorithm performance.

KPI #4: story completion rate

For Instagram Stories, track how many viewers watch your entire story: 

(Viewers of last frame ÷ Viewers of first frame) × 100

This shows how engaging your story content is from start to finish.

KPI #5: conversion rate

Measure how effectively your Instagram drives desired actions: 

(Number of conversions ÷ Total link clicks) × 100

This connects your Instagram efforts to actual business results.

5 best practices for Instagram analytics reports

Follow these best practices to get the most value from your Instagram analytics reports:

Practice #1: Set clear goals before measuring

Social media managers should define what success looks like before creating their social media report. Align your key metrics with specific business goals like brand awareness, engagement, or sales.

Practice #2: Compare performance over time

Don't just look at single-point metrics. Track performance over time to identify trends and seasonal patterns in your Instagram analytics.

Practice #3: Segment your data

Break down metrics by content type, audience segment, or campaign to get more granular insights from your analytics report.

Practice #4: Include competitive benchmarks

Add competitor analysis to your report to understand how you stack up against others in your industry. This provides context for your numbers.

Pro tip: Track 3-5 direct competitors consistently rather than changing the comparison set frequently for more meaningful benchmarking.

Practice #5: Focus on actionable insights

Don't just report numbers. Include recommendations based on your findings. This transforms your analytics report into a strategic tool.

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How Reporting Ninja makes Instagram reporting easier

Reporting Ninja simplifies the entire process of creating Instagram analytics reports with its intuitive platform.

Step 1: Connect your Instagram account

Simply log in to Reporting Ninja and connect your Instagram Business account. The platform will immediately start pulling your data.

Step 2: Choose a template

Select a pre-designed Instagram analytics report template or create your own custom layout. All templates are fully customizable.

Step 3: Customize your report

Add your logo, brand colors, and select which key metrics to include. You can add custom metrics and calculations too.

Step 4: Schedule automated delivery

Set up your report to run daily, weekly, or monthly and be delivered automatically to your inbox or client emails.

Create your first Instagram report in 5 minutes

Start using Reporting Ninja for hassle-free Instagram Reports

Want to analyze Instagram performance consistently and without misleading data? Reporting Ninja gives you everything you need for comprehensive, professional reports at a fraction of the cost of other tools.

With reports available across three destinations (custom reports platform, Looker Studio, and Google Sheets) you deliver insights exactly how your clients prefer.

With Reporting Ninja, you'll get:

• Automated data collection
• Beautiful, customizable reports
• Client-ready professional designs
• Time-saving report scheduling
• Multi-channel reporting in one platform

Don't waste another hour on manual reporting. Start your free 15-day trial today - no credit card required.

[Try Reporting Ninja Free for 15 Days]

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I generate an instagram report for free?

Yes! You can create a basic Instagram analytics report for free using Instagram Insights and our free template. For more comprehensive reporting, Reporting Ninja offers a free 15-day trial.

What's a good KPI to measure Instagram growth?

Follower growth rate and engagement rate are the two most important key metrics for measuring Instagram growth. They show both audience size and quality.

How often should agencies send Instagram reports to clients?

Most agencies send monthly reports to clients, but some provide weekly updates for active campaigns. Reporting Ninja makes it easy to schedule reports at any interval.

Can Instagram analytics show website traffic from social posts?

Instagram Insights shows profile visits but for full website traffic attribution, you'll need to connect Google Analytics to track traffic sources from Instagram.