Marketing on Instagram is hard. There are so much content and so much competition; it can be hard to make your content shine and get yourself and your brand in front of the people that it means the most too. Then again, if you’re not using the right tools for the job, how can you expect to get the best results?
In today’s guide, I’m going to break down all of the top Instagram marketing and analytic tools you need to know about if you’re serious about growth on Instagram. What’s more, all these tools are free and ready for you to start using right now. If you’re looking for results, these are the tools to help you get there.
Essential Instagram Analytics Tools
1. The Built-In Instagram Insights
Of course, there are analytical tools built right into the Instagram application itself. All you need to do is make sure your account is a business account (although you’ll be able to customize what kind of business you are), and you’ll have everything you need to know under your Insights tab.
Here, you’ll see basic stats like how many impressions your posts and your stories have made, what times and days your followers are mostly online, and what your top-performing content is. While these stats might be basic, they’re ideal for selecting the best content your audience likes the most, plus when the best time to post is for you.
Unfortunately, you can’t really do anything these stats, like exporting them to another marketing application you may be using, nor viewing them on a desktop computer, but as far as integrated social media analytic tools go, the app does a perfectly adequate job.
2. SquareLovin
Another free and basic analytics tool comes in the form of SquareLovin, a well nicely designed analytic report generator that offers really clever insights into your account and your post performance, as well as detailing everything you need to know when it comes to producing content in the future.
A handy and unique feature is the report gives you information on when you ‘shouldn’t’ post, giving you the times when your audience is least active, and your posts will receive the least amount of engagement. Signing up is easy, as is navigating the dashboard.
3. Iconosquare
When using Iconosquare for Instagram, you have access to three different tools. Firstly, you can schedule your posts. Of course, the app can’t post for you, but it’s handy to organize everything, so you know what you’re posting and when. Being organized is the key to good marketing.
The second tool is being able to monitor your hashtags and comments, as well as any other engagements your business has. This allows you to see what people are saying about your brand. The final tool is your analytics. You can see everything, from post engagement and impressions to trends, reach, and story data. It’s all here, and it’s all free.
There are premium features available which you can try using the included 14-day free trial (which doesn’t require a source of payment to access), and the fact this service is used by over 25,000+ brands means you know this is a tool you can trust.
4. Socialbakers
Free and offering a range of great features, Socialbakers is an analytical tool that allows you to log in using your Instagram username and password, and then provide you with a ton of information on your account. A report is then generated where everything is easy to look at and easy on the eye.
You’ll be able to see stats like your most popular posts, the filters you’re using that provide the most engagement, which hashtags are performing best for your posts, and there are even suggestions for what kind of posts you should be thinking about posting.
Signing up to the service is easy, and you can request a demo from the homepage, and the service is AI-controlled to give you fast results that actually benefit you. While there’s no bells and whistles, it definitely gives you data that can help you take action.
5. Pixlee
Pixlee is another popular Instagram analytics tool that is used by brands like Sonos and Kenneth Cole, as well as a collection of other well-known brands, so you know this one provides an experience you’re going to be looking for. For a free tool, Pixlee actually goes above and beyond the call of duty as to what you would expect.
One of the key features is the ability to generate reports that you can share with people, which is great for collaborations and teamwork across departments. There are even features to help you find influencers that are suitable for your brand to work with, which takes out of a lot of the effort you would have to do otherwise.
6. Simply Measured
As the title suggests, Simply Measured simply measures your posts, and is free for Instagram accounts up to 25,000 followers. Just sign up to the website and link it with your Instagram account, and you’ll have a full analytical report that details everything that’s happened on your account in the last two weeks every time you generate the report.
You’ll see engagement rates, your posting schedule, what kind of filter performs best, and even geographical locations on your highest performance areas.
7. Union Metrics
While Union Metrics is not the most comprehensive reporting system, it does provide a few little drops of key information that can help you to make well-informed decisions. You’ll receive data like what the best times to post are, what content is the highest performing, and which hashtags are best for your posts.
You will also nicely see who your top followers are, and therefore who you should be engaging with. Engage with your top followers, and if they’re engaging back, you’re going to have more engagement, more visibility, and more impact. You can also sign up for this tool easily using just your email address and a password.
8. Websta
A really fancy Instagram tool, you’ll be surprised that this tool is actually free since every part of it, from the features to the visual dashboard, looks, and acts like a premium feature. Very similar to Squarelovin, you’ll be able to monitor up to three custom feeds, and you can even reply to comments directly through the app.
You can even see the highest performing accounts in your industry and niche, so you can connect with them and keep tabs on your competitors, and you can track top hashtags, so you know you’re picking the right ones for your posts.
All the data is easy to read and nicely laid out, and you’ll be able to see all basic information at a quick glance, or you’ll be able to go into the data in depth when you need a more detailed analysis.
9. Hashtagify
This free web browser tool is simple. You simply search the internet for a hashtag, and it will show you a list of all the other relevant hashtags you can use. Sure, you can’t use this tool to see analytics of your page, but you can see the analytics and performance ratings of hashtags, which is an ideal tool for helping you pick the ones which are going to be most effective for your posts.
While the basic version of this tool is free for everyone, there is a premium version available which allows you to track tags over time, and you can see official rankings in a lot of detail. If you want to try it out for yourself, there’s a 7-day free trial available.
10. Keyhole
Keyhole is a fantastic Instagram analytics tool, but this is a premium tool if you want to keep using it. There’s only a free trial version available, but there’s no denying it won’t help you out. From tracking hashtags (as many as you want) and analyzing your account for performance and to see which tags will work best for you, this is an excellent tool.
The premium version will show you data for around one full year on up to 99 of your posts, so there’s definitely some leeway to get you started. Like other leading tools, you’ll also be able to find influencers that are performing well and are ideal for your brand. Once you’ve connected your account, you’ll be able to find them in under a minute.
11. Crowdfire
Last, but certainly not least, we have Crowdfire. Crowdfire has all the standard features you’d expect a premium Instagram tool to have, including post scheduling, brand mention tracking, post performance monitoring, and more. However, the highlight feature of this tool is the fact you can curate content from your Instagram page.
Based on your Instagram content, hashtags, and industry, the tool will actively suggest content from across the internet from other websites that might be relevant to you, and most of the time, it does a pretty good job. This can help you stay up to date with your competition, and source ideas for your next posts.
