How to Measure and Increase Instagram Visibility? [2024 Guide]

Tidal has been making waves online! Over the past month, they gained over 37,000 mentions, reaching more than 178 million people on social media. This led them to an impressive Presence Score of 70, better than 84% of brands.

But how do they do it? What’s the secret to getting noticed and staying ahead on Instagram? If you want to boost your Instagram visibility and grow your brand – this article is for you.

Let’s dive into the best ways to measure and increase your Instagram visibility!

Instagram visibility refers to how many people see your posts, stories, or reels (including those outside your followers). It can be measured using metrics like reach, mentions, and share of voice. Improving it is essential for growing an audience, improving engagement, and building a solid brand presence on Instagram.

What is Instagram visibility?

Instagram visibility is all about how many people see your posts, stories, or reels.

It’s not just about your followers. It’s about reaching new people, too.

The more visible your content is, the more chances you have to grow your audience, get likes, and build connections.

In short, working on visibility means making sure your content gets noticed in the crowd.

Key factors influencing Instagram visibility include:

• Instagram algorithm and whether it will push your content to people.
• Posting regularly
• Engaging with your audience
• Using the right hashtags
• Creating high-quality content
• Trying different features like Reels, Stories, and Lives.
• Collaborating with others
• Posting at the right times

How to measure Instagram visibility?

Measuring your Instagram visibility is important because it shows you what’s working and what isn’t.

By tracking your performance, you can adjust your strategy to reach more people and grow your audience faster.

Plus, checking how your competitors are doing can give you a point of reference and help you set realistic goals for your account.

Track those metrics: 

• Social media reach
• Impressions
• The volume of mentions 
• Presence Score 
• Share of voice

Social media reach

Social media reach is one of the best ways to track your brand’s visibility.

It shows directly how many unique people saw your content. This helps you understand how far your message spreads.

A higher reach often means:

• Greater brand awareness
• Stronger engagement
• New opportunities to grow your audience

How to measure?

You can access information about your Instagram reach internally in the app. Just go to “Insights” > “Views,” and you get the analysis.

You also get the information on what percentage of views comes from:

1. Paid ads and organic
2. Followers and non-followers
3. Which content type (stories, reels, posts)

This is what it looks like:

However, you can also go a step further and analyze your social media reach from a broader perspective.

As you probably know, people tend to share Instagram content on other platforms, too. And it’s worth knowing how it impacts your performance.

Social listening tools are perfect for that!

For example, Brand24 tracks reach across various social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X (Twitter) and more.

This gives you a comprehensive view of your online presence.

Here’s what it looks like in the Brand24 dashboard:

Of course, you can also filter your analysis to get just the Instagram reach:

You can analyze spikes, identify which posts performed best, and even compare data across platforms.

With such insight, you can find gaps in your strategy to improve visibility.

The volume of mentions 

Mentions are a direct indicator of how often people talk about your brand.

That’s why they’re essential for understanding your visibility.

The more mentions your brand gets, the more visible it is.

By tracking mentions, you can join conversations, maintain a positive reputation, and even identify opportunities to build stronger relationships with your audience.

How to measure?

You can find your mentions on Instagram in the notifications panel.

But…

Unfortunately, only the ones from Instagram comments and posts in which you’re tagged (so your name is added with the “@” symbol”). And these are just the tip of the iceberg.

That’s why I suggest using an external tool to find and monitor your mentions.

With Brand24, you can track both tagged and untagged mentions of your brand.

In the “Mentions” tab, you’ll see a list of all mentions, their source (Instagram, blogs, forums, etc.), and even the sentiment analysis around them.

Here’s what a Tidal’s mention looks like in the panel:

And here’s an overview of their mentions over time:

As you can see, there are some vivid spikes.

If you wonder what’s behind them – just use the “Anomaly Detector,” which flags unusual activity, like a sudden increase in mentions. 

It enables you to understand the analysis better and react quickly.

Pro tip: Respond to mentions, especially the negative ones, in a strategic way. They can turn a PR crisis into a positive increase in your visibility.

Take a look at how Ryanair does it using satire and meme techniques (see the left screenshot).

By the way, when you go through their profile, you can see the enormous difference in reach they have when responding to mentions using the strategy (363 K) compared to when they post their regular communication (58 K).

Crazy, huh?

Presence Score

The Online Presence Score combines all visibility metrics into one easy score.

It shows how well your brand is performing online. Plus, it makes it easier to understand the effectiveness of your social media efforts.

A high Presence Score indicates strong online visibility.

How to measure?

Brand24 automatically calculates your Presence Score. You can track changes over time and see how different campaigns or strategies impact your score.

The tool also lets you compare your Presence Score with competitors, so you can benchmark your performance and set goals for improvement.

You can find it in the “Analysis” tab:

Share of voice 

Share of voice tells you how much of the conversation in your industry or niche is about your brand compared to your competitors.

It’s a great way to understand your position in the market and how visible you are within your space.

A higher share of voice means greater authority and influence, which can attract more followers and customers.

How to measure?

Head to the “Comparison” tab in Brand24, where you can compare your brand with competitors.

The tool shows your share as a percentage of total mentions in your industry, giving you a clear idea of where you stand and what you need to improve.

10 effective tips to increase Instagram visibility

1. Optimize your Instagram profile

Make your profile clear, attractive, and easy to find.

Use a recognizable profile picture, write a strong bio with keywords related to your niche, and include a link to your website or landing page.

A professional-looking profile makes people more likely to follow you.

Here’s a quick checklist when optimizing your profile:

1. Add a profile picture
2. Craft your bio and optimize it for SEO
3. Add important links
4. Make sure to do regular updates

2. Use Hashtags strategically

Research and use relevant Instagram hashtags to make your Instagram posts easier to find for new audiences.

I suggest combining:

• popular hashtags
• niche hashtags
• branded hashtags

And adding 3-6 of them. This way, you can maximize reach without getting lost in too many tags.

3. Create Reels and Instagram Stories

The Instagram algorithm prioritizes short video formats (Instagram Reels) and Instagram Stories, so they’re an easy yet powerful way to increase your visibility.

For Reels – focus on short, engaging, and creative videos that can either entertain or educate your target audience.

For Stories – try to be authentic. People are tired of perfect images and seek authenticity.

Bonus tip: adding a trending sound is key to boosting Instagram’s algorithm.

4. Boost engagement by replying to comments

You want to show your followers that you value them and their time. So, reply to comments, DMs, and Instagram mentions as soon as you can.

It can significantly boost engagement as people will keep engaging more after seeing that it matters to you.

Liking and commenting on your audience’s Instagram posts can also encourage them to engage more with your content.

If you struggle with finding the right response – check this article on how to respond to Instagram comments.

Engaging with your followers’ Instagram posts adds more interaction and enhances your visibility in the algorithm.

Some Instagram creators like three posts from every profile that will comment on their recent post. Perhaps that’s the strategy to consider?

5. Collaborate with influencers

Partnering with influencers or brands is another fantastic way to boost visibility.

It exposes your account to their followers and enables you to reach a wider audience.

However, make sure to choose collaborators who align with your niche and values. This way, you can stay authentic and relevant.

Here’s a recent collab between two big fashion brands – DOLCE&GABBANA and Skims:

6. Analyze your performance

If you want to keep getting better results, you need to know what to improve. And how to do it?

By analyzing what’s working and what’s not.

Monitor your Instagram performance to understand your strategy’s impact and tweak it to improve.

Check which types of content resonate most with your audience and adjust your schedule based on that data.

7. Post consistently at the right time

Regular posting keeps your account active and visible in followers’ feeds. It boosts user engagement as people feel more connected to your brand.

Determine when is the best time to post on Instagram for your audience and schedule posts during those times for the best results.

You can either use Brand24 for a detailed analysis of when to post:

Or check your follower’s active times in Instagram Insights:

The main difference between those two strategies is accuracy. The insights from the Instagram app are quite general, and sometimes, it’s hard to determine the best time to post.

8. Run Instagram ads

Investing in Instagram ads can significantly boost your visibility. Social media loves money, and it’s way easier to reach new audiences through paid ads.

Use the Ads Manager to target specific audiences based on location, interests, and behavior, ensuring your content reaches the right people.

9. Use User-Generated Content (UGC)

Encourage your followers to create content featuring your brand. Sharing UGC on your profile increases authenticity, builds trust, and introduces your brand to the creator’s followers.

GoPro does that perfectly by even creating a whole community and “contest” – only the best videos and photos are getting shared on their profile.

Plus, they have their own platform for people to upload content, and the winner gets a cash reward.

10. Optimize captions and add CTAs

Make sure your captions are compelling and that they tell a story or provide value.

End your posts with clear calls-to-action (CTAs), like “Share this with a friend!” or “Save this for later!” to drive engagement.

Conclusion

Instagram visibility is impacted by many different factors. The key to getting noticed is staying relevant and growing an engaged community around your brand.

By measuring metrics such as reach, mentions, and Presence Score, you can gain valuable insights into what’s working and where to improve.

Final thoughts

1. Reply to comments, interact with followers, and join conversations to stay visible and foster loyalty.
2. Regularly track your Instagram performance metrics using tools like Brand24 to ensure you’re moving in the right direction.
3. Experiment with features – test Reels, Stories, Lives, and ads to find the mix that works best for your brand.

Want to take your Instagram to the next level? Try Brand24 for free and discover how easy it is to measure and enhance your Instagram visibility!