Are Likes Holding Your Growth Back?
For years, the "like" was the ultimate measure of success on Instagram. But in today's algorithm-driven world, likes have become a vanity metric—they feel good, but they don't necessarily translate to meaningful growth or reach.
If you want to create content that the algorithm promotes, you need to focus on the metrics that signal deep engagement. Here are the four numbers you should be obsessed with instead.
1. Saves: The New "Super-Like"
A "Save" is a powerful signal to Instagram that your content is highly valuable—so valuable that a user wants to come back to it later. The algorithm interprets a Save as a much stronger indicator of quality than a simple like.
How to get more Saves: Create content that is useful and evergreen. Think checklists, tutorials, step-by-step guides, and resource lists.
2. Shares: Your Engine for Virality
A "Share" is when a user sends your post to someone via DM or shares it to their own Story. This is the ultimate metric for organic reach. When someone shares your content, they are personally vouching for it and introducing your account to new, relevant audiences.
How to get more Shares: Create content that is relatable, funny, inspiring, or controversial (in a good way).
3. Reach: Your True Audience Size
Impressions tell you how many times your content was seen, but Reach tells you how many unique accounts saw it. Reach is the true measure of your content's distribution. If your Reach is consistently higher than your follower count, it means the algorithm is showing your content to new people, which is the key to growth.
4. Profile Visits & Website Clicks
At the end of the day, you want your Instagram presence to lead to an action. Tracking Profile Visits and Website Clicks (from the link in your bio) tells you if your content is successfully converting viewers into potential customers or community members.
The Bottom Line: By focusing on Saves and Shares, you will naturally increase your Reach. As your reach grows, you need to ensure your account's foundation is strong. This includes maintaining a healthy follower-to-following ratio, which signals credibility to all the new users discovering your profile.