By skyforbes 
2/ USE YOUR INSTAGRAM STATS STRATEGICALLY
If you’ve been around long enough you might remember that I’d set out to include more lifestyle and interior content on my blog and Instagram before. I eventually stopped, mainly because it didn’t seem to resonate with my audience — views dropped, and follower growth was minuscule compared to when I posted educational food photography content.
Fast forward to January ‘25 and I decided to give interior and lifestyle content another shot only to see it underperform once again. At first, it felt like confirmation that this content just wasn’t working for me.
But then, I took a closer look at my stats.
Interior content wasn’t bringing in hoards of new followers or raking in tons of likes, but people were saving these posts like there was no tomorrow. I’d missed that previously and that insight changed everything. It meant my audience found this content valuable, even if they weren’t engaging with it in the ways I was used to measuring success.
Then came another realisation: Looking back at the year I previously shared interior content, I noticed that was when I landed some of my best-paying brand collaborations with – wait for it – interior brands! And as I mentioned before, working with brands is one of my biggest goals for this year!
January’s stats also revealed:
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My personal content led to the highest engagement
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A post that “underperformed” still brought in thousands in revenue
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My educational content (which I’m best known for) was the only post that meaningfully grew my audience
Seeing all of this laid out gave me LOTS of food for thought. You see, I’d always looked at my stats, but didn’t ever dissect them properly, focusing solely on follower growth and views. This deep dive gave me the confidence I needed to fine tune my content strategy and continue to more efficiently pursue my goals moving forward.
The takeaway?
Your stats tell a bigger story than just likes and follower counts. If you only focus on surface-level numbers, you might miss key insights that could help you grow strategically. Look deeper. Identify what’s actually driving results and align your Instagram strategy accordingly.
Now, the question is, are you looking at your stats the right way?