A number of iOS and Android apps rake in huge sums of money by promising heavy Instagram users access to a multitude of account information and analytics. It's no secret that Instagram could capitalize on this in a huge way. Naturally, they don't plan on charging for the service. Instead, they're likely counting on it to boost user interaction. But we do finally know what the new "Insights" feature will offer and how it will look.
While Instagram is also testing new business profiles that allow access to a contact button, linked location for quick directions, and categorizing of your business, a new leak from Later shows us what new analytics features from Instagram will look like.
While you'll have to head there for the screenshots, we can tell you that Instagram plans on sharing a variety of insight into your followers, including demographic information, such as age, gender, location (and subsequently, time zone to optimize your posting schedule), etc. In addition, Insights will also offer information about how many of your followers are online, which of your photos are your top posts, and how and when your followers are viewing your posts within various timeframes.
The new information could potentially be released alongside the new business profiles feature that Instagram has confirmed will come in a few months' time.
How would you benefit the most from analytics information such as this?
[via Later]
The big question will be if this feature will be exclusive for business accounts (i guess so) or if normal user will be able to use it to or have to pay to use it too.
I am already using Iconosquare, which works great, but having more insights on at what time how many of your followers are active would be very helpful.
I'm curious where they'll source some of this data, I don't recall disclosing my location, sex and age when I signed up. That being said, I'm looking forward to the new features!
you can either log in with your username and password or with your Facebook account (that's where the data comes from!)
Most demographic info comes from instagram "sharing" that information with other apps that have been authorized to share information with it (for example, signing in using Facebook, automatically posting instagram posts to FB, Twitter etc. Location information is taken from the gps information on your phone when you access the app. Most apps have location sharing turned on by default and you generally have to go to your location settings in your phone to decide which apps have access to your location automatically.
Well if you've linked your Facebook with Instagram then they could get it from there since it's the same company. They can also get your location pretty easily via your IP address. There are likely other more shady ways they can work it out.
Ahhh.... facebook stikes again. It all makes sense now!
I don't have a large following so I don't need analytics to know who my followers are. I'm just anticipating (like FB) organic reach to be killed off.
There are also tools for photography analytics from almost all available photo services and social networks. It's great to see all the numbers in one place. I use http://pixbuf.com