We’ve talked metrics before (click here for the full breakdown), but today we’re dedicating an entire post to one of the most KEY engagement metrics on Social Media. Enter Instagram Saves! You may know how to use this feature to save pictures for inspo on outfits, weddings, funny memes or recipes… but there is so much more power behind this easy, two-second tap feature!

Success metrics for Instagram feed posts are moving away from public likes in favor of the private “saves” metric instead – if you don’t know, now you know!! Instagram Saves are a key signal for how the algorithm works: the more saves you get on a post, the more people it will be shown to in the algorithm.

Here’s everything you need to know about Instagram Saves and how you can leverage this powerful feature to boost engagement and grow your audience!

WHAT ARE INSTAGRAM SAVES?
Instagram Saves aren’t anything new! It’s a handy way to collect and save your favorite posts. Simple as that!

By tapping the “bookmark” icon in the bottom right corner of a post, that post gets added to your saved posts, making it really easy to find at a later time. And the best feature for all our Type A’s out there? You can create different collections and organize your saved posts into specific categories like: Style, Social Media Tips, Recipes, Fitness, Wedding, etc. #OrganizedAF

As we mentioned earlier, Instagram Saves are key factors in the algorithm. The algorithm “reads” the number of saves a post gets as an indicator of quality. When someone saves your post, it tells Instagram that it’s high-quality content and that it should probably be sharing it with more people so everyone can benefit from the awesomeness! Your saved posts get pushed to the top of the feed which leads to more people seeing your content.

HOW TO CREATE SAVE-WORTHY CONTENT
Getting a double tap on Instagram is easy because we’re all click-happy, but a Save is a much bigger commitment that can really boost your brand! Here are a few ways to increase Saves and deliver engaging content:

Create High-Quality Content that is evergreen, valuable and relevant for the long haul (i.e. infographics, how-to’s, tips and tutorials, quotes)

Write Compelling Captions – telling a story will help you connect with your audience

Hook Your Audience – if you can hook the readers with your opening lines, they will be more likely to remain interested throughout the post and save it for future reference!

Mix Up Your Content – keep your audience on their toes to make sure they get excited with your content

Now is the time to level up your content strategy! Check your Insights regularly to see how often your content is being saved. If your Save count is low, experiment with different types of content and see what sticks. Instead of filling up your Instagram profile with noise, give your audience the type of content they really want – and you can find that out by looking at your past save results.