Instagram growth coach Brock Johnson posted a swiper on Instagram’s new feature: competitive metrics.
Except, this one comes with an eyebrow-raising twist:
“Instagram adds new ‘competitive metrics.’ And I’m not a fan.”
So, of course, we had to know why!
IG’s New Competitive Metrics: What You Need to Know
Johnson’s caption reiterates the same verdict:
“I’m not a fan of the new feature ‘competitive insights’ from Instagram.”
Here’s how the carousel breaks it down:
First, the facts:
“Instagram has begun rolling out new insights that compare your stats to someone else’s.”
Second, what “compared stats” actually include:
- Total followers: The total number of followers for this account. This metric is in development.
- Net followers: The number of new followers minus the number of accounts that unfollowed you in the selected time period. This metric is estimated.
- Reels: The number of reels created in the selected time period.
- Posts: The number of posts created in the selected time period.
- Ads: The number of ads created on Instagram in the selected time period.
So, why is Johnson not a fan? Slide #4 spells out four main reasons:
- Stats don’t tell the whole story.
- Everyone is on a different journey.
- Comparison is the thief of joy.
- There isn’t much you can learn from these stats.
So, while users might be curious enough to take a peek, the new feature doesn’t actually provide the kind of insights that help creators improve their content (and create more of it).
Johnson went further in the next slide with four things he is a “big fan of”:
- Getting inspired from other people’s content
- Celebrating other people’s success
- Analyzing YOUR stats
- Studying what other people are doing (process), rather than looking at their results.
He wraps it up on the final slide with this:
“Instagram is not a competition because I want you to win just as much as I want to win.”
Spoken like a true coach. And judging by the comments, plenty of creators appreciate Johnson’s take on the new feature. Most are giving it a hard pass.
What’s good about the new feature?
Now, let’s flip the script a little. After all, Instagram had to have a reason to introduce this new feature. And to give the folks at Meta the benefit of the doubt, that reason is probably not to make creators feel worse about themselves.
According to an AI overview of the latest reports, the new “Competitive Insights” feature (for professional accounts) gives creators and brands on IG a way to benchmark their performance against the competition.
Here’s what the feature does:
- Compare key metrics: See follower growth, post frequency, and content mix for up to 10 competitor accounts.
- Track boosted ads: Review performance on boosted in-app posts (not those created in Meta Ads Manager).
- Benchmark overall results: Compare account performance, even when competitors hide their like counts.
- Inform your strategy: Spot posting trends and engagement patterns to refine your own approach.
What it doesn’t do (yet):
- Limited analytics: Lacks engagement rate, click-through, share, and save data.
- No group view: You can only compare one-on-one, with no combined dashboard or detailed graphs.
How to find it:
- Go to your Professional Dashboard on Instagram.
- Tap Competitive Insights.
- Add up to 10 competitor accounts.
- Choose a time range (like 90 days) to view performance comparisons.
So, what are some ways you could use this feature?
- Checking out a fellow creator’s stats so you can congratulate them on reaching a milestone.
- Checking a fellow participant’s progress on a social media challenge (posts & reels created during a specific period of time)
- Comparing follower growth across multiple accounts in response to a particular type of social media post
What about you? Are you planning to use the new feature? Or do you agree with Johnson’s verdict?
