How to Find Average Reach on Instagram

Knowing your average Instagram reach tells you exactly how many unique individuals your content is connecting with over time. It's one of the most honest metrics for understanding your account's health and true audience size. This guide will walk you through exactly how to find your average reach, what that number actually means, and how to make it grow.

What Exactly Is Instagram Reach (and How Is It Different from Impressions)?

Before calculating anything, it’s important to clarify the difference between two of Instagram's most common metrics: reach and impressions. Though often used interchangeably, they measure two very different things.

• Reach is the total number of unique accounts that saw one of your posts or stories. If one person sees your Reel five times, that counts as a reach of one. It’s about people.
• Impressions are the total number of times your content was displayed on screen. If that same person sees your Reel five times, that counts as five impressions. It’s about views.

Think of it like a billboard on a highway. The total number of unique cars that drive past it in a day is its reach. The total number of times the billboard is seen - including the commuter who drives past it twice a day - is its impressions. While impressions can indicate content is being shown repeatedly (a good sign of engagement), reach is the metric that tells you how wide your message is spreading and how many potential customers or followers you're connecting with.

Why Average Reach Is the Metric You Should Be Tracking

It can be tempting to celebrate a single post that gets an unusually high reach, but the Instagram algorithm is famously unpredictable. One Reel can soar with thousands of views while a similar one seems to disappear without a trace. This is why focusing on an average is so effective.

Average reach smooths out the peaks and valleys, giving you a stable, reliable benchmark of your account's performance. Instead of getting thrown off by a one-hit wonder or a single disappointing post, the average shows you what’s typical. It’s the number you can use to:

• Set realistic growth goals.
• Measure the impact of a new content strategy over a month or quarter.
• Report on performance to clients or stakeholders with confidence.
• Actually understand if your account is growing in a meaningful way.

Tracking this average consistently is how you go from guessing what works to knowing for sure.

How to Find Your Reach Data in Instagram Insights

Before you can calculate your average reach, you need the raw data. Instagram provides this for free, but only if you have a Creator or Business account. If you're still on a Personal account, head to Settings and privacy > Account type and tools > Switch to professional account. It’s free and reversible.

Once you’re set up, here’s how to access your reach data:

1. Navigate to your Instagram profile page.
2. Tap the “Professional Dashboard” button located below your bio.
3. Look for the “Account Insights” section and tap “See all.”
4. Under the “Overview” tab, you’ll see a metric called “Accounts Reached.” Tap on it.

This screen gives you your total unique reach over a set period. You can adjust the timeframe at the top of the screen, typically defaulting to the “Last 30 days.” This is great for an overview, but to calculate an average per post, you’ll need to do a little bit of simple math.

Two Simple Ways to Calculate Your Average Instagram Reach

There are two primary ways to measure average reach. The first is a straightforward average per post, and the second, Reach Rate, gives that number valuable context by comparing it to your follower count.

Method 1: Calculating Average Reach Per Post

This metric tells you, on average, how many unique accounts each piece of your content reaches. It’s great for establishing a baseline for your typical post performance.

The Formula:

(Total Reach of All Posts) / (Total Number of Posts) = Average Reach Per Post

How to do it:

1. Choose a timeframe (e.g., the last 30 days).
2. Count how many feed posts, Reels, and Stories you published in that period. Let's say you made 12 posts.
3. Go through each of those 12 posts. On each one, tap "View Insights" to find its individual Reach.
4. Add up the reach from all 12 posts.
5. Divide that total sum by 12.

For example, if you posted 5 times with reach numbers of 1,200, 850, 2,500, 900, and 1,100:

• Total Reach: 1200 + 850 + 2500 + 900 + 1100 = 6,550
• Number of Posts: 5
• Average Reach Per Post: 6,550 / 5 = 1,310

This means you can expect your typical post to be seen by around 1,310 unique people.

Method 2: Calculating Your Reach Rate Percentage

While Average Reach Per Post is useful, it lacks context. A reach of 1,310 is fantastic for an account with 2,000 followers, but not so good for one with 200,000. This is where Reach Rate comes in. It helps you understand what percentage of your total audience you're typically connecting with.

The Formula:

(Average Reach Per Post / Your Total Follower Count) * 100 = Reach Rate %

Using the example from above, let's say your account has 5,000 followers:

• Average Reach Per Post: 1,310
• Follower Count: 5,000
• Reach Rate Calculation: (1,310 / 5,000) * 100 = 26.2%

Your Reach Rate is 26.2%. This is the metric you should be tracking month-over-month. It tells a much richer story about how efficiently you're connecting with the audience you've worked so hard to build.

So, What's a "Good" Average Reach Rate?

This is the million-dollar question, and the honest answer is: it depends. There’s no single number that defines success, as reach can be influenced by your industry, content niche, audience size, and content format. However, here are some general benchmarks to provide context:

• Under 10k Followers: These accounts often see the highest reach rates, sometimes upwards of 30-50% or more, because their audiences are typically more engaged and the algorithm favors showing content to a larger percentage of a smaller following.
• 10k - 100k Followers: A reach rate between 15% and 30% is generally considered solid for accounts in this range.
• Over 100k Followers: It becomes much more difficult to reach a large percentage of your audience as you grow. A reach rate between 5% and 15% is common and often considered good performance for large accounts.

The most important benchmark is not an industry standard, it's your own past performance. The goal is progress. If your average reach rate was 22% last month and it’s 25% this month, you’re winning.

5 Actionable Ways to Improve Your Average Reach

Once you’ve started tracking your average reach rate, the next step is to make that number grow. Here are five practical strategies that consistently work.

1. Create unapologetically shareable content

The single most powerful way to expand your reach is to get your content shared to Stories. This is a direct signal to Instagram that your content is valuable, and it exposes your account to entirely new audiences. Ask yourself before you post: "Would someone send this to a friend?" Prioritize content like:

• Highly relatable memes or observations about your niche.
• Informative carousels or infographics that solve a problem.
• Inspiring quotes or powerful stories.
• Controversial (but on-brand) opinions that spark conversation.

2. Obsess over your first 3 seconds

For Reels and video content, the first three seconds determine everything. You have to stop the scroll immediately. A strong hook grabs attention and keeps viewers watching, which is a major factor in how widely Instagram distributes the video. Good hooks include:

• An on-screen text overlay that asks a question or makes a bold claim. (e.g., "The biggest mistake you're making with your coffee...")
• A surprising visual or action. (e.g., an unexpected transition)
• Posing a problem your audience identifies with. (e.g., "Tired of your houseplants always dying?")

3. Use all of Instagram’s features

Don't be a one-trick pony. The more of Instagram's features you use - feed posts, Reels, Stories, Lives, Collabs - the more opportunities the platform has to surface your content. The algorithm shows different formats to different people based on their preferences. Someone who primarily watches Reels might never see your feed post unless you also create video.

4. Post with consistency

A consistent posting schedule trains the algorithm to understand your content niche and signals that your account is active and reliable. Consistency doesn't mean you have to post every day. It means choosing a realistic schedule - whether it's three times a week or five - and sticking to it. A regular cadence keeps your audience engaged and your account top-of-mind for the algorithm.

5. Drive conversations in comments and DMs

Responding to comments and encouraging DMs quickly does more than just build community - it’s an engagement signal. When a post receives a lot of quick comments, Instagram sees it as a high-quality conversation starter and is more likely to show it to more people. Ask questions in your captions, and make your call-to-action "DM me" instead of just "link in bio."

Final Thoughts

Calculating your average Instagram reach provides a clear, reliable benchmark for your account's health and performance. By tracking your reach rate over time, you can move away from chasing vanity metrics and focus on strategies that foster genuine audience growth and connection.

As we built Postbase, our main goal was to make analytics simple and accessible. We know how tedious it can be to dig through menus and build spreadsheets, so we made a single, clean dashboard where you can track performance across all your platforms. It helps you quickly see what’s working so you can create better content without the busywork.