How to Find Average Views on Instagram

Trying to figure out if your Instagram Reels and Stories are actually connecting with your audience or just shouting into the void? Calculating your average view count is the quickest way to get a real answer. This guide will walk you through exactly how to find that number, understand what it means for your account, and use it to create content that people genuinely want to watch.

Why Your Average View Count is Such a Big Deal

In the world of social media, it's easy to get fixated on vanity metrics like follower count or the occasional video that goes viral. But those numbers don't tell the whole story. Your average view count, on the other hand, is a quiet workhorse metric. It’s a reliable indicator of your account's health and the true performance of your video strategy over time.

Think of it as a baseline. A single viral video is great, but it can be an outlier fueled by an unpredictable trend or a lucky break with the algorithm. Your average view count smooths out those peaks and valleys, giving you a much more realistic picture of how many people you consistently reach. This number isn't about bragging rights, it’s about strategy. Here's why it's so important:

• It guides your content strategy. When you know your baseline, you can instantly tell if a new Reel or content style is working. Did a new video far exceed your average? That’s a signal to create more content like it. Did it fall flat? You know not to pour more energy into that specific format or topic.
• It helps identify content pillars that resonate. By calculating the average view count for different types of content - for example, 'how-to' tutorials vs. 'behind-the-scenes' videos - you can see which pillars your audience loves most. This data-driven approach takes the guesswork out of content planning.
• It establishes a realistic benchmark for growth. Instead of just aiming for "more views," you can set a tangible goal like, "I want to increase my average view count by 15% this quarter." This allows you to track your progress and celebrate incremental wins.
• It proves your value to potential partners. Brands and collaborators are more impressed by consistent, predictable reach than by a single-shot viral moment. Being able to say "my average Reel gets 10,000 views" is often more powerful than pointing to one video that got 100,000 views three months ago while the rest barely cracked 1,000.

How to Calculate Your Average Instagram Views (The No-Nonsense Method)

Getting this number isn’t complicated, but it does require you to roll up your sleeves and look at the data. First things first: you'll need an Instagram Creator or Business account. If you're still on a Personal account, switch it over now in your settings - it's free and you need it to access Instagram's native analytics, called "Insights." Once that's set up, you're ready to go.

Step 1: Gather Your Reel Views Data

The best way to do this is to get your data out of the app and into a simple spreadsheet. A Google Sheet, Excel file, or even just a note-taking app will work perfectly.

1. Open your Instagram profile and tap the Professional Dashboard button underneath your bio.
2. Underneath the "Your tools" section, tap on Account insights.
3. Look for the section titled "Content You Shared" and tap on Reels.
4. Now, you'll need to set your time frame. I recommend starting with the Last 90 Days to get a strong, recent average. The default is often 30 days, which also works well if you post frequently.
5. The app will show you all the Reels you've posted in that period, sorted by a metric like Reach or Plays. The number listed below each Reel thumbnail is its total view count (often called "Plays").
6. Go through this list and write down the view count for every single Reel you posted in that 90-day period. This is the most tedious part, but it’s the most important. A clean dataset gives you an accurate average.

Pro Tip: If you've been posting for a long time, don't try to average every video you've ever made. The Instagram algorithm changes, and so does your content. An average based on the last 30-90 days gives you a current, relevant picture of your performance.

Step 2: Do the Simple Math

Once you have all your view counts listed out, the hard part is over. The formula is beautifully simple:

Total Views on All Reels / Total Number of Reels = Your Average Reel Views

Let's use an example. Imagine in the last 90 days you posted 12 Reels. You've written down their view counts:

• Reel 1: 8,500 views
• Reel 2: 12,300 views
• Reel 3: 7,200 views
• Reel 4: 25,000 views (a nice spike!)
• Reel 5: 9,100 views
• and so on...

Let's say after adding them all up, you have a Total View Count of 144,000 across your 12 Reels.

The calculation is: 144,000 / 12 = 12,000.

So, your average view count for Reels over the last 90 days is 12,000 views per Reel.

If you put the numbers into a spreadsheet column, you could just use a simple formula like:

=AVERAGE(A1:A12)

That number - 12,000 - is now your north star. It’s the benchmark against which you’ll measure all future Reels.

A Quick Note on Average Story Views

Calculating an "average view" for Instagram Stories works a little differently because they're designed to be ephemeral. Also, Stories are composed of multiple frames (taps). A person might watch one frame but not the next. Because of this, "Reach" is a more meaningful metric here. It tells you how many unique people saw at least one part of your Story.

To find a baseline for your Stories, follow a similar process:

1. Go to your Professional Dashboard >, Account insights >, Content You Shared and tap on Stories.
2. Set the timeframe to the Last 14 or 30 Days.
3. Look at the Reach for each Story you've posted.
4. You can average these numbers out to find your average Story reach. More importantly, look for patterns. Is your reach significantly higher on Stories where you use a poll or a question sticker versus ones where you only share a photo? This is valuable information for planning your future Stories.

Benchmarking Success: What's a "Good" Average View Count?

This is the question everyone asks, and the honest answer is: it depends. There is no universal "good" number. An account with 1,000 followers and an average of 300 views might be doing amazingly well, while an account with 100,000 followers and an average of 3,000 views could be struggling with engagement.

Instead of comparing yourself to others, compare your views against these factors:

• Your Follower Count: A helpful - but not perfect - rule of thumb is to look at your View-to-Follower Ratio. Calculating this is easy: (Average Views / Follower Count) * 100. A ratio anywhere from 30% to 60%+ for a Creator account suggests your Reels are reaching a solid portion of your audience and likely hitting the "Explore" page. For smaller accounts, even hitting 10-20% consistently is a good sign.
• Your Niche: Broad, entertainment-focused niches (comedy, dance, pets) naturally have a higher ceiling for viral views than hyper-specific B2B or educational niches (e.g., learning corporate finance). "Good" for a SaaS company's Instagram Reel is drastically different from "good" for a travel influencer.
• Your Goal: What are you trying to accomplish? If your goal is broad brand awareness, then a higher average view is your primary target. But if your goal is generating leads or selling a niche product, then a smaller number of views from a highly engaged, targeted audience might actually be more valuable.

Ultimately, the best benchmark for a "good" average view count is simply one that is trending upwards. If you calculate your average this month and it's higher than last month's, you're winning.

Your Average Feels Low? Here’s How to Boost It

So, you’ve done the math and your average view count isn't where you want it to be. Don't sweat it. That number is just information. Now you can use it to make strategic changes. Here are some actionable ways to pump those numbers up.

1. Find Your Winners and Replicate Them

Your analytics are a treasure map. Go back to the list of Reels you pulled and identify the top 3–5 performers - the ones that soared well above your average. Break them down. What do they have in common? Was it the hook? The audio? The topic? The format? Whatever the common thread is, that's what your audience wants more of. Don't be afraid to create variations of your most successful content.

2. Obsess Over the First Three Seconds

The hook is not part of the video, it IS the video. You have just a couple of seconds to stop someone from scrolling. Lead with immediate value, a burning question, or a visually disruptive opening. A great hook could be a text overlay like "The biggest mistake you’re making with your houseplants" or an action shot that makes people ask, "What is going on here?" Test different hooks and see what keeps people watching.

3. Use Trending Audios That Fit Your Brand

Using trending audio is one of the most effective ways to give your Reels a reach boost, but it needs to be done thoughtfully. Don't force a sound onto a video where it makes no sense. Instead, browse the Reels tab daily and save audios that you genuinely like and that fit your vibe. When you find one that's a good match for a content idea, you tap into an audience that's already primed to enjoy content using that sound.

4. Double Down on Consistency

The algorithm rewards creators who show up consistently. This doesn't mean you have to post three Reels a day, but it does mean creating a sustainable schedule - maybe 3-4 Reels a week - and sticking to it. Regular posting gives you more opportunities to test content, learn what works, and signal to Instagram that your account is active and providing value.

5. Add Value in Your Captions and Add a Call-to-Action

While the video does the heavy lifting, the caption is your opportunity to deepen the connection. Add valuable context, tell a backstory, or expand on the topic of the Reel. A longer caption can increase watch time as people pause to read. And always end with a call-to-action (CTA). Ask a question to spark comments, encourage people to share the Reel with a friend, or prompt them to save it for later. All of these engagement signals can help increase your video's distribution.

Final Thoughts

Finding your average views on Instagram is about more than just satisfying curiosity, it’s about trading guesswork for clarity. This simple metric acts as a personal benchmark, showing you what truly engages your audience so you can put your effort into creating more of what works. It empowers you to build a content strategy with direction and confidence.

Consistently tracking analytics, spotting trends, and planning content that gets results can quickly become overwhelming when you're jumping between apps and spreadsheets. To simplify this exact process, we built Postbase. Our tool brings all your social media analytics into one easy-to-read dashboard, making it simple to track your views and pinpoint your best content. From there, you can use our visual calendar to plan and schedule more of your winners, turning valuable insights into a powerful content rhythm without the extra work.