Before you begin your Instagram audit, it's crucial to set clear objectives for your account. Consider your overall goals, such as increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or building a loyal community. By setting specific targets, you can tailor your audit to focus on the metrics and strategies most relevant to your aims.

For example, if your primary goal is to boost sales, you might focus on auditing your Instagram Shop and shoppable posts. Alternatively, if your goal is to build a strong community, you might prioritise assessing your engagement rates and user-generated content.

Understanding your target audience is essential for creating content that resonates with your followers and attracts new ones. Consider factors such as age, location, interests, and behaviours to build a clear picture of your ideal audience.

By identifying your target audience, you can ensure that your Instagram audit focuses on the right areas to reach and engage with the people most likely to be interested in your products or services.

A. Profile Audit

1. Profile picture: Your profile picture is often the first impression visitors have of your account, so it's essential to ensure that it accurately represents your brand and appeals to your target audience. Assess whether your profile picture is clear, recognisable, and visually consistent with your overall branding.
   
2. Bio: Your Instagram bio is a crucial space to convey your brand's personality, values, and offerings. Check that your bio is concise, informative, and engaging, with a clear call-to-action (CTA) directing visitors to your website or a specific promotion, such as a free trial.
3. URL: Ensure that the URL in your bio is up-to-date and directs users to a relevant landing page, such as your book a call or pricing page. Remember to update this link regularly to align with your current marketing campaigns and promotions.

B. Content Audit

1. Visual aesthetics: Assess the visual aesthetics of your account by examining your overall feed layout, image quality, and colour palette. Consider whether your visuals align with your brand identity and appeal to your target audience. For tips on creating a consistent and attractive feed, refer to our article on how to create a consistent and attractive instagram feed.
2. Post consistency: Post consistency is crucial for maintaining engagement and attracting new followers. Analyse your posting frequency and identify any patterns or gaps in your content calendar. To improve consistency and save time, consider using our Instagram Content Creation service.
3. Engagement: Evaluate the engagement levels of your posts, including likes, comments, and shares. Identify which types of content perform best and consider how you can incorporate more of these posts into your strategy. For proven techniques to increase engagement, read our guide on how to increase your instagram engagement.

C. Hashtags Audit

1. Relevance of hashtags: Review the hashtags you're using to ensure they're relevant to your content, target audience, and overall objectives. Remove any generic or spammy hashtags that may harm your visibility.
2. Performance of hashtags: Track the performance of your hashtags to identify which ones drive the most engagement and reach. Consider using our Instagram Hashtag Report service to gain valuable insights into your hashtag strategy's effectiveness.

D. Followers Audit

1. Authenticity of followers: Assess the authenticity of your followers by looking for signs of fake accounts or bots. High-quality followers are essential for maintaining a strong reputation and achieving genuine engagement.
2. Engagement rates of followers: Analyse the engagement rates of your followers to understand how actively they're interacting with your content. Low engagement rates may indicate a need to adjust your content strategy or focus on building a more engaged community.

E. Instagram Stories Audit

1. Frequency of stories: Examine the frequency at which you post Instagram stories and consider whether you can increase or maintain this to keep your audience engaged. For tips on captivating your audience with stories, read our guide on the-power-of-instagram-stories-tips-for-captivating-your-audience.
   
2. Engagement of stories: Review the engagement levels of your stories, including views, replies, and direct messages. Identify which types of stories resonate with your audience and consider incorporating more of these into your strategy.

Once you've completed your Instagram audit, review your findings to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your account. Take note of areas where your performance is strong, such as high engagement on certain types of content or a consistent visual aesthetic that resonates with your audience. Equally, pinpoint any areas where improvements can be made, such as low-performing hashtags or gaps in your content calendar.

Benchmark your audit results against your competitors to gain a deeper understanding of your account's performance within your industry. By comparing your strengths and weaknesses to those of your competitors, you can identify opportunities to differentiate your brand and outperform your rivals.

Armed with the insights gained from your audit, develop targeted strategies to address the weaker areas of your account. For example, if you identified that your hashtag performance is lacking, consider conducting further research or utilising our Instagram Hashtag Report service to refine your hashtag strategy. If your content consistency is an issue, explore the benefits of our Instagram Content Creation service to streamline your posting schedule.

While it's essential to focus on improving weaker areas, don't forget to maintain and enhance your account's strengths. Continuing to capitalise on the aspects that are already working well will ensure that your overall performance remains strong. For instance, if your Instagram stories drive high engagement, consider experimenting with new ways to captivate your audience, such as by leveraging Instagram Live or Reels, as discussed in our articles on leveraging instagram live for brand awareness and engagement and utilising instagram reels for business growth and brand awareness.