New on Instagram: Competitor Analytics

There is a significant change you should be aware of in case you use Instagram as your brand, business, or creator profile. Instagram has recently added a new button known as Instagram competitor insights, and it is set to allow you to compare your performance with other players within your domain. This goes a long way in social media analytics, particularly for professional users.

What is Instagram Competitor Insights?

In your Professional Dashboard, Instagram is currently launching a competitive measuring tool for professional profiles. The functionality enables you to choose up to ten additional accounts and compare the important metrics, such as the growth of followers and the frequency of posting, next to each other. Concisely, you will be in a position to see your performance in comparison with other makers or brands. This is what Instagram competitor insights entail.

The roll-out is aimed at professional profiles, meaning your professional accounts feature must be activated to access this. Brands and influencer accounts will now have additional visibility on their competitive front.

Also Read: Instagram Reaches 3 Billion Users: What’s New?

The importance to brands and creators

The availability of insight into Instagram competitors is a new layer or dimension of strategy for planning content. You are no longer forced to merely view your own metrics in isolation, but you can now compare yourself with others. That will assist you in determining where you are not performing well and where it can be an opportunity.

Here, an example is that one of your competitors may post their Reels more often or that they grow their followers at a faster rate by following specific posting patterns. With the competitive metrics tool, you are able to pick up those trends and shape your strategy by them.
This feature reinforces the value of Instagram for professional users. The new professional accounts feature upgrade is clearly aimed at giving business and creator profiles more advanced tooling.

How to use the feature smartly?

If you’ve got access to these new insights, here’s how to make them work for you:

• Choose relevant competitors wisely. Don’t just pick the biggest accounts; select brands with similar audiences or content styles, so your comparisons are meaningful.
• Look beyond follower counts. While the tool shows follower growth and post frequency, take note of how often competitors post Reels, feed posts, ads, etc. That’s the core of Instagram competitor insights.
• Identify content gaps. For instance, if a competitor posts 4 Reels per week and sees higher follower growth but you’re posting only 2, that might hint at an opportunity.
• Adapt rather than copy. Use the insights to inspire your content plan, but maintain your unique voice. The professional accounts feature is about empowerment, not imitation.

Some Limitations to Be Aware Of

As helpful as the feature is, the Instagram team recognizes that it’s not a full analytics suite yet. For example, the competitive metrics tool currently lacks deeper metrics like click-throughs or engagements per post. The comparisons are one-on-one, not group benchmarks, and only certain metrics are available. So while Instagram competitor insights are valuable, they won’t replace full-featured analytics platforms just yet.

What does this mean for you?

For anyone using Instagram seriously, whether a small business, creator, or social media manager, these new insights are worth paying attention to. The professional accounts feature upgrade signals Instagram’s intent to provide better analytical tools for business-focused users.

By using Instagram competitor insights, you can:

• Benchmark your performance against peers
• Spot content and posting frequency trends you may be missing
• Better inform your content calendar and growth strategy

In short, this is a smart move by Instagram to help professional users refine their strategy and understand context in a crowded space.

Also Read: Instagram Reels vs. YouTube Shorts: Which Platform Offers Better ROI?

Final Thoughts

The launch of Instagram competitor insights marks an important evolution for Instagram’s professional tools. It moves beyond “How many followers do I have?” to “How am I performing compared to others?” and that context is powerful. Combined with the enhanced professional accounts option, Instagram is providing brands and creators with more suitable analytics, smarter benchmarks, and strategic purpose.

Assuming you have a business or creator account, it’s high time to open your Professional Dashboard and browse through the new competitive metrics tool, and begin to apply those findings to the refinement of your strategy. The competitive landscape on social platforms is only getting tougher, but with Instagram competitor insights, you’ve got a new edge.