Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri has offered guidance on how to use the platform's performance insights to better understand post reach.

Speaking via his personal Instagram, Mosseri advised creators to look beyond raw reach figures and focus on engagement rates as the more useful indicator.

"If you want to understand why a post got more or less reach, you should focus on your engagement rates," he said.

Mosseri explained that engagement - likes, comments, saves and shares - signals to the algorithm that content is worth distributing further. He also recommended separating connected reach (followers who saw the post) from unconnected reach (non-followers), as different engagement types carry different weight for each group.

"Like rates matter more for your followers, and send rates matter more for those who don't follow you," he noted. Likes help content surface to an existing audience, while shares signal broader appeal and can boost visibility in Explore and other recommendation placements.

For those looking to grow their following, Mosseri's takeaway is: prioritise shares. For community engagement, focus on likes.