Guess what: You include 30 reels in your content calendar, shoot them from scratch, source them to your video editor and post it with trending audio, in hope of gaining traction. What if we told you that you are doing it all incomplete? Well, it is not us, but Instagram’s CEO Adam Mosseri in a recent interview that revealed posting reels alone won’t skyrocket your growth.

As of today's date, an average Instagram user spends about 12 hours a week on the platform. A majority of the credit goes to reels, however, the average watch time has also declined significantly post COVID-19. As per Mosseri, brands and creators also need to equally focus on DMs, shares, and other engagement metrics.

Throughout this blog, we will deep dive into what these metrics mean, why they really matter and how you can leverage them to transform your Instagram strategy.

Reels Are Good, but They’re Not Enough

If you might have noticed already, Instagram’s evolution has been magnificent over the past few years. We have gradually moved from square photos to stories and now short form videos dominate our feed. Despite this, Instagram’s CEO Mosseri emphasizes that the latest algorithm rewards engagement-based actions on the platform over basic video views.

What does this mean for the accounts that are thriving to grow here? Let’s learn about the key reasons why just posting reels isn’t enough for you,

Key reasons why just posting Reels isn’t enough:

• Content Fatigue: Instagram has over 2 billion monthly active users (MAU) as of 2025. This also includes a chunk of creators, influencers and brands. The growing number of people on the platform makes it challenging to truly stand out, as over 100 million posts and reels flood Instagram everyday. Thus, content fatigue has been a major factor here.
• Algorithm Complexity: On the top of existing challenges, Instagram often changes its algorithm consistently with little to no public disclosure about the changes. While Instagram reels are known to perform better than carousels and statics for most of the accounts, the platform itself doesn’t boost content with high views. Instead, it promotes content that is likely to spark conversations and connections.

Engagement Over Consumption: As per Adam Mosseri’s interview, content that is designed to trigger shares and comments outperforms any metric on Instagram. Thus, engagement is far more important than views or reach for any account over the platform.

The Metrics You Can’t Ignore in 2025

Moving forward, let’s analyse all the metrics that you need to watch on Instagram, along with its importance on the platform and some pro tips you can follow right away.

1. Shares Per Reach

   • What It Means: This measures the ratio of users who share your post compared to those who view it.
   • Why It Matters: As stated earlier in this blog, Instagram’s algorithm naturally favours content that sparks conversation. Thus, a high share rate is a clear signal of value being delivered to the community.

Pro Tip: Rather than just promoting your business straightway, try to shift the mindset to understand your users’ likes and preferences. It is crucial to create content that is both shareable and useful for the users. Some examples can be relatable memes, bite-sized tutorials or community stories. For instance, a famous Indian makeup brand Sugar focuses on consumer education about makeup and skincare. Thus, they are able to drive shares and user value through their content.

2. DM Engagement

• What It Means: How often users reply to your Stories or initiate a conversation in your DMs.
• Why It Matters: Instagram sees direct messaging as a key signal of meaningful engagement. Your followers are not just passive watchers, but a set of community that interacts with you as well. Therefore, it is crucial for brands to unlock the power of in-built Instagram engagement tools to drive DM replies.

Pro Tip: Shift your focus from just posting passively to actually driving an overall engagement on your Instagram account. Instagram features and tools like polls, Q&A stickers, and even reels that drive DM replies have been instrumental in growing any Instagram account.

3. Connected vs. Unconnected Reach

• What It Means: Connected reach is from your followers, while unconnected reach includes new audiences discovering you through Explore or Reels.
• Why It Matters: While everyone focuses on tips and tricks to gain new followers, it is equally important to engage your existing followers and grow them into a community. A healthy mix of connected reach and unconnected reach offers a steady growth for any account.
• Pro Tip: Experiment with trending hashtags or audio to reach unconnected audiences, while building loyalty through consistent interactions with your followers. A lot of brands and creators also utilise the power of Instagram broadcast channels to post new and exclusive updates + stories for their followers.

Practical Tips to Grow on Instagram in 2025

Let’s now move forward to some of the actionable and proven tips that you can use to grow your Instagram account in 2025 effectively,

1. Craft Highly Shareable Content

   • Always ensure that your content is adding some value to your users. It can be humor, education or simply emotion. It is crucial to create content that your audience feels deeply connected with and compelled to engage or share.
   • Example: A health/sports brand might post a 10-second video with “3 Quick Stretches for Back Pain Relief.” This is not directly related to their product, but builds a long-term trust and credibility in their ability to drive health related outcomes.

2. Leverage DM Automation

• A lot of brands often miss out on real revenue or engagement opportunities on their DMs. This is where tools like Deepsolv comes into the picture, where you can simply automate your responses to FAQs (Eg, specific product rates enquiry or following up on previous order) that match your brand tone and also feels naturally human.

• Example: If a potential customer asks about your products at 2 AM, DM automation can ensure they get an immediate, personalized response.

3. Retarget Your Audience

• As mentioned earlier, it is important for accounts to build a solid community through their followers. Therefore, brands must follow up with users who engaged in the past but did not convert later. This can be easily done with Deepsolv’s AI powered re-engagement ability. For instance, send a DM when a previously unavailable product is restocked.
• Example: The brand with automated retargeting sends “Hi! You asked about our new winter collection last week- good news, it’s now back in stock. Here’s a 10% off code just for you!”

Why This Matters for Brands and Creators

Instagram head Adam Mosseri's insights remind us that success isn't about collecting followers, but genuinely connecting with your audience. Recent statistics reveal that over 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business, making it one of the most powerful platforms for community-driven marketing. By prioritizing meaningful engagement, you'll build a more authentic online presence. The goal is to create content that resonates on a human level, sparking real conversations that matter beyond mere numbers.

Conclusion

Forget the algorithm hustle. Instagram in 2025 is about building real connections. Share content that sparks conversations, slides into DMs that matter, and creates a community that feels more like a hangout than a marketing pitch. Tools like Deepsolv can help you automate the grunt work, so you can focus on what really counts: genuine human interaction. Let’s revolutionise your Instagram game as you book a free exploratory call today with Deepsolv.