Visualizing My Audience Data (Krishnan)

While I probably check Facebook more frequently than Instagram/Twitter, I value the connections I've fostered on the latter two platforms more. There are some excellent free statistical tools out there that allow you to visualize your social media data. Twitter has its own analytics engine and Iconosquare, a third party app analyzes your Instagram account for free (though strings are most certainly attached). Below is some analysis I found interesting about my audiences.

1.) Iconosquare allows me to see my most liked posts versus my most commented on posts. Only 3 posts were in the top 10 of both most liked and most commented on. My likes appear to plateau at around 30 likes per photo, but I have a consistent amount of photos with at least twenty likes. I'm averaging about 4 likes a photo, which I think is pretty weak (3689 likes for about 516 photos). However, my comments game is even weaker. The most comments my photos have received is 14, then only single digits. I am only receiving likes and comments from audiences I allow to follow me, so I am probably losing out (potentially) on audiences who would find my photos through hashtags and by seeing what their friends' are liking. Finally, out of the top 10 photos for both most liked/commented, only two are "professional photos," and the rest are just personal photos. I realize looking at this, I intersperse photos I take time to take with a barrage of personal photos, so I wonder if I am confusing my audiences.

2.) I thought this visualization is interesting b/c it allows me to see who is most engaged with my work. They choose to do this through likes. This snapshot is from May-July (my Iconosquare hasn't been updated since then). Out of the 10 people on this list only 1 is a professional contact and the rest are friends. I wonder if I was to take my Instagram more seriously and post photos from places I do visual reporting, if that will impact my engagement with professional-friend audiences. I am also interested in seeing the long tail of my likes for each photo, to see how certain photos engage the less engaged followers on my list.

3.) Stats can be very misleading. I did not tweet at all in 2014 and have tweeted a few times in the last couple weeks. Some of those tweets have been favorited or retweeted (hence the 1,794 tweet impressions and nearly 700% growth). My followers also increased by 29 people in the last month but most of the mare my new students. My audiences are mostly professional friends and acquaintances and most of my Twitter content is professional. Unlike Instagram I keep my Twitter feed mostly de-personalized. Though I have a larger audience on Twitter, I would say I have more impact per person via Instagram. I use Instagram more frequently and with a smaller group of people who know me better than most of my Twitter followers.