It’s common to notice differences between the audience insights shown in Instagram and the data reported in Traackr. These differences are expected and stem from how each platform collects and analyzes audience information.
Below, we explain the key reasons why these numbers may not match.
Audience Insights Are Estimates, Not Exact Numbers
First, it’s important to note that all audience insights provided by social media platforms are estimates, not precise measurements. This applies to Instagram as well as to any third-party analytics tool.
Instagram’s audience insights are calculated exclusively from follower activity. In addition:
Instagram typically analyzes activity over the past 7 days
In some cases, the window may extend to up to 30 days, but no further
As a result, Instagram’s audience insights reflect only the followers who have been recently active within that limited time frame.
Traackr uses a fundamentally different methodology.
We do not base audience insights only on recent follower activity
Our analysis is not tied to a specific time window
Instead, we analyze the actual audience using a statistically significant sample
This approach is designed to provide a more stable and representative view of an influencer’s or account’s audience over time. You can read more about it here.
Another key difference lies in how demographic information is determined.
Social networks (such as Instagram or Facebook):
Rely primarily on self-declared information (for example, gender or age)
This can introduce profiling bias
Younger users are more likely to declare their age
Older users often leave demographic fields blank
Traackr’s audience data:
Uses machine learning algorithms to infer demographics such as location, age range, and gender
These inferences are based on observable social signals (e.g., who someone follows, what they post, and how they engage)
The models are the result of over a decade of research and development
They have been validated against samples where actual demographic information is known
In Summary
Because Instagram and Traackr rely on different time frames, and methodologies, it’s normal for audience insights to differ between the two platforms. Neither view is “wrong” - they simply answer different questions.
If you have any questions about this, please feel free to reach out to the Traackr team directly at support@traackr.com.