How to Set Up Instagram Monitoring

Welcome to our guide to getting your Instagram Business Profile connected to monitor Instagram data

Whitney W. avatar
Written by Whitney W.
Updated over a week ago

Welcome to our guide to getting your Instagram Business Profile connected to monitor Instagram data.

Here is an overview of the process of connecting your Instagram Business Profile, this article includes further details into each step below:

  1. Ensure you have an Instagram Business Profile connected to a Facebook Page: How-to guide from Instagram here.

  2. Within Meltwater, Authenticate your Instagram Business Profile: How-to guide here.

  3. Add hashtags to bring in Instagram content: How-to guide here.

  4. Add other Instagram Business Profiles to be monitored: How-to guide here.

Frequently Asked Questions:


How do I Authenticate Instagram in Meltwater?

To follow these steps within your account, follow our on-screen tour link for step-by-step instructions.

  • Select 'Account' and then 'Social Connections'

  • Under Monitored Connections, there are two sections: Facebook and Instagram

  • Select 'Add Account' under the Instagram section.

  • Log in with Facebook.

Note: You'll be asked to log into your individual Facebook profile used to manage your business' profile. Adding your individual profile only authorizes social listening and does not include any publishing or monitoring of individual data.

  • This will prompt you to log in with your personal Facebook profile which is connected to your business profiles.

  • After logging in with your Facebook Page credentials an authorized message will be shown.

  • Continue as your Facebook Page.

  • Select the Instagram Business Profile to be saved and then select Save.

Once your profile is connected, it will be displayed on the Social Connections page. Please note the expiry date when the profile will need to be connected again next.

Add Instagram Business Profiles to be monitored

From the options, select 'Manage Competitors' to enter the Instagram Business Profile handles of profiles you are interested in retrieving posts from for your monitoring.

​To start monitoring an Instagram profile, it must be an active business profile on Instagram. If you see the error message “The page doesn’t exist”, it means that the profile is not found on Instagram. Please check that you have spelled the desired Instagram profile correctly.

Once you’ve connected your Instagram account, you need to declare the hashtags (up to 30) and Instagram Business @handles that you want to track.

Hashtags

Suggestions for the types of hashtags you might want to add:

  • Your brand name

  • Campaigns

  • Ambassadors

  • Competitors

  • Industry topics

Tips:

Make sure that all the hashtags and @handles that you declared are also included in your search terms to be sure that you are seeing all the content being pulled in from Instagram. Whenever you need to add additional hashtags you will have to do so in both Settings (which is sent to Instagram) and in your searches.

Learn more about the possible messages you may receive when adding Hashtags:

  • “The hashtag doesn’t exist” - To start monitoring a hashtag, it must be already in use on Instagram. If you see the error message "The hashtag doesn't exist," it means that the hashtag hasn't been used on Instagram yet. Don't worry, once someone includes this hashtag in an Instagram post, you'll be able to add and track it.

  • “You have already subscribed to 30 hashtags” - One Instagram profile can track 30 Instagram hashtags across different applications. If you receive the error message "You have already subscribed to 30 hashtags," it means that you have reached the limit for monitoring hashtags across applications.

To find out more about using hashtags to monitor for posts from Instagram, please review this article here.

While you're here you might as well add your Google Analytics Authentication too - this will allow you to see how Social and PR traffic translates to website traffic - giving you a real view on media conversion.


Frequently Asked Questions

We don't have an Instagram Business Profile, how do I set up a New Business Profile on Instagram?

Please review Instagram's help center guide on the setup process for a Business Profile on this page: https://help.instagram.com/502981923235522


Why do I have to authenticate my account to monitor Instagram?

In December 2018, Facebook—who owns Instagram—changed the information they make available to service providers such as Meltwater which has changed the way we think about Instagram monitoring. All users of monitoring platforms like Meltwater are now required to authenticate their account prior to monitoring content from Instagram.

Instagram requires re-authentication every 60 days. This is a requirement of Instagram's API that affects all third-party crawlers. So you never miss a post, pop a calendar reminder in your diary every 60 days: Add to GoogleCal.


When I follow the steps to authenticate my Instagram business profile the pop-up box requests that I provide Meltwater access to my account - what does this mean?

This means that you will allow us to gather Instagram data on your behalf. It does not provide access to your Instagram and Facebook profile. Meltwater will not be able to access your personal information or have the ability to publish posts and send messages. The data we gather for you on your behalf will only be shown in your Meltwater account.


How am I notified of disconnections?

  • When an Instagram monitored connection is about to expire, you will receive multiple email alerts. Emails are sent 10 days, and 1 day before the expiration date, as well as on the day of expiration.

  • Emails are sent to all users in the company where the connection has been made.

    • An opt-out for these types of emails will be available for all users.

  • Emails are sent when a connection has been marked ‘invalid’ based on errors returned by the native social API. This will help you avoid missing data gaps due to unforeseen connection disruptions when reconnecting.


💡 Tip

Need more help? Feel free to reach out to us via Live Chat or check out our Customer Community.

Find answers and get help from Meltwater Support and Community Experts.


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