Making retention the new currency

HERE'S HOW INSTAGRAM'S PERFORMANCE METRICS FOR REELS CAN UPEND THE BRAND-INFLUENCER ECOSYSTEM

- CHRISTINA MONIZ

Instagram recently unveiled a new retention chart for each reel to indicate the percentage of views from the people who watched a reel at each moment.

Retention charts indicate how many viewers stay till the end of a reel, while also providing what is called the 'skip rate', that displays how many viewers dropped off in less than three seconds. This helps brands see which creators truly hold audience attention and could also boost credibility for influencers with high retention. Experts reckon the new retention metrics will shift focus from reach to real engagement.

For the ₹2,344-crore Indian influencer marketing industry (EY, 2024), this could likely change the way creators approach content and the kind of conversations brand managers will have with influencers on the platform.

After all, Instagram is a critical platform, accounting for an estimated 47% of influencer marketing budgets.