Erin
We’ve come a long way from the early days of Instagram, back when everyone, regardless of whether you were an individual or a brand, had a personal profile with just a photo, bio, and your grid feed?
Social media changes quickly, and the advancement of the Instagram business profile is the perfect example. Back in 2016, Instagram first launched the business profile, and since then, millions of accounts are now utilizing this specialized kind of profile. An Instagram business profile is worth pursuing if you use the platform to advertise for your company.
You might be wondering, “What is the difference between an Instagram business and a personal account?” There’s more to this distinction than just the name — business profiles come along with a whole host of benefits such as in-app contact buttons, deeper analytics and insights, and much newer today, the launch of Instagram Shops.
If you want to take advantage of all the Instagram business profile has to offer, now might be the time to switch. Want to know how?
Below, we’ll cover the top benefits of a business account over a personal one and share the step-by-step instructions on how to create an Instagram business profile.
Benefits of an Instagram Business Account
When it comes to Instagram business vs. personal accounts, there are a ton of benefits to the business account that can help you solidify your brand and grow a loyal following. You’ll benefit from several advantages, including:
- Being taken more seriously – Business accounts have additional opportunities to add business information into their profile, like their industry, store address, and contact button. This gives you a more professional look right off the bat and instills a sense of trust.
- Greater access to analytics – With an Instagram business account, you have access to analytics about your profile performance, including data around your reach, impressions, interactions, and engagement. Learn when your audience is most active and engaged, and figure out what content is working and what’s not.
- Adding links directly to stories – Instagram is notorious for its lack of linking features, but you can add links directly to your stories if you have over 10k followers and a business account.
- Using IG advertising – Instagram now offers ads and promoted posts through the Facebook Ad Manager tool, but you can only use them if you have an IG business profile attached to your business FB page. This is a great way to generate leads and increase your conversions.
- Scheduling posts in advance – If you’re done with the reminders of when to post, you’ll love the ability to schedule posts in advance through third-party apps with the Instagram business profile.
- Creating shoppable posts – Business accounts can also tag products in their content, turning their posts into shoppable opportunities for their whole audience.
Setting Up an Instagram Business Profile
Are you ready to set up a business account on Instagram? It’s an easy process that only takes a few steps, and then you’ll be on your way to take advantage of all it offers.
1. Head Over to Account Settings
First, open your Instagram app and head to the menu icon in the top-right corner. From there, hit Settings and then hit Account to get the process going.
2. Switch to Professional Account
Once you’ve got your account settings open, you’ll see a long list of options. Scroll down until you see a blue option at the base of the screen prompting you to Switch to a Professional Account. If you’re ready to make your change, go ahead and tap that call-to-action (CTA) right there.
3. Choose Your Business Account
Now it’s time to move into your new business account. The screen will then prompt you to answer a question about the type of account that best describes you (either as a Creator or a Business).
At first glance, you may think you fall more into the Creator category, but this type of profile doesn’t offer the same tools and benefits, so stick with the Business profile for these purposes.
A Creator account is made more so for influencers and content creators specifically.
Instagram is trying to differentiate these two types of professional accounts to make it more obvious to the average scroller what is an ad and what is not. This account type offers more flexibility with the profile and messaging, but it’s not what will help the core of your business.
A Business profile is best suited for a company that may partner with influencers, not the influencers themselves.
4. Connect Your Account to Your Facebook Business Page
If you’ve selected Business and are ready to move forward, it’s time to connect your IG profile to your Facebook Page for your business. If you haven’t done this yet, it’s a good idea to create one and make sure you have admin access to the page.
The app will prompt you to select a Facebook page you want to connect with, so just select it and hit Next.
If you elected to move forward with the Creator account, you’ll need to provide some additional information around the type of creator that you are (blogger, public figure, etc.) and then you’re ready to go.
5. Start Using It
Now you can start using all the new benefits available to you. We’d recommend starting with your profile, adding in new information where you can until it’s to your liking. Then, take a look at some of the analytics available to you and see if you’re able to use the insights to further craft your content.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a professional business using social media and you don’t yet have an Instagram Business profile, now’s the time to jump on the wagon and see what this new profile type has to offer.
From a more robust bio to in-depth insights around your audience and best-performing content, there’s so much that you can use to your benefit in an Instagram Business profile.
Follow the simple steps outlined above to go from a personal profile to a business one and watch the impact it has on your digital presence – you’ll be glad you did.
