Professional Instagram Account
How to Switch to an Instagram Business Profile + 10 Benefits
How do you know I’m serious about sharing information about setting up Instagram Business accounts? I had “Taking Care of Business” playing in my head the entire time I was writing this article and didn’t even complain once.
Yes, it’s annoying to have Canadian legends Bachman Turner Overdrive essentially living in your brain.
Yes, some might call me “hero” for overcoming this distraction to get you all the gritty details about Instagram Business profile management and maintenance.
But I don’t need your pity or your praise. I just need you, my Instagram-using brethren, to have the facts to make an informed decision about Instagram business profiles.
So don’t let my earworm-suffering be for nothing. Read on to learn which type of Instagram account is best for you, and whether you’ll be taking care of a business account (every day, every way) in the near future. Bonus: 14 Time-Saving Hacks for Instagram Power Users. Get the list of secret shortcuts Hootsuite’s own social media team uses to create thumb-stopping content.
10 benefits of an Instagram business profile
On the surface, an Instagram business profile seems like it’s an exclusive club, but really, anyone can join up.
It’s free to have an Instagram business account, and there are no specific requirements in terms of followers or content.
But if you need 10 reasons why you should consider giving it a whirl, good news: I am just itching to do a countdown here.
1. Your Instagram bio gets an upgrade
Instagram Business profiles look slightly different from a standard personal account.
Instead of just a brief description and URL, business accounts also have the chance to add an identifying industry label if they choose (like “Clothing Brand” or “Hairstylist”).
Source: @BirdsofNa
Business profiles also feature contact information. Add your email address, a phone number and a business address to help followers connect with you outside of the app.
Finally, business profiles have a call to action button — a place to prompt followers to “reserve” or “call us. ” Want some help brainstorming a compelling CTA for social? We’ve got our helpful how-to guide right here.
2. You can schedule posts
With the help of a third-party scheduling app like Hootsuite, Instagram business accounts can actually plan and schedule posts in advance. Get the full run-down on how to schedule posts for Instagram here.
A little planning goes a long way to create a consistent schedule that engages your audience — not to mention it’s going to save your social media team some serious time. (Perhaps they’ll finally get a chance to hone their recorder skills? )
3. Access to Instagram insights
Knowledge is power, they say. In that case, Business Profiles are the most powerful of them all: they’re brimming with data thanks to the Insights function.
With Insights, you’ll get a deep breakdown of profile views, reach, impressions and clicks, plus demographic and activity information about your audience.
For example, looking at my own reach from the past week, I can see that my “fans” (a. k. a. my mom) were extremely active on Instagram on Wednesday. Good to know for future mom-centric content!
But in all seriousness, these metrics offer an incredible opportunity to analyze your profile’s performance and success. For more information on how to make Insights work for you, check out our Instagram analytics guide here.
4. Set up an Instagram Shop
Instagram Shops are a newer offering from Instagram, and only Business or Creator accounts have access to this feature. Ooh la la!
With Shops, you can upload a product catalog, tag your goods, and (in some cases) even process sales directly in the app.
Take a cue from this vintage boutique, and finally make your credenzas internet famous.
Source: @fabpadvintage
Here’s more information about how to set up your Instagram shop and get that product flying off the digital shelves.
5. Access advertising options
Want to give your message a bit of a boost? Business accounts have access to Instagram’s advertising options. (Dive deep into our guide to Instagram ads here. )
Plan a campaign of posts or stories to drive traffic or conversions, build your following or spread brand awareness…just like this company that is constantly encouraging me to buy its anti-odor cream. (What are you trying to say?! )
Source:
6. Create quick replies
Business accounts have access to a feature called “Quick Replies. ” Essentially, this enables you to create standardized responses and connect them to a shortcut word.
With this tool, customer service can more efficiently help users with frequently asked Qs. Just type in the shortcut word, and your autoreply will pop up.
This trick will save you time to work on your actual business, for example, carving sculptures out of ham, as seen in this very realistic and inspiring example below.
7. Approve branded content tags
Users with business accounts can restrict strangers from tagging your account as “branded content. ” It’s a way to shut down any false endorsements out there, or people who might be using your name inappropriately, without permission.
To set up branded content approvals, just open your profile. Tap the menu button, then settings, then business, then “branded content approvals. ” Here, you’ll be able to toggle “Require Approvals. ”
You can also create a list here of “Approved Accounts”—these are partners who are able to tag your account without explicit approval every time.
I just approved Kettle Chips to tag me any time they want, as an example for this article… but also as a way of putting my dream of being a chip influencer out into the universe. This could be the start of a beautiful partnership, though at this point in time I do realize they may not “know” or “care” who I “am. ” A girl can dream!
8. Add links to Instagram stories
Business accounts with 10, 000 followers have access to Instagram’s most highly coveted feature: links! Glorious links! (Though only in your Stories, but let’s focus on the positive here. )
Once you reach that audience sweet spot, you’ll be able to add in one URL to any Instagram story. Users will have the option to swipe up to open the link.
Congratulations on this newfound Instagram superpower, you business boss, you!
9. Manage your messages better
With an Instagram business account, your DM inbox gets sorted into three different categories, which can help you sort through large volumes of messages that may come your way.
You’ll find one section for “requests, ” another for “general” messages, and yet another for “primary” ones.
I’m hoping they add a category for “love connections” and “fan art” in the future but for now, these distinctions should allow your brand plenty of wiggle room to keep on top of your correspondence.
10. Gives your profile some gravitas
Yes, anyone can create a business Instagram account — it’s free, and you don’t need to even prove that you have an official registered business.
Nevertheless, having a business account still helps make your brand look serious and professional. Get the list of secret shortcuts Hootsuite’s own social media team uses to create thumb-stopping content.
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Source: @smashcomedyfest
Instagram business profile vs. personal profile. vs. creator profile
Here’s how personal, creator, and business Instagram profiles are different.
Personal profile: This is the default profile you receive when you register for Instagram. You can set this type of profile to “private, ” and link it to multiple Facebook pages. You unfortunately don’t have access to analytics or advertising features with this style of account.
Creator profile: Designed for influencers, content producers or public figures, a creator profile has access to audience insights and Instagram’s Shops feature. Posts can be scheduled with Facebook’s Creator Studio (though not with third-party scheduling tools like Hootsuite. ) Creators can also add labels to their profiles, to identify them as a blogger, an athlete, a musician, or other specific titles.
Business profile: Business profiles are the best option for brands or companies selling products or services, because of all the reasons listed in the previous section: great advertising options, the opportunity to add links, the ability to schedule posts, access to insights and analytics, and more. The main downside is that business profiles cannot be set to private… but you want the world to see what you have to say, don’t you?
Access to advertisingAccess to InsightsAbility to schedule postsAbility to post shoppable contentMore robust profile detailsLinks to multiple Facebook accountsCan set account to private
BusinessYesYesYes, with Hootsuite or Facebook’s Creator StudioYesYesNoNo
CreatorYesYes (some)Only with Facebook’s Creator StudioYesYesNoNo
PersonalNoNoYes, with mobile notification workflow on HootsuiteNoNoYesYes
How to switch to an Instagram business profile
Ready to take the leap into a business profile? Here’s your step-by-step guide.
Hot tip: before you get started, your profile should be set to “public. ” Private accounts are unable to be converted into business accounts.
1. Open up your Instagram profile, and select the menu at the top right corner (the icon of three horizontal lines).
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Account.
4. Tap Switch to professional account.
a descriptor for your business — whether that’s a grocery store, an artist, a band, or a clothing brand. You’ll have the option to display this on your profile or not.
6. If you’ve selected a category that may be considered a business, you’ll be presented with the option to self-identify as a business or a creator. Select business.
7. Review your contact information, which includes your phone number, physical address and email. These will be publicly visible on your profile, but you can edit or remove at any time.
8. Connect your Instagram account to your business’ Facebook Page and click Next. (Note that you’ll need admin access to the Facebook Page in order to do this. )
9. You’ll be prompted at this point to complete your profile, invite friends, and share photos and videos. Your business account is all set to go.
Congratulations! Your Instagram account is now officially open for business. But the work doesn’t stop here. Now it’s time to figure out a strategy for engagement, content and promotion… or if you’ve got a few minutes to spare, singing a few bars of “Taking Care of Business” with me.
Check out Hootsuite’s guide to mastering the art of Instagram for business here, and we’ll see you on the ‘gram soon.
Manage your Instagram Business Profile alongside all your other social media profiles using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard you can create and schedule posts, engage followers, monitor relevant conversations, measure (and improve! ) performance, and much more.
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Instagram: Personal Profile vs Professional Account – The …
Instagram has approximately one billion users each month, with five hundred million of those watching Instagram Stories every day. Two hundred million users visit at least one business profile a day, and one-third of the most viewed stories are from businesses. To summarise, Instagram has a vast audience, just waiting to be utilised. Whether you’re setting up an account from scratch or working on improving your existing Insta-strategy, it’s essential to take a moment to think about what you’re trying to achieve when using the platform. If you’re looking for a Social Media platform to connect with friends, family and businesses, then you should start by creating a Personal profile. However, if you’re an influencer or marketing a business, then a Professional account is what you need. Instagram Personal Profiles When first creating an Instagram, whether it’s for yourself or a business, you will automatically start by signing up to a personal profile. Here you can include a Name, Username, Website URL and Bio. Build your account by following relevant people, such as friends and family, and posting to your grid. Instagram Stories and Hashtags are both excellent ways to build engagement. Instagram Professional Accounts If you want to change a personal profile to a professional account, follow these steps: Open your Instagram app and log in. Click on your profile picture on the bottom right of the screen, and this will take you to your ‘grid’. Click on the three horizontal lines on the top right of your screen. Click ‘Settings’. Scroll down and click on ‘Account’ Scroll down slightly and select ‘Switch to Professional account’. You will then have to select whether you are a ‘Creator’ which is best for public figures such as influencers, or a ‘Business’ which, of course, is best for businesses. A Creator Instagram account is almost like the middle ground between personal and business. You will have flexible profile controls where you can choose to hide or display information such as contact buttons, as well as a simplified inbox allowing you to manage requests and engage with fans easily. You will also receive more advanced insights. Professional Instagram accounts will give you more call to action buttons and space to provide contact details and your business address, which will ultimately increase your customers’ ability to get in touch. You will now be able to connect your Facebook Page to your Instagram account. Linking your accounts is essential if you utilise a scheduling tool that can schedule directly to Instagram, as they will require a professional ‘Business’ profile over a personal or creator account. What’s Different? There are, however, some features that you will notice you no longer have access to when changing to a Professional account that you need to consider before making the switch. Privacy It may not seem like an important feature, but it’s worth noting that if you’re looking to have a private Instagram account (and therefore not grow your brand and exposure), then you can only do this through a Personal Instagram profile. Organic Reach Personal Instagram accounts tend to have a higher Organic Reach than Professional ones as it’s Instagram’s way of putting their consumers first. Businesses are expected to ‘pay to play’ and invest in the platform if they want to increase their reach. Music Sticker You may notice that Instagram business and creator accounts do not have access to the music sticker on Instagram Stories. Although Instagram hasn’t directly commented on this, it makes sense that with copyright and licensing laws, businesses would be unable to utilise other artists music for their marketing purposes. Top Tip: although the majority of videos on Social Media are listened to with the sound off (use subtitles where you can), Instagram Stories are often played with the volume up! Be careful to avoid any distracting background noise when recording a video or going live. Instagram Insights Professional Instagram accounts will allow you to view ‘Insights’ into your content, activity and audiences. On the Insights tab you will be able to view your Reach, Impressions, Interactions, and follower demographic to improve your Instagram engagement and exposure continuously. You can also track your Overall Growth and whether anyone has followed or unfollowed you. Use the information provided by Instagram Insights to post more of what your audience enjoy seeing. Setting Up Your Instagram Business Profile A business account on Instagram offers more options for public business information and call-to-action buttons than a creator profile. An Instagram business profile should be set up and optimised with your marketing goals in mind; you need to decide which call-to-action button will benefit your business most. Once you have chosen to switch to a Business profile, you can begin by clicking the ‘Edit Profile’ button on your account. This section of an Instagram business profile will allow you to input vital information that your customers will want to see, such as your website address, email, phone number and what your business is all about! Optimise Your Instagram Business Bio Instagram only provides businesses with 150 characters in their bio so you must include only the most important information there. Your bio should include a sentence that summarises what your business is about and a call-to-action statement such as ‘click the link below’. Even though Instagram Business allows you to place buttons on your profile for call-to-action, writing something that asks potential customers to take action in your bio is another great way to work towards your goal. Emojis in a bio are also a good idea depending on your business, as they not only look more appealing but have been proven to increase interaction online! Set out your bio in a clean, organised way so that your Instagram business account looks professional, but also fun. Add Public Business Information Once you have added basic information such as your business name, website and bio to your business account you can get started on adding public business information. In this section, you can connect your Instagram business account with your Facebook page (which is highly recommended), select a category that your business belongs to, choose which contact details you will allow users to view, and select a call-to-action button, if necessary. Plan and Post Content After your Instagram business account has been set up, you can begin planning and uploading quality content such as images, videos, reels and stories. The best thing to do is have a grid of around 6 to 9 posts uploaded on your Instagram business account before you begin following others and communicating via hashtags. This is because Instagram users are much more likely to follow your business account if you have content there already waiting to be viewed. An empty business profile is likely to turn customers away. Setting Up An Instagram Creator Profile If you are an influencer or blogger then it is best to set up an Instagram creator profile, rather than a business account. A creator account provides a more varied insights tab that allows Instagram creators to see which specific content lead to changes in following or engagement. Additionally, Instagram creator profiles do not require as much information as business accounts, such as contact details and an address. Even if you do not own a business, you still might have a marketing plan for your Instagram creator account in order to boost your followers. Enter Basic Information Information such as your name, bio and contact details can also be displayed on an Instagram creator profile so make sure you enter the information you would like followers to see, and hide the information that you don’t want them to see (e. g. your phone number). Your bio can be less professional than a business account and gives you the chance to add a little personality! Start Posting Content The key to an Instagram creator account is content; you are a creator and should have an effective content plan in place. Similarly to setting up a business profile, your Instagram creator account should have a few images uploaded and ready before you begin following and engaging with people. Even 3 images can make a difference on a started creator account, compared to an empty grid where people are unlikely to follow you back. Follow and Interact with Other Creators Following and interacting with other Instagram creators will not only open you up to a wider audience but can also give you inspiration on what to post. Engagement is one of the most important factors to Instagram so make sure you like, comment and share others posts to gain recognition and create relationships online. If you already have a personal Instagram profile and want to switch to a business or creator profile, you can simply change the information in your bio, if necessary, and add the contact details once you have switched over. Here at thesocialnetwork, we offer social media training and consultancy to help you grow your business online. If you are looking to switch over to a business account but find yourself struggling, we can help. To get access to free Facebook training visit our events page.
Should you switch to an Instagram Business account? – Susanne Rieker
Should you have an Instagram business account or a personal one? This post is tackling one of the most popular questions I get about Instagram ever and that’s: “Should I switch to a business account or keep my personal account? ” and today I want to walk you through my personal experience, what I believe is the best option and what I see for the future in terms of using Instagram to promote our businesses.
Click here to learn how to set up your Instagram profile and here how to plan 1 month of social media updates (links open in a new tab).
Will switching to an Instagram business account impact your reach?
I still remember when Facebook pages where the new shiny thing and everybody spent crazy money, time and effort building up their fanbases. And back in the day, when you posted something on your page, your follower actually saw it!
Not the case anymore, as you might have realized. Now organic reach is nearly nonexistent, and Facebook wants you to pay for boosted posts or ads if you want your followers to see your updates. Which is fair enough, they are providing a free tool after all and they have to make money.
But guess what? Facebook owns Instagram! I expect the same thing to happen here and that Instagram will restrict posts from businesses to be seen by their followers more and more (I think we already see this happening). At the moment I’m 100% sure that if you keep a personal account, you have a bigger chance of your posts getting seen. Which is what it’s all about, right?
But what about the features that come with an Instagram business account?
There are definitely pros to switching to an Instagram business account, like:
You get insights and statistics about your followers. You also get data on impressions, reach, website clicks and can see viewer trends without leaving the app. And you get additional information about your posts and your stories and how they perform for free.
You have a contact button on your profile so people can get in touch easily. And when you’re a local business, you might also have the option to add your address or phone number.
You can schedule your posts with a tool like for example and it posts automatically on Instagram for you (when you have a personal account, you can still schedule your posts, but you will have to manually post them on your phone).
Ad creation is seamless with the promote feature and you can set up promotions directly in the app, similar to a boost on Facebook. If you have a personal account you can still set up ads, but you need a Facebook business page.
When you have more than 10k followers you can user the “swipe up” feature in stories and directly link your viewers to your website, for example to sign up.
These are all awesome features, right? So why aren’t all businesses making the switch to an Instagram business account?
Again, the biggest factor is reach. Instagram limits the amount of what is seen of business posts in the feeds with the help of their algorithm more and more. I already see this in my feed and find it really annoying. I see all the (sometimes pretty boring) posts of my friends on both Instagram and Facebook (seriously, can’t they tell I’ve already seen the 10 new baby photos from cousin Laura on one platform? ), but posts from accounts I actually want to see are hidden or not shown at all. I’m really not a big fan of the algorithm, at all, but I guess there’s no turning back. It is what it is.
Another consideration might be that you’re feeling like you lose that personal touch when you switch to an Instagram business account. There aren’t any glaring differences between personal and business accounts for your followers, but it might feel different to YOU and that will impact how you communicate.
While the contact button that comes with an Instagram business account is nice to have, I don’t think it’s necessary. Not many people are actually going to visit your website, book your retreat or buy from you from Instagram directly.
I would focus on having a call to action in your bio and adding a direct link to your website, like I do here for example:
Lastly, the analytics are really nice, but not important enough to make me switch to a business account. If analytics are important for you, at the moment you still can get some data through (mostly paid for) app like PLANN. This might change as Instagram is restricting third-party apps to use their new API, which is designed exclusively for business accounts. By next year this should be the case for all official Instagram partners and services, and personal accounts will not be able to access any analytics or scheduling platforms anymore.
So, should you switch from a personal to a business account?
It’s entirely up to you! There’s no one-size-fits-all for this question. If you’re a business that doesn’t have a face behind your brand, or you want to sell directly from your feed, switching to an Instagram business account might be the right way to go for you. But if you’re a personal brand or business, I would seriously consider keeping a personal profile.
Here’s what I’m doing:
I have a business account (@happyyogatravels) where I have over 3. 700 followers and I’m going to keep it that way because it’s not my personal brand.
My other account @susannerieker I just started at the end of 2018 and I plan to stay on a personal account as long as it’s possible. I only have a few hundred followers at the moment, but my engagement is really high and I plan to keep that up. I also want to keep the human aspect and personality of my brand.
I believe personal it’s where it’s at and I want people to connect with me as a person before they get in touch with my products or services.
Lastly, a warning: if you signed up for a business account and switch back to a personal account, Instagram might still keep you tagged as a business. You’ll have to experiment here and track your results.
Do you have a personal or a business account on Instagram? Have you switched and seen changes in your reach and engagement? Hop over to our Facebook group and share your account and experiences!
Frequently Asked Questions about professional instagram account
Is Instagram professional account free?
Yes, anyone can create a business Instagram account — it’s free, and you don’t need to even prove that you have an official registered business. Nevertheless, having a business account still helps make your brand look serious and professional. Bonus: 14 Time-Saving Hacks for Instagram Power Users.Dec 3, 2020
What happens if I switch to professional account on Instagram?
Professional Instagram accounts will give you more call to action buttons and space to provide contact details and your business address, which will ultimately increase your customers’ ability to get in touch. You will now be able to connect your Facebook Page to your Instagram account.Jun 7, 2020
Should I switch to a professional account on Instagram?
There are definitely pros to switching to an Instagram business account, like: You get insights and statistics about your followers. You also get data on impressions, reach, website clicks and can see viewer trends without leaving the app.May 10, 2020
