Instagram has catapulted to the top of social media platforms used to sell products and connect with customers in recent years, and it seems like every year the platform adds more tools and features to cater to businesses on the platform!
One of these major features was the introduction of the Professional account, which includes Business and Creator accounts!
In this post, we’re diving into all things Instagram Business account, and how it measures up to other account types.
To learn the benefits of this account type, as well as how to create an Instagram business account, keep reading!
What is an Instagram Business Account?
Instagram business accounts are one of two free professional profile options available to Instagram users.
A business profile offers a few more social media marketing tools and services than the personal account, such as:
- Instagram analytics for reach, impressions, and follower demographics
- The ability to promote posts and run Instagram ads
- Multiple contact options for your business, including phone number, email address, and physical address
- Action button integration
You’d benefit from a business account on Instagram if you own a brand and have an Instagram strategy for selling products, marketing your business or just want to increase brand awareness through engagement!
Business vs Personal vs Creator Instagram Account – Compare and Contrast
Before we go into how to set up your own Instagram business account, let’s do a quick compare and contrast of each of the three Instagram account types.
These include a personal Instagram account, as well as two professional options: Creator and Business!
Check out the handy chart below for a quick comparison of key business features across the three account types:
| Personal Account | Business Account | Creator Account | |
| Privacy | Private or Public | Public Only | Public Only |
| Additional Contact Options | No | Yes | Yes |
| Insights and Analytics | No | Yes | Yes |
| 2- Tab Inbox | No | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Publish | No | Yes | No |
| Appointment Booking Feature | No | Yes | No |
| Create Branded Content | No | No | Yes |
| Promote Branded Content | No | Yes | No |
| See Branded Content Insights on Facebook | No | Yes | No |
| See Follow/ Unfollow Analytics | No | No* | Yes |
| Run Ads on Instagram | No | Yes | Yes |
*You can access follow/unfollow data in your Tailwind Publisher Insights tab! Click here for a free trial of Tailwind for Instagram to see for yourself!
How to Create a Business Account on Instagram
If you’re brand new to Instagram or want to create a business account from scratch, the steps to set up your new account are easy. Here’s what you need to do:
- Download the Instagram mobile app on iOS or Android and select “Create New Account”
- Choose a username for your new Instagram business account
- Add your phone number or email (or use the contact information from another existing account)
- Select Complete Signup
Now your Instagram profile is created. You’ll automatically start out as a personal account, so here’s how to make the switch to a business account!
- Navigate to your Instagram profile in the bottom right corner of the app
- Tap the menu button in the top right corner
- Tap “Settings” and scroll down to “Account”
- Scroll down the menu and tap “Switch to Professional Account”
- Swipe through the features of the Professional account and Select Continue
- Select a Category for your brand from the available options
- Select “Business” as your account type on the next screen
- Review your contact info and select Next
- Connect your existing Facebook business page to your Instagram account, or create a new Facebook page
Congratulations, you now have an Instagram business profile! On the next popup, you’ll see a list of steps to complete your onboarding process. These include:
- Complete your profile
- Learn from others
- Invite friends
- Share photos and videos
- Explore professional tools!
If you’re looking to convert your Instagram personal profile to a business account, we’ll cover those steps next!
How to Change Your Instagram to a Business Account (from Existing Profile)
Now that you understand the differences between the types of accounts on Instagram, let’s learn how to make an Instagram business account from your existing profile step-by-step.
- From your existing profile in the mobile app, tap on Settings
- Click on Account
- Choose Switch to Professional Account
- Choose Business (curious about Creator accounts?).
- Review your business’s contact information
- Connect your Facebook account or make a new one for your business
That’s it! You are the proud owner of a shiny new Instagram business account!
Is the Instagram Business Account Right for You?
With three different options to choose from, you may be wondering if the Business account is the right way to go.
Business accounts on Instagram are best for retailers, brick and mortar businesses, brands, organizations, and service providers. Important selling and promotion tools are contained in the business account, such as advertising, promotions, booking integrations, and Instagram shopping.
Creator accounts are also professional accounts, but they have a few different tools. Here are the main differences:
Instagram Creator vs. Business Account – What’s the Difference?
Instagram Creator accounts are recommended for public figures, content producers, artists, and influencers.
In a word, Creators often don’t have something to sell themselves, and often collaborate with brands and businesses for promotions or partnerships.
Creators also have access to insights, but don’t have other business account features like contact buttons and ad creation – however, they can collaborate on branded content with businesses and brands, and even be paid on the platform.
Instagram for Business Benefits and Features
Let’s take a more in-depth look at some of the features and tools that make Instagram for Business so great! of those key differentiators below!
1. Exclusive Instagram Insights for Professional Accounts
Great Instagram marketing needs great analytics – and a business profile on Instagram delivers!
By clicking the Insights button on your profile, you’ll be taken to a treasure trove of metrics in the professional dashboard. Here’s what’s inside:
- Accounts Reached (and breakdowns of where Impressions came from, like Home, hashtags, and more)
- Activity on Your Account (Profile visits, website taps, etc)
- Top performing content in Posts, Stories, and IGTV
- Content interactions (likes, comments, shares, saves)
- Audience Demographics (location, gender, age, most active times)
- Follower Growth (follows, unfollows)
With Instagram analytics, you can see exactly who your followers are, when they’re online, and more! And when you use these insights in conjunction with Tailwind’s SmartSchedule, you never have to worry about posting at the best time – the SmartSchedule does all that heavy lifting for you!
In addition to overall account performance (pictured right), with a business account on Instagram, you can see insights on your individual posts and stories to see how people engage with them.
Learn more about what works by finding common threads in the posts that generate the most engagement.
And did you know you can get even more insights with Tailwind?
In one easy-to-read dashboard, you can monitor your follows and unfollows, comments, and like counts. Plus, you can grab a quick snapshot of your overall engagement score to see where you can focus your efforts to drive more engagement!
2. Create and Manage Ads with an Instagram Business Account
With a business account, you can advertise on Instagram and even easily promote a post right within the Instagram App. Just tap the Promote button on your Instagram profile to create a promotion from an existing post and then select your end destination (your Instagram profile, website or direct messages.)
You’ll then have the opportunity to select your audience or create a custom audience, select your budget and send your ad for approval! Simple, right?
With Facebook Ads Manager, you can also create paid ad campaigns for the platform, set budgets, and even collaborate with Creators and Instagram Influencers!
You can now also work with influencers directly by promoting the branded content they create.
Want to make sure you’re getting a return on your ad spend and work with your chosen influencer? You can monitor branded content performance via Facebook!
3. Action Buttons for Instagram Business Accounts
Action buttons are a newer feature on Instagram for Business, and they’re incredibly handy!
Because of COVID-19, Instagram worked on action buttons to create digital interactions and experiences to support small businesses on the platform. Here’s an overview of just a few of the Action buttons available for your profile!
- Order Food (Customers can place orders for delivery via Postmates, Grubhub. DoorDash and more!)
- Book Now (Customers can schedule appointments for services when you integrate your scheduling tool)
- Reserve Now (Customers can reserve a table at your restaurant or cafe with integrations from TableRequest, TheFork, etc.)
4. Instagram Shopping and Checkout
Instagram Shops have brought shopping directly to the platform, and business accounts can now integrate their digital storefront with Facebook and Instagram to create a product catalog right on their profile!
Once Instagram Shops is set up, you can also tag products directly in your posts and Stories. When the viewer taps your shoppable post, they’ll be taken to that item in your Shop and can complete a purchase!
Instagram is in the process of rolling out Instagram Checkout globally, which allows shoppers to buy your products right in the app. For global regions outside of the United States, Shoppers can navigate right to the item on your website landing page to complete their purchase
5. Auto Posting to Instagram with a Business Account
One of the key benefits of a business profile on Instagram is the ability to enable auto-posting. This is a handy feature for busy business owners who want to take care of their Instagram content in advance.
Right now, Instagram’s API only allows auto posting for business accounts. That means you can’t have a Creator or Personal account and use this feature.
If Instagram planning and creating consistent content for your account is a must for your business or brand, then a business account on Instagram should be your first choice.
And Tailwind can help! As an official Instagram Partner tool, our easy Instagram post scheduling (for photos and videos) is approved to Auto Post on your behalf.
No more device notifications! No more missed posting or interrupting your weekend to complete your Instagram post. No more resorting to shady tools to Auto Post to Instagram at the risk of losing your account. Not that you would, of course!
What the Pros Say About Scheduling and Auto Posting to Instagram for Their Businesses
“Perfect timing – I just walked in the door from signing a new Instagram client!” Deb Mitchell, Be Social Marketing. Many marketers can relate. Juggling posting for multiple accounts could be tricky!
“I think this is such a smart move by Instagram. This will ensure that brands can remain active on the platform, even when the profile manager is busy! As someone working full time and getting an MBA part-time, this is going to be a complete game-changer for our Instagram presence!” Melissa Megginson, Tailwind.
“Lifechanging!” Zettist. This one sums it up for me. How about you?
Now That You Have a Business Account on Instagram, What’s Next?
Now that you have learned how to make an Instagram business account, take it to the next level with:
- 8 Instagram Ideas for a Profile that Pops
- How to Schedule Instagram Stories and Still Auto Post
- How to Write Instagram Captions That Sell
Fears that reach might be restricted by the Instagram algorithm after switching to a business account have kept some from taking the leap, but most agree that the benefits outweigh any possible risks.
Plus there are tons of tools, tips, and tricks available to supercharge your Instagram marketing strategy and find real success on Instagram!
After all, 25 million businesses have made the change! Oh, and rest assured that the process of changing from a personal to a business account on Instagram will not cause you to lose any of your followers or posts.
And now you can use Tailwind to Auto Post your scheduled photos and video! Get a free trial now (no credit card required).
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