What You Need to Know About Instagram For Business to Get Started

Instagram for business has been around long enough for every marketer to ask – should we switch to a business account? This is an important decision your business has to make and we’re here to help.

There are some perks to a business account that might just outweigh the familiarity of running a personal account. We’ll dig deeper to find out if you should make the switch (and when).

Perks of a personal vs business account

A personal account is very simple and straightforward. The two features that are exclusive to a personal instagram account is the option of going private and the ability to connect to multiple Facebook pages.

A business account cannot be set to private and you can only link to one Facebook profile if you switch over to Instagram for business.  

5 Main features of a business profile:

What can you do with all the great features that’s so different from running a private account? Here is why businesses make the quick switch:

1. Instagram insights

Many would agree that this is the best feature that makes a business profile so appealing. Instagram insights is a built-in analytics tool that gives you information about your followers. You learn about when they’re online, who they are and what they view.

In addition, you can also view insights for specific posts and even stories. You get to see how individual posts performed and find out more about engagement.

Image credit: Business2Community

2. Run ads

You can post ads the same way you would on Facebook and track your campaigns through the app.

Image credit: Ad Week

3. Promoted posts

You have the option of promoting your post within the app once you have a business profile. This works similarly to the way you can boost posts on a Facebook page.

Image credit: SocialChefs

4. Links on stories

Instagram is now allowing business accounts with 10,000 or more followers to add links to stories. Sure, you have to get to that magical number but it’s a great way to reach out and promote your products to all the potential clients on Instagram.

Image credit: Tech Crunch

5. Contact button

Every business account includes a ‘Contact’ button as a way to directly reach your business. The button appears near the top of your business profile and users can get directions, an email or a phone number.

Image credit: Business 2 Community

If these unique features sound like something you could benefit from and you can get even more creative with marketing your business, you’re ready to move on to the next step.

How to set up a business account on Instagram

1. Make sure your profile is currently public. A private account can’t switch over to a business one.
2. Go to your personal profile and tap on the gear icon
3. Scroll to find ‘Switch to Business Profile’
4. Choose a Facebook page you’d like to connect your account to. Click ‘Next’.
5. Review your details on the ‘Set Up Your Business Profile’ page. The details include your email address, physical address, and phone number. Tap ‘Done’ and you’re done!

With a business account, customers will be able to directly contact you right from the first page of your profile. You can now access insights, host ads and promote content within the app. Good luck and if you have any questions or would like to know more about Instagram for business, let us know in the comments section.

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