If you're already using Instagram for personal reasons, why not use it for your business?
Instagram introduced the option to create a business profile in 2016. Since then, social media marketers have been using the platform to their advantage (and rightfully so).
Making Instagram a part of your business's larger social media marketing strategy only takes a few taps of the screen.
Creating a professional Instagram profile for your business provides benefits for marketers, leads, and customers alike. As of 2017, there were 25 million businesses registered on Instagram. Can you imagine what that number looks like now?
Instagram business profiles are a free feature that Instagram offers to brands that want their accounts to be recognized as businesses. These profiles offer more features than personal profiles, such as access to analytics, ad targeting, and a contact button.
If you're curious as to how to create a business profile, you're in the right spot. We're going to go over a step-by-step guide for creating an Instagram business profile, as well as more of the benefits that come with owning one.
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NOTE: Are you ahead of the game and already using Instagram for your business or brand?
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Let's dive into these steps with a few pictures to guide you, shall we?
If you already have an Instagram account, you know how easy that is to set up. Luckily, Instagram has made the process of creating a business profile just as easy.
This might seem obvious, but Instagram's mobile app is most user friendly version of Instagram (compared to the desktop version). If you don't have the app on your smartphone, step on it.
| NOTE: Instagram is free in the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android. |
This might sound counterintuitive, but remember: behind every business are human beings. If you don't have an Instagram account, you need to make a personal profile before you can create one for your business.
If you're starting from scratch, create a profile with the email of your social media manager or assign a dummy email such as socialmedia@yourbusiness.com. This will prevent Instagram from pulling any of your personal information from a Facebook account.
3. Selecting your username and password
Once you've created a profile, Instagram will prompt you to designate a username and password to your account. While we haven't made this account a business profile yet, now is the time to act as though it is. The username, or handle, that you choose for your company should be easy for customers and the general public to find. What's easier than using your company's name?
Across all social platforms, the username should be consistent to increase ease of access for your customers and increase your brand reputation. If your company's name is taken, try to come up with a username as close as possible.
Additionally, you'll want to assign a secure, business-related password to your Instagram account that is easy for you and any other marketer accessing the account to memorize.
Instead of uploading a picture of your puppy, now is the time to use your brand's logo as your profile picture. This will not only increase brand awareness as a whole, but will also reassure customers and others interested in your business that they're in the right place.
We're ready to switch from a personal account to a business account.
| DISCLAIMER: Creating a business profile on Instagram requires you to have a Facebook business page. |
Tap "Settings" from the menu at the top right corner of your profile page. This button looks like a gear in iOS or an ellipsis on Android phones.
From there, you’ll scroll down until you see the option to “Try Instagram Business Tools.” Select this, then click through the slideshow until you’re prompted to connect your Instagram to your Facebook business page.
Instagram will ask you to connect your professional Facebook profile. It will also ask you to categorize your business and review your contact information.
Before you start posting pictures and videos, be sure to fill out your Instagram bio and contact information fields. This will ensure that anybody visiting your profile has an idea of what you do, where you’re located, and how they can contact your team. This can be done at any time by simply hitting "Edit Profile" on your profile page. Now that you’ve successfully turned your Instagram profile into a business profile, you can start building it out with some information about your organization and brand.
Congratulations! Your Instagram business profile is complete. It’s time to start filling your page with the exciting content your audience seeks.
If the ease of creating a business profile hasn't convinced you to take action, maybe some of the benefits that come with it will.
Instagram Insights give marketers a glance at how their business is doing on the platform. Instagram analytics can track traffic to your page, website clicks, reach, and even overall impressions.
Instagram ads are an option for users with a business profile. In case you needed yet another platform to advertise your products and services on (who doesn't?), advertising on Instagram is made easy for professionals.
Contact buttons can be implemented into a business profile. With this feature, those visiting your profile don't need to leave the page to get in touch with you. Instead, they can simply choose from the contact information you provide them and reach out quickly. If customers would rather remain in the app, they always have the option to send an Instagram DM.
Links in Instagram Stories are available for businesses with more than 10,000 followers. This feature, once only available for verified Instagram accounts, is another great way to drive traffic to your site right from your Instagram business profile.
After creating your business profile, it only makes sense to explore the opportunities that come with it. The easiest part is complete, but the next steps allow you to have fun and get creative: creating amazing content for your feed and watching the followers come pouring in.
Discover how you can best use Instagram filters or take a look at our ultimate guide to Instagram marketing to make sure you're taking complete advantage of what's ahead of you.
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