Instagram Launches Creator Accounts – Here's Why That Matters

December 12, 2018

Instagram is trialing new Creator Accounts, which will give high-profile influencers and celebrities analytics similar to what they would receive with an Instagram business profile, as of Dec. 11, 2018.

At the time of publication, Creator Accounts are being offered to a small and select user group, with tentative plans to roll the feature out to more high-profile users in 2019. 

For influencers, celebrities, and other high-profile artists and bloggers on the platform, maintaining an Instagram account can be comparable to running your own small-business. However, up until now, these accounts didn’t have the ability to track analytics on account growth and activity.

Creator Accounts now offer an alternative.

What are Instagram Creator Accounts?

With the new Creator Accounts, account owners will receive in-depth data around new follows and unfollows. Before this, even verified accounts would only get the single new follower notification. That’s right – the same simple notification that you see when you receive a new follower on your personal Instagram account.

Additionally, Creator Accounts will enable the trail group to filter their direct messages by quality. For instance, Instagram influencers often use a single account as both their personal and business profile. This new feature will allow them to filter received direct messages depending on who they came from – different buckets for messages from brands, actual friends, fans, etc.

These users will also be able to designate their preferred form of contact with new labels.

Why Instagram Creator Accounts are significant

In June 2018, Instagram reached the milestone of 1 billion active users. Compound this with the fact that Instagram marketing was quickly gaining popularity, and you had both companies and individual contributors jumping at the chance to build a brand on a visual platform. 

Instagram User Growth

These individuals could figure out how to get verified on Instagram or use a business account for their personal brand, but otherwise weren’t offered a customized experience or in-depth analytics.

Snapchat, on the other hand, has offered these analytics to their creators for quite some time. This move, similar to the introduction of IGTV, is an effort by Instagram to establish itself as the most effective and committed platform for social media creators.

Related: Considering a creator account? Want to learn more about Instagram influencer marketing? Read all about it in our comprehensive guide.

Learn more: The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Influencer Marketing →

Creator Accounts are keeping Instagram competitive

While it hasn’t yet been announced who has access to the new Creator Accounts, or how individuals can apply, be sure to check back as we’ll update this article as soon as that information is available.

In the meantime, learn even more about optimizing your Instagram profile with our additional resources:

Never miss a post.

Subscribe to keep your fingers on the tech pulse.

By submitting this form, you are agreeing to receive marketing communications from G2.