How to Create an Instagram Business Account

As a business owner, if you aren’t on Instagram, you’re leaving exposure and money on the table. If you haven’t heard about it, Instagram is one of the most powerful social media platforms on the market that can put you directly in front of your ideal audience. Brands form connections with users and potential customers to grow sales.

There are 2 versions of an Instagram account—personal and business. You want your brand to have a business account because it comes with advantages personal accounts don’t have. For example, you’ll be able to look at different analytics, add calls to actions on your profile, and use third-party integration. Although there are many types of social media content, an Instagram business account can help you scale and grow your business.

What is an Instagram business account?

An Instagram business account initially works like the standard account, but the functionality is different. You can schedule posts with an Instagram business profile, which makes it easier to market on social media and create an effective Instagram advertising strategy. It’s very easy to switch to a business profile if you already have an Instagram account. If you don’t, the steps are simple.

The benefits of a business Instagram account

There are many benefits once you learn how to create an Instagram business account using the functions and tools they offer. Here is where the personal and business accounts differ.

Instagram ads

A business profile allows you to run Instagram ads and grow your reach just like on Facebook. You can set them up and run them directly from the Facebook platform. If you have a Facebook or Shopify store, you can make your posts shoppable, directly tagging your products where the users can click and purchase. This increases your reach, especially as you learn how to optimize your marketing.

More people can find you

With a business profile on Instagram, you can provide users with your contact information via a contact button. This makes it easy for someone to email, call, or send a message. Adding relevant hashtags makes it even easier for you to show up in specific search results.

Analytics

Data helps brands scale. Through their Insights, you can see how many people have viewed your images, stories, or Reels. You’ll also see how many new followers you’ve acquired in the past week, the gender breakdown of your followers, age range, top locations, their active hours of the day, and which days of the week they are most active. Getting a clear picture of who engages with your brand and how can help you develop a strategy that is engaging, effective, and converting.

Share links

You can add links to profiles and stories. If you have 10,000 or more followers on your Instagram account, you can add links that will drive traffic to your online store, blog, or website.

Schedule posts

One of the best things about having an Instagram business account is the ability to schedule posts. You can use a third-party provider to batch your posts, or you can use the Facebook scheduler to schedule static posts, videos, stories, and Reels. This means you can set up your posts for the entire month and not have to worry about it. Once you connect your Instagram account to a Facebook page, you’ll be able to do it all automatically and use that time on other tasks.

This should help you navigate how to make Instagram business account decisions for your brand. That helps you engage the right audience to establish yourself as an authority, make valuable connections, and grow your brand.

How to create a business Instagram account

With Instagram being so popular and brands understanding the power of the platform, “How to create Instagram business account” is a well-researched search term. Here’s how to get started:

1. Download the Instagram app

On a mobile device, download the app from Google Play or the Apple store. If you’re on a desktop, download the app from the Instagram site.

2. Create an account

Fill in the form with an email address (use a business email address), your company name, select a username (usually your company name), and password. If you have a business account on Facebook, you can sign up through that platform. Make sure your password follows all the guidelines and it’s something you will remember.

3. Switch the account from personal to business

Once you’ve created an Instagram account, you’ll have to switch it over from a personal account to a business one.

• Click the three lines in the top corner of your profile, then click Settings when you see it.
• Click Account in the Settings menu. You should see Switch to Professional Account.
• Once you click to switch, you’ll choose from two options: Creator and Business.

If you’re looking to eventually change your business account to a creator account, you’re going to go back to those three lines in the top right corner and follow the steps listed above to toggle between the two. You can also change what’s in your profile at any time and add additional links to your bio.

4. Complete your profile

Once you’ve set up the business profile, you’ll have to complete your profile before you can start promoting your brand. Have a profile photo that’s representative of your brand, like a logo or a photo of the CEO. Whatever front-facing image represents your brand in your communications is what you want to use. Next, write your bio and add your company’s website, store hours, contact and other relevant information.

5. Post content

Post some images. A hello post would be great, introducing your business and what your company does.

6. Link to your Facebook business page

If you didn’t sign up through Facebook, you’ll have to go back through and attach your account. This is key because you need it to use some of the business tools offered. To do this, go back into the three lines in the top right corner. Click Settings then Business. You should see the prompt to Connect a Facebook Page.

7. Start following people

Once your profile is all set up and you’ve taken care of the backend tasks, it’s time to start engaging with others. Invite all your Facebook followers to follow you on Instagram. Next, be strategic about who you follow. Any relevant local companies, industry pages, and influencers should be at the top of the list.

8. Create a strategy

One of the most effective tactics you need is a strategy. Yes, there’s a science to this. You want to have a posting schedule and create posts that are relevant. Use different types of content that bring eyes to your information. Reels are growing in popularity, so they should be a high priority for your brand. Instagram is also becoming video-centric, so creating clips of what you’re doing and how you’re doing it makes a lot of sense. Go behind the scenes of your brand and share. People love that type of engagement, and these kinds of posts get great traction.

Boost your social media marketing

Social media marketing is important to reach the right audience. It helps foster engagement and builds human relationships. Brands that use social media marketing effectively build brand awareness, generate leads, and nurture those leads on and off the platform. When your audience is engaged, they start moving toward other ways of connecting with your brand, like through your website, newsletters, and emails.

Another way social media marketing helps your brand is by connecting social posts to current opportunities while implementing social listening. It’s always good to hear what people are saying about your brand to help you improve where you need to and to enhance what you’re doing well.

Social media marketing can build the authenticity of your brand by building trust through your posts. You’ll become a thought leader if you create solutions to their problems. How-to guides, webinars, and other content become a valuable resource you have to offer.

You’ll be building an audience that turns into a community. Creating unique content that makes people want to watch and listen will keep you on their minds all the time. It’s a great way to support word-of-mouth marketing because you can showcase your products and services in real-time to continue building trust.

Mailchimp has several solutions that help support your social media marketing strategy. From their website builder to social media management tools, you can manage all your social channels in one place and keep the conversation going across all your channels.