How to become a business profile on instagram

How to Set Up an Instagram Business Profile

When Instagram first launched, personal and businesses had a single Instagram profile format. There were no bells and whistles, just a basic bio and your Instagram feed.

Social media really does change quickly, because in 2016, Instagram introduced business profiles. And since then, the new profile has introduced a new way of social marketing.

And the benefits of Instagram business profiles have been significant.

Since the start of business profiles, contact buttons were born, Instagram shopping became more prominent, the platform launched its own analytics. And now everyone, from corporations to startups to influencers, has an Instagram business profile.

By the end of this article, you’ll understand why you should consider an Instagram business profile and how to set up one up. Let’s get started!

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Why create an Instagram business profile?

If you’re a brand looking to create a following on Instagram and use the platform strategically, you need an Instagram business profile. That’s because there are features to a business profile that that improve usability as a brand.

Let’s dive into a few of the biggest benefits of using an Instagram business profile versus a basic personal profile.

1. You’re taken more seriously

Take a look at the differences between the two Instagram profiles below. You’ll probably notice a few of key differences.

Ignoring that fact that our Sprout Social business profile has Story Highlights and my personal profile doesn’t (that feature is available on all profiles), what Instagram business profiles have that personal profiles don’t include:

An industry/niche
An address
A contact button right on the profile.

Having more information and a quick contact button gives your business profile a more professional look. And it offers even more ways for your audience to get in touch with you.

Because the differences between the two types are so obvious, Instagram users can automatically tell when a profile is for a business or content creator, and it provides a greater sense of trust.

Another way to build trust is to post and engage consistently on Instagram. But publishing content and engaging with your audience are just two parts of an Instagram marketing strategy. Download our comprehensive guide to learn how to reach your goals on Instagram.

2. You get access to analytics

This is a big one. Switching to an Instagram business account gives you the ability to access built-in insights about your account and its performance.

You’re able to take a look at your post performance, follower activity and audience insights. While this information isn’t extremely in-depth, it’s a great glance at your account success and can give you a basic understanding of how well your content is doing.

And for more details on your analytics, you can always take advantage of Sprout Social‘s analytics options.

3. You can add links to your Instagram Stories

Instagram is infamous for its inability to link directly to blog posts and landing pages from your posts, hence the popularity of “link in bio” and tools designed to collect all your recent or important links on one Instagram-accessible page. However, accounts that have more than 10,000 followers gain access to swipe up links within Instagram Stories, but only if that account is an Instagram business profile.

While it might take awhile to get your Instagram account to 10,000 followers, if you create a successful Instagram strategy, you’ll be linking content in your Stories in no time. Using Story links is a great way to highlight your latest content, highlight short-term deals or resurface timely content and products based on what’s trending.

4. You can take advantage of Instagram advertising

Instagram ads and promoted posts are created through Facebook’s ads manager, which means you must have an Instagram business profile that is attached to your Facebook Page to be able to create Instagram ad campaigns.

To help generate leads, increase conversions and get to that 10,000 follower threshold more quickly, your brand should be taking advantage of Instagram advertising. If you’re struggling to increase your reach and overcome some of the challenges brands face from the Instagram algorithm, paid ads can help you target key audiences.

5. You can schedule your posts ahead of time

Another major Instagram update that’s now a few years old, but had significant value for marketers was the ability for users to automatically schedule their posts instead of having to just schedule a reminder to manually post content.

However, the ability to use a third party tool like Sprout Social to schedule your content ahead of time is only available with Instagram business profiles.

So if you want to make your social media management easier, do yourself (and your marketing team as a whole) a favor and switch to an Instagram business account. With a tool like Sprout, you’ll be able to get a more complete picture of your upcoming content calendar and it will be easier for everyone who contributes to this content to collaborate.

6. You can tag products in your posts

Finally, another great perk that’s only available to business accounts is the ability to turn your feed into an online shop.

Tagging products and turning photos into shoppable posts is a great way to open an entirely new revenue stream for your brand, but you have to switch to or set up your profile as a business account first. Considering that 46% of users make a purchase after seeing a product on Instagram, and even more do further research on that product after viewing, it makes sense to facilitate this type of browsing as much as possible.

How to switch to an Instagram business account

Now that you know the benefits, are you ready to switch your account over to an Instagram business profile? Let’s walk you through the process so you can start taking advantage of these great perks.

Step 1: Go to your Instagram account settings

Go to your profile, then tap the hamburger menu in the top right corner of the app. Tap Settings and then tap Account to get started.

Step 2: Switch to Instagram professional account

Once in the account settings, you’ll see a blue call-to-action at the bottom of the page for you to Switch to Professional Account.

Tap that to move forward with your big switch.

Step 3: Choose a Business account

Selecting Business will allow you to start gathering impressions, reach, and video views within your reporting insights, as well as schedule content ahead of time using third party tools like Sprout Social.

Instagram recently rolled out a new type of business account – an Instagram creator account. These are more specifically for influencers, public figures or other types of content producers, whereas a business account is better for brands and businesses that sell a product or service.

This is a part of Instagram’s effort to further separate influencers and businesses, making it more obvious for its users when a partnership is an influencer promotion rather than an ad.

The tools surrounding a creator account are slightly different from those accessible in a Business account, but they were created with influencer marketing in mind. There are also more features surrounding messaging and profile flexibility.

The core business profile features are still available, including shoppable posts. This means influencers will be able to tag the products they’re recommending directly within their Instagram posts, offering even more streamlined shopping for all parties involved.

If you plan to partner with businesses as an influencer, you’ll want to create an Instagram creator account. If not, including if you plan to partner with influencers to promote your products or services, you’ll want to create an Instagram business account.

Step 4: Connect your Facebook Page

If you’re moving forward in creating or switching to a business profile, your next step is to connect your Facebook Page. You must have admin access to your business Facebook Page to take this action.

Once you confirm which Facebook Page you want to connect, your business profile is ready to go!

If you’re switching to a creator profile, all you need to do is select a category for the type of creator you are.

How to switch back to a personal Instagram account

If you decide an Instagram business or creator account isn’t for you, it’s possible (and extremely easy) to revert right back to a personal account.

You can also switch between business and creator accounts to find the one that makes the most sense for your brand.

All you have to do is head right back to your account settings, and this time the blue Switch to Professional Account call-to-action will be replaced with two different options: Switch to Personal Account or Switch to Creator Account.

Start taking advantage of Instagram business profile tools

Ready to ramp up your Instagram marketing strategy? By switching over to an Instagram business profile, you gain access to so many more great brand tools and perks, allowing you to really wow your audience on the platform.

To learn even more about the power of Instagram for your business, check out our guide to organic Instagram strategies that work.

How To Set Up an Instagram Business Profile + 4 Benefits

Are you wondering how to get an Instagram business profile? We’ve got good news: Anyone who wants one can have one.

An Instagram business profile is a powerful tool in your digital toolbox. After all, Instagram has approximately 1 billion monthly active users — and many of those people happily follow brands.

In this article, we’ll take you through how to set up your business profile, four benefits you’ll get from switching over, and how to delete it if you change your mind. Plus, we’ve included a handy chart to compare business, personal, and creator profiles.

How to set up an Instagram business profile

Why change to an Instagram business profile

Business profile vs. personal Instagram vs. creator profile

How to delete a business profile on Instagram

Bonus: 14 Time-Saving Hacks for Instagram Power Users. Get the list of secret shortcuts Hootsuite’s own social media team uses to create thumb-stopping content.

How to set up an Instagram business profile

“Sure,” you’re thinking, “You claim switching is easy, but how do you get a business profile on Instagram?”

Relax, we’ve got you. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to change your Instagram profile to a business profile.

1. Head to your Instagram profile page and hit the hamburger menu in the top right corner.

2. Tap Settings on the top of the list.

3. Navigate to Account, then scroll to the bottom of the list

4. Tap Switch to professional account

5. Choose Continue and continue through the prompts, beginning with “Get professional tools.”

6. Choose the category that best describes you or your brand and tap Done.

7. Next, you’ll be prompted to answer whether you are a Creator or a Business. Click Business and Next.

8. Review your contact information and decide whether or not you want it displayed on your profile (if you do, make sure to toggle that option). Hit Next.

9. Connect your Facebook Page. If you don’t have one, you can either create a new Facebook Page or navigate to the bottom of the page and click Don’t connect a Facebook page now. It’s totally fine to have a business profile on Instagram without Facebook, and the next step is the same whether you connect to Facebook or not.

10. Next, you will be prompted to set up your professional account. Here, you can browse your new features and tools.

Get Inspired will prompt you to follow other businesses or creators. Grow Your Audience will prompt you to invite friends to follow your account. And Share Content to View Insights will encourage you to post some new content so you can view your insights. Or, if you hit the X in the top right corner, you’ll go straight to your business profile!

11. Choose Complete your profile and fill in any missing information. Be sure to include a URL here so people know where to find your business outside of Instagram. And voila! You officially have a business account on Instagram

If you’re just starting out or simply curious, here’s a step-by-step guide on exactly how to use Instagram to your business advantage.

Why change to an Instagram business profile

With 90% of people on Instagram following a business, using the platform is a no-brainer.

But, if you are on the fence about whether or not an Instagram business account is for you (no judgment), let us change your mind. A business profile on Instagram has benefits that will help you save time and grow your audience.

You can schedule posts

This may be the most important feature because you can save time as an extremely busy content creator, business owner, or marketer. With third-party apps like Hootsuite, you can schedule posts in batches way ahead of schedule. It’s easy to do, and your audience will appreciate the consistency.

Here’s more on using Hootsuite to schedule Instagram posts and reap the benefits.

Instagram insight access

Instagram’s insights may not be a crystal ball, but they are an excellent tool for understanding your followers.

A business profile gives you access to a deep dive into your audience’s profile views, reach and impressions, along with demographic information about them. You can tailor your posts to appeal to specific interests when you know more about the folks that follow you.

If you’re serious about improving your content, you’re not limited to Instagram’s built-in analytics tools. When you use Hootsuite Analytics with your Instagram business profile, you can track Instagram metrics in more detail than the native Instagram Insights.

The Hootsuite Analytics dashboard allows you to:

Review data from the distant past
Compare metrics over specific time periods to get a historical perspective
Find the best posting time based on past engagement, organic reach, and click-through data
Generate downloadable custom reports
Look at specific post performance using your preferred metrics
Rank Instagram comments by sentiment (positive or negative)

Try Hootsuite for free. You can cancel anytime.

Access Instagram Shop features

If your business is in the business of selling products, you’ll want to access the Instagram Shop features.

With Shops, you can upload a product catalog, tag your goods, and (in some cases) even process sales directly in the app.

You can also create collections of goods (like new arrivals or summer fits), shoppable Reels, and set up brand affiliates who can share and sell your products for a commission. And, you have access to Instagram Shop insights.

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A post shared by INDY Sunglasses (@indy_sunglasses)

Here’s more information about how to set up your Instagram shop. Get your product flying off the digital shelves.

Control who promotes your products

If you’re a business account with an Instagram Shop, you can control who tags your products. And, once you’ve given a creator permission to tag your products, they can allow you to promote their organic branded content feed posts as an ad.

Influencer marketing works — people trust other people over brands. So, partnering up with creators who love your products can be a lucrative marketing strategy.

Here’s more on how to maximize your Instagram advertising strategy.

Bonus: 14 Time-Saving Hacks for Instagram Power Users. Get the list of secret shortcuts Hootsuite’s own social media team uses to create thumb-stopping content.

Download now

Business profile vs. personal Instagram vs. creator profile

Here’s that handy chart we promised you! It has all the features of each type of profile at a glance. If you’re looking for more on what creator accounts really look like, head here.

Feature	Business profile	Personal profile	Creator profile
Private profile capabilities	❌	✅	❌
Insights and growth analytics	✅	❌	✅
Access to creator studio	✅	❌	✅
Sortable inbox	✅	❌	✅
Ability to create quick replies for DMs	✅	❌	✅
Display category in profile	✅	❌	✅
Contact information on profile	✅	❌	✅
Location information on profile	✅	❌	❌
Third-party app integration	✅	❌	❌
Instagram Storefront with shoppable products and Shop insights	✅	❌	❌

How to delete a business profile on Instagram

Knowing how to delete a business profile on Instagram is pretty easy. But first, let’s be very clear on what you mean — because you can’t come back from some of these.

If you just want to delete the “business” part of your profile, you can always change your account back to a personal one. Simply head back to your Settings (using the hamburger menu on your profile). Navigate to Account. Scroll down to Switch account type at the bottom and click Switch to personal account.

If you would like to delete the entire account, remember that your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes and followers will be gone forever. If you’re not quite sure, you can also temporarily deactivate your account. But, if you’re sure-sure, head here to delete your account.

Manage your Instagram Business Profile alongside all your other social media profiles using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard you can create and schedule posts, engage followers, monitor relevant conversations, measure (and improve!) performance, and much more.

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how to do it (4 steps + instructions)

To make selling on Instagram more convenient and efficient, the social network has introduced a special profile format for companies — a business account. The transition to it is available to absolutely all users. I'll walk you through how to connect and set it up step by step - as well as what features it provides and how they help sales.

A business account is a type of Instagram profile created for business promotion and analytics on the social network.

How to connect

If you logged in through a PC, then you need to make just a few clicks to connect a business account. In the settings, find the "Switch to a professional account" item, then select the "Company" sub-item. Follow the prompts: specify the category of your business and set up its display in the profile.

Connecting a business account in a PC browser

How to switch to another category? As easy as pie! To do this, go to your Instagram profile page and click "Edit Profile". In the “Profile Information” section, select “Category” and change it to any other that is relevant to you. nine0003 Change the category at any time

Switching to a business account from a smartphone is also easy: select "Account" from the settings menu, scroll to the end of the list that opens and click "Change account type". The further algorithm is the same as on a PC: read the tips, find the appropriate category and confirm your choice.

Setting up from a smartphone

You will also be offered to integrate your Facebook. This can be done immediately, or at any other time. The condition is now optional, but the integration will greatly expand your opportunities for positioning your business on social networks. By the way, on Facebook it should also be not just a personal, but a corporate page. nine0003 Completing settings

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Features

So, you have switched to a commercial profile. And you will definitely want to immediately try out all the new features and chips. Then I will give a brief overview of the settings and advantages that distinguish an Instagram business account. nine0003

1. Profile category

The instagram business profile allows you to display the subject of your page. In addition to the inscriptions “brand” and “personal blog”, which are now quite common, you can put any other profession or topic, for example: musician, politician, clothing store, cafe, bar, etc. This is important because it attracts the attention of your target audience.

2. Communication buttons

For this setting, please fill in the contact details first. Add them to the fields: email, phone, address. Then the action buttons will become available, and they are implemented through integration with third-party applications for business. You will be able to place, for example, an online registration form or online payment. It will look like "Call", "Register", "Order delivery", etc. nine0003

A business account makes it easier for users to contact you. For example, when you click on the "Call" button, the phone number automatically appears on the mobile dialing screen, that is, you do not need to copy it to the phone's memory, open the desired section, paste it - everything is done in one click.

Communication buttons

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3. Statistics

Various statistics can be viewed for a business profile. So you get the opportunity to track the reaction of subscribers to a particular content, analyze the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, contests, etc.

Statistics exist both for the profile in general and for individual publications and stories. This feature is useful not only for selling accounts, but also for personal brands.

Statistics

Profile statistics

On a business account on Instagram, you need to click on the “Menu” section on the profile page. Then select "Statistics". Switching between tabs here you can see:

Number of profile visits, site clicks, reach rates;
Information about publications for the week;
Subscriber information: number of subscribers/unsubscribers, subscriber locations, gender, age.

Profile statistics

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Publication statistics

In addition to general statistics, track reactions to individual publications. To do this, on the profile page, select any photo or video and click "View statistics" under the publication.

The number of likes, comments, shares and saves of the selected publication will appear in the window. In addition, the total number of actions performed with this post and the number of transitions to the profile are calculated here.

Publication statistics

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Stories statistics

You can access the statistics of stories from the already familiar section “Menu” -> “Statistics” -> “Content”. Next, you need to find the “History” section. From here, the coverage of each story is available. Clicking on any post will open more detailed statistics, where you can even find out exactly who viewed your story. nine0003 History statistics

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4. Promotion and targeting

Instagram has its own functionality to promote your publications. It works in such a way that it allows you to show your posts to the target audience, advertise your profile or drive traffic from Instagram to some external resource. This is more effective than simple cheats, although you will need cash investments for this tool. nine0003 Promotion

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5. Shopping Tags

Shopping Tags allow the audience to view your product cards, read the description, find out the price, go directly to the desired section of the online store. This feature has a positive effect on the growth of sales. nine0003 Shopping Tags

Interesting. I also recommend using multilink. It will help to create a full-fledged online store, as well as contact you via instant messengers.

6. Physical address

If you sell goods not only online, but also offline, you are probably often asked how to find you in order to buy a service or product. Business accounts allow you to post exact addresses and hours of operation with access to view the address on a map.

Physical address

7. Additional lead magnet

Posting an address may not be relevant to you if, for example, you do not offer your services offline. Then this place can be used to place an additional lead magnet. The address bar allows you to place a fairly large amount of information, which is very useful in cases where a profile description and biography is not enough.

Lead magnet

Briefly about the main thing

The business profile is relevant not only for selling pages or instagram landings: its wide range of features will find its use even if you do not sell anything. nine0003

One of the most compelling reasons to switch to a business profile is free access to statistics that will show, for example, which posts turned out to be the most interesting. And finally, I will briefly list the main advantages:

Ability to categorize accounts;
Access to profile statistics;
Convenient communication with users;
Possibility of running a full-fledged online store;
Ability to promote a profile without third-party services. nine0052

And one more thing to help you. Do you want to make a bomb out of your account, get hundreds of subscribers a day and a flurry of enthusiastic direct messages? Then watch the courses below:

Involving stories on the phone ;
Promotion on Instagram.

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