Whether you’re a brand, business, marketer, influencer or public figure…
…Instagram have got a feature that you simply cannot afford to miss:
Instagram Business Profiles.
Way back in 2016, Instagram updated their network with an optional Business profile feature and since then, over 25 Million brands have taken them up on their offer…
…inspiring more than 200 Million Daily active Instagrammers to visit at least one business profile a day.
But, that’s not the best part…
…becoming a business on Instagram means you have direct access to a ton of super-valuable analytical data, that could make all the difference to your reach, follower-growth and marketing strength.
(And you don’t even need to set-up a new profile, you can switch your existing one!)
Instagram Business Manager, Where’s the Catch?
Anybody who keeps up-to-date with social media news (or regularly reads the Einstein Marketer Blog) will know that Facebook penalised business profiles on their network earlier this year…
…and, they’ll also know that Facebook own Instagram. So, there’s reason to worry, right?
Not this time.
Unlike the world’s biggest social network, Instagram will not be following suit in reducing business profile reach. In fact, after the business friendly-nature of their recent updates, it’s clear to see that they actually want more businesses to join the photo-sharing platform.
And there’s never been a better time!
With over 1 Billion monthly active users, continued growth and the launch of their video app, IGTV, Instagram is going from strength to strength.
How to Switch Your Account
If you’re setting up a business profile from scratch, simply set-up a normal Instagram profile and then follow these steps.
Instagram have made it very easy for you to switch your account, but, there’s just one thing you need to do (if you haven’t already), and that’s create a Facebook Profile. Make sure you’ve got that ticked off before moving through the following steps.
Step 1:
Go to your profile and click on the 3 horizontal lines in the top right corner:
Step 2:
Click on Settings at the Bottom of this Menu
Step 3:
Scroll Down the Menu to ‘Switch to Business Profile’ option
Step 4:
Follow Instagram’s Instructions
During STEP 4 Instagram will ask you for a Facebook Profile to link to the Instagram Business Page, as well as a Business category (e.g. Local Business, Public Figure) and a contact information review.
After that, it’s all done.
Why You Must Have an Instagram Business Profile
When you’ve switched over to a business account, visit your profile and click on the 3 horizontal lines again. This time you’ll notice an option called ‘Insights’:
It’s within this new menu option, that the true value of switching accounts comes to light.
You’ll be greeted by a page with three insanely valuable tabs, ‘Activity’, ‘Content’ and ‘Audience’.
Within ‘Activity’ you’ll find the performance of your posts and profile in terms of reach and visits. This is an awesome place to analyse the strength of your Instagram strategy as a whole.
‘Content’ holds tons of data about the performance of individual posts, including engagement, impression and reach. Use this to analyse the strength of your Hashtag strategy, and always keep an eye on how many new people your posts reach.
Finally, ‘Audience’ breaks down the demographics of your followers, including age, gender, location and time-of-day that they’re active. It’s super-important that you understand your audience as well as possible and target all of your future Instagram content around them.
If you’re reaching the wrong people or neglecting a slice of your desired audience, the ‘Audience’ tab will give you the insights you’re looking for.
Conclusion
Whether you’ve got a personal profile, or you’re managing a brand’s social media presence, switching your account to a Business Profile will make a MASSIVE difference.
Having the ability to view the performance of your profile and your individual posts, will guide your way to increasing followers, reach and impressions.
In this blog I’ve skimmed over the potential value of the Instagram Business ‘Insights’, it’s time for you to switch your account and explore for yourself.
And in the meantime, check out our guide, How to use Instagram Hashtags (and How Not to) in 2018.
What do you think about Instagram Business Profiles? Will you switch your account? Leave a comment, we’d love to hear your opinion.
If you’d like to learn more about Instagram marketing, check out Are You Being Followed By Robots?
