Instagram recently started rolling out business profiles, and Constant Contact’s account was lucky enough to gain access to the new features last week.
While there aren’t as many features available with an Instagram business account compared to business profiles on Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and other platforms, your business should make the switch when given the opportunity.
I’ll walk you through how to change your Instagram account to a business account and explain the advantages for your small business.
How to switch
You’ll know if your Instagram account has access to the business profile by opening the app and clicking on your profile icon on the bottom right of the screen to access your profile. If you see this message on the top of the screen, you’re eligible to switch to a business profile:
Click the Learn More button to start the process and learn about the business profile features:
Next, connect your account with your Facebook profile and Facebook business page. Then, update your business’ contact information, including your email address, phone number, and address. Once you complete these steps, your account is now officially switched to an Instagram business profile.
If you don’t see the message at the top of your profile, click the gear button on the top to view your profile options, and then scroll down to the Account section. If you see the option “Switch to Business Profile,” you have access to the business profile. Click the option and follow the instructions to switch your account.
The benefits of an Instagram business account
Why should you make the transition to an Instagram business profile? Here are three reasons:
1. Getting found
Before Instagram business profiles were rolled out, the only way followers could engage with a business outside of Instagram was to click their website link in their profile.
Once you provide contact information for your business account, a contact button will appear in your profile. Instagram users simply have to click that button and then chose whether they want to email you, call you, or find your location on a map.
2. Access to analytics
Instagram is one of the last major social networks to introduce analytics tools. Until now, you could only monitor analytics by using a free or paid third-party tool. The Instagram business analytics tools — which are called Insights — aren’t robust, but they’re a convenient way for you to get a quick look at how your Instagram content is working for you.
You can get an overall view of your Instagram posts by going to your profile and clicking the Insights icon on the top right of the screen.
When you go to the Insights section, you’ll see analytics for impressions, reach, and follower information within the past week, but the tool will only show you analytics for individual posts created after you switch to a business profile. The impressions are listed first — swipe left to see your reach.
Your top posts in the last seven days are shown next. Click See More to view these post sorted by top impressions. If you want to view analytics for one of the posts, start by clicking on it. Then, click View Insights to see the impressions, reach, and engagement for the post.
Follower information is at the bottom of the Insights section. You’ll see a chart for the current day of the week, and which hours of the day are most active for your Instagram followers.
Click See More for information on your current follower number, the breakdown in gender of your followers, an age range, top locations of your followers, your followers’ active hours of the day for each day of the week, and your followers’ active days of the week.
You can also access insights by clicking on an individual Instagram post, and then clicking the View Insights link. Instagram will show you the impressions, reach, and engagement for that individual post.
3. Instagram ads
The Instagram business account makes ad creation easy. Ad creation could only be accessed through Facebook’s advertising tools prior to the business profile rollout.
Now you can promote a post by clicking on it and then selecting Promote.
From there, you can select text for a call to action button, choose a specific audience, set your budget, and choose a time period for your ad to run.
Choose the business profile to get noticed in the Instagram feed
Instagram’s new algorithm is changing how and when users see the content you post. Upgrading your Instagram account to a business profile can help you beat the odds.
Access the Insights tools to find out what content is working for you, what content to create in the future, and when to share it to get seen and get engagement.
Try promoting one of your best-performing posts with the ads tools to get your content in front of more people, and promote your profile. You’ll increase engagement and followers, and these users may be more likely to interact with and purchase from your business directly with the new contact button on your business account.
Just getting started with Instagram? Visit our Instagram 101 Page to learn more.
Kate •
Too bad this isn’t available to all companies yet.
Azure Collier •
Hi Kate,
I know! Hopefully you’ll get the business account soon. I looked for a time frame, and all I could find was general information about a rollout to all users in the coming months. Here’s the official post from Instagram’s blog: http://blog.business.instagram.com/post/145212269021/new-business-tools
-Azure
Lawrence •
Thank you for this post.
What criteria do you think Instagram looks for in determining eligibility for business profiles?
Matt Hoffman •
I’m also interested in this….
Azure Collier •
Hi Lawrence and Matt – I did some searching and found this TechCrunch post that says businesses that have a Facebook business page for their business will be able to convert their account to the business account: https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/31/instagram-officially-announces-its-new-business-tools/
Check your Instagram settings and make sure you’ve got your business account linked in Instagram. To check: 1. Go to your profile 2. Click the gear button to access your options 3. Scroll down to Settings and click Linked Accounts 4. This takes you to a Share Settings section and you can link to your Facebook page from here.
Instagram is doing a rollout for the business profiles, which means that they’re adding portions of users at one time instead of providing the new feature to everyone at once. Here’s a blog post from Instagram that includes information about the business profiles and the rollout: http://blog.business.instagram.com/post/145212269021/new-business-tools
Hope that helps!
-Azure
Matt Hoffman •
Thanks! I had a page setup already, but it wasn’t posting to it (was posting to my timeline instead). Not sure if switching back to the page going to make a difference, but I gave it a shot. No immediate changes yet, though.
Tyler Smedley •
My business was just selected. I am wondering if there are any down sides to having a business account? Will it negatively influence my reach?
Lawrence •
Lucky Tyler 🙂
If I may ask, which Country are you from.
I think it may not be available in Canada yet. 🙁
Also, can you tell me which version of Instagram you’re running. Would help a lot!
I am running version 8.5
Azure Collier •
Hi Tyler,
As far as I can tell, posts from all Instagram users – whether they have a personal or business profile – are evaluated and displayed in the feed according to Instagram’s algorithm: http://blog.business.instagram.com/post/145212269021/new-business-tools
Having a business profile does make it easier to create ads within the app, which is what most of the social networks want businesses to do: pay for ads to get content in front of more people.
Hope that helps!
-Azure
iamshepChach •
All the tools look great, my concern is how will the change effect my reach. With big shifts already happening with the instagram algorithm, will this end up like facebook business pages with organic reach next too nothing? They do own it and this move was predicted. The great quality of the instagram platform has been it’s organic reach which will go away if it ends up like the current facebook pay to reach system. Have you found any info on the switch effecting reach?
Azure Collier •
Hi iamshepChach,
In my opinion this change will help your organic reach on Instagram. The metrics will show you which posts are working – so you know what content to create in the future – or help you notice trends that work (certain hashtags, photo styles, days or times) so you can appeal to your current and prospective followers.
If the organic strategy isn’t providing you with the engagement you want, you’ll also have easy access to the ads tools (unfortunately all networks want businesses to pay for ads to get seen in news feeds, so it’s part of social media marketing now), which will put you in front of the audience you want.
-Azure
Debbie •
This article was really valuable for me, thanks! However, I have an important suggestion for an update to this article: I was able to change our Instagram account to Business even though our account didn’t have the notification you used in the example above. If you click on the Settings Icon in the top right corner, one of the options in the list is to Switch to Business Account!
Azure Collier •
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for the suggestion! We’ve updated the blog post. Hoping more people will have access to Instagram biz accounts now!
-Azure
Liz •
I switched to business and I can’t figure out how to change the description that’s written in grey. I’m being labeled an Event Planner and I’m not. Any idea on how to edit that. It’s the only thing that I can’t edit under “edit profile.”
Liz
Azure Collier •
Hi Liz,
Instagram pulls in the description based on the category you’ve selected for the Facebook business page that you’re linking to your account. Change the category on your Facebook business page. If it doesn’t update when you open Instagram, I would try a couple of things. I haven’t seen anything written about this yet, but I think that you would want to try to re-sync your Facebook page with Instagram:
Go to Settings > Linked Accounts > Facebook, then click on the Facebook page you have listed and try to unlink and then link it again.
If that doesn’t work, you might have to go back to your profile settings and change it back to a private account, and then switch to a business account again. You might lose your stats for the last week and it would start over the day you change back to a business account.
I hope that helps! Let me know if any of those suggestions work.
-Azure
Clubber •
If i switch to instagram business could i later change name of account. Thing is that my acc is promoting nightlife and we have to clubs with different names, one club is for winter season and other one for summer season, so changing name is crucial for me…
Azure Collier •
Hi Clubber,
You can switch the name of your Instagram account. Instagram has instructions here https://help.instagram.com/583107688369069
I would recommend having two accounts if you’re running two different clubs for consistency. Changing names a few times a year will be confusing to your audience. If they can’t find the name of one of the clubs in Instagram, they might assume you’ve shut down. If you create two separate Instagram accounts, you can easily switch between them in the Instagram app. Instructions for that are here: https://help.instagram.com/1696686240613595
-Azure
Jessica •
Is there a way to go to a business account without facebook? I do not have a business facebook and do not want one.
Azure Collier •
Hi Jessica,
It looks like you can’t switch unless you have a Facebook business page. I know people are frustrated with Facebook, but it’s important to have a business presence there. It’s become a directory for customers – they can find out the latest information on what’s happening at a business by going to the Facebook page. And, since they’re in and out of Facebook all day, it’s easier for people to search for businesses on Facebook than trying to figure out the business website in a Google search. If you’re interested in some Facebook best practices to get started, check out our Facebook 101 guide on our Social Media Quickstarter page: https://blogs.constantcontact.com/facebook-101/
-Azure
Jessica •
Thank you!
dom •
To be honest I don’t see big benefit to switching to business account. Since facebook owns instagram is just matter of time until you will need to pay for your post to reach your followers on instagram. Also it is super easy to run dual ads on facebook & instagram at same time….which negates the need to advertise straight on instagram. Be very careful with your decision because you may wish to have kept that unfiltered non-pay for clicks personal account.
melissa l fusco •
Hi there, I was able to make the switch to the business account, and the only issue that is happenings is the share to facebook option to the page that I manage, my artist page. Not my personal page. SO I see it in instagram as it is suppose to be sharing to my page on FB that i manage, however when I check facebook it keeps going to my personal page. Wondering what I am missing here, or if this is a glitch that they are trying to work on……. that it is going to the default page even though I have my managed page selected for the share….. any help?
kendallrock2015 •
not to be a downer, but does anyone know how to undo the switch? I changed my insta to business and want to set it back to normal
Andrew •
Hello, kendallrock2015! You can change it where you’ve changed your account to business one: https://elfsight.com/blog/2017/01/how-to-create-instagram-business-account/ (the first screenshot).
Soki Briggs •
I am new to Photography and considering changing my personal Instagram Account to Business account.
Is this reversible or is there any downside to switching personal account to business in terms of communication with friends?
robin •
I just signed up for the Instagram business account – and I am sorry I did… It went to LOTS of immediate LIKES on any photo I posted to a drip – drip – LIKE here and there… It seems to me they are going to throttle your audience just like Facebook does for Business pages so you will PAY them to get your stuff seen… I just do it for fun more than anything else – and now I’m trying to figure out how to UNDO it… If anyone can help me out here…
gwlogging •
Is it possible to have several users logged in to the same Business account, from different locations, or will Instagram freeze the account as it does with personal ones?
Julie •
I am really interested in business profile in instagram but I don’t get well how it works. I have a question about bussness profile Instagram. If I switch my account to a business profile, do I have to pay videos that I promoted? Thank you so much 😊