Instagram Business Account vs Personal Account – Meet Edgar
Whether you’re an influencer, e-commerce shop, or small business, social media can help you build brand awareness and generate leads. In particular, Instagram is an excellent platform for visually appealing brands and products.
Instagram business accounts were launched for this reason. An Instagram business account includes advanced features designed to help you understand your customers and bring people to your website.
So, what’s the difference between an Instagram business account vs personal account?
Keep reading to learn:
The difference between an Instagram business and personal account
The main Instagram business account features
How to set up an Instagram business account
What is a Professional Account on Instagram?
An instagram account for business enables brands to track their engagement and interactions. Instagram business profiles offer more analytical tools than a personal account. These tools can help you better understand your customer and improve your business’ reach.
Instagram Business Account vs Personal Account
Compared to personal accounts, business accounts come with two main advantages — lead generation tools and audience insights.
If you’re using Instagram primarily to find inspiration and connect with friends and family, you only need a personal profile.
A basic account lets you post content and view other Instagram profiles. Furthermore, you can set a personal Instagram profile to be a private account, which means only your followers can see your content.
On the other hand, an Instagram business profile is public and anyone on Instagram can see it. This is great news when it comes to reaching new audiences and expanding your brand’s exposure.
Advantages of a Professional Instagram Account
If you’re using Instagram as part of a marketing strategy, then an Instagram business page also offers premium features to help your business grow.
Here are some of the key features that separate an Instagram personal vs business account.
1. Instagram Insights
Analytics tools are an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. If you want to improve your performance on Instagram, you need to be able to measure it.
In addition to contact information, Instagram Insights is one of the main perks of having a business account.
Image Source
Instagram business accounts provide analytics about your posts’ performance and audience. You can view your insights right on the Instagram app (desktop or mobile).
Instagram analytics include metrics such as:
Reach and impressions
Content interactions
Total followers
Audience demographic information
2. Ability To Boost Posts
If you want more engagement with your content, you can boost business posts to increase your reach.
When you boost your post with Instagram ads, you can select a target audience and set a budget.
Instagram then promotes your post and includes the results of your ad spend in your Insights tab.
3. Contact Button and Quick Reply
With an Instagram proffesional account, you can add your contact information to your Instagram profile. Current and potential customers can visit your profile and use this button to reach you.
When you create your ig business account, there’s a “Public Business Information” section that allows you to include a phone number or email address. If you have a brick-and-mortar store, you can even include your business’s physical address.
If you don’t have the time to answer every single DM, creating a business Instagram gives you the convenient option of setting up quick replies. These are pre-written replies to common questions that you can send to customers. In your account settings, you should see an option for ‘Quick Replies. ’
Your business account also gives you the option to categorize your inbox, which is great for keeping track of your most important leads. You can filter messages between different tabs.
Source: Instagram
4. Instagram Shopping
Instagram also offers online shops and shoppable posts, perfect for e-commerce websites and retailers.
Image Source.
Instagram users with business accounts can activate the Shop tab on their profile and leverage Instagram as a mobile storefront. They can also create shoppable Instagram posts for users to buy products or even save them for later.
5. Auto-Publish Content
One of the other benefits of Instagram business vs personal is that you can schedule content to auto-publish. With a business profile, you can
schedule your posts using Meet Edgar, and they will automatically post at the time you want them to. You just need to connect your Facebook account to get this up and running.
If you are posting for a personal profile, you need to post your content manually. You can schedule it in advance, and the Meet Edgar app will send you a push notification to remind you when it’s time to post.
6. Swipe Up Links On Instagram Stories
Another perk of the business ig account is that you can include links in your Instagram stories. Great news if you want to include visiting your website as your call to action. You need more than 10k followers for this feature to be activated.
Who Needs a Business Instagram Account?
Anyone using an Instagram marketing strategy should consider a business account, even if you’re only trying to improve your organic reach.
In particular, retailers and service providers will benefit from creating an Instagram business account.
Influencers, freelancers, and artists might consider using a Creator account, depending on their needs. Wait, what? There are more types of Instagram accounts?
Instagram Business Account vs. Instagram Creator Account
In addition to personal and business accounts, Instagram has one more profile type — creator. The creator profile falls somewhere between the personal account and the Instagram business profile.
The primary benefits of a creator profile are:
Audience insights (past seven days only)
Streamlined inbox (separate personal from general)
Optional contact information button
Business accounts offer more analytics, but the creator account has more flexible profile options.
You can set up a creator profile to include a contact button and creator type, or you can remove this information so your profile looks like a personal account.
The added flexibility makes the creator account attractive to some influencers and public figures.
Bottom Line
If you’re already using Instagram as part of a monetization strategy, you should use a business profile. However, if you want audience insights without the business contact options, use a creator profile.
How To Create an Instagram Business Account
Want to know how to switch to business account on Instagram? If you already have an Instagram account and want to change it to a business profile, it’s free and easy.
Follow these steps to set up your business account.
Log in to the Instagram app
Select the Main Menu in the top right corner of your profile
Tap Settings
Select Account
Tap Switch to Professional Account
Select Business
(Optional) Connect to your Facebook Business Page
Enter the contact information for your business
Tap Done
But how to change Instagram to business account on desktop? Don’t worry; it’s the same process as above. Just bear in mind that Instagram is a mobile app, so the desktop experience may not be as smooth.
You may be wondering how to get rid of a business account on Instagram. If you decide the business account isn’t working for you and you preferred a personal account, you can always switch back. How to switch to personal account on Instagram? Follow the same process as above except when you click ‘switch account type’ choose ‘personal account. ’
There is also an option to delete your account permanently, should you prefer.
Tips for Creating an Amazing Instagram Business Profile
Changing your account type to a business profile is simple. But creating a compelling business profile requires thought and effort.
Don’t Ignore Your Bio
Your Instagram bio tells users who you are and what your business has to offer. Think about your target audience when crafting your bio. It should be:
Informative
Concise
Written in the style and tone of your brand
Use a High-Quality Profile Image
Like your bio, your profile should represent your brand. Most businesses use their logo or some variation of it. Remember, profile images are small on Instagram. Choose a high-resolution image that allows you to zoom in on your logo without getting blurry.
Create a Style Guide for Your Brand
The best business accounts have a coherent look and feel to the entire profile. Create a style guide for your account so your brand shines through at first glance.
Your brand’s style guide should include:
A color palette
Rules for fonts
Post templates
Post Consistently
You’ll get the most out of your Instagram Insights if you post consistently. Choose a cadence that works for your team and stick to it. If you’re genuinely trying to grow your Instagram presence, we recommend finding a social media scheduling tool to help manage your content calendar.
Final Thoughts: How To Choose the Best Instagram Profile Type for You
With three profile types, Instagram has flexible options for every kind of user. Choosing the right account depends primarily on your Instagram goals.
Instagram business profiles maximize growth potential for businesses, retailers, and service providers. With premium features, you can turn Instagram into a powerhouse marketing channel.
To learn more about social media management software that empowers your digital marketing strategy, explore MeetEdgar’s features today.
How to Switch to an Instagram Business Profile + 10 Benefits
How do you know I’m serious about sharing information about setting up Instagram Business accounts? I had “Taking Care of Business” playing in my head the entire time I was writing this article and didn’t even complain once.
Yes, it’s annoying to have Canadian legends Bachman Turner Overdrive essentially living in your brain.
Yes, some might call me “hero” for overcoming this distraction to get you all the gritty details about Instagram Business profile management and maintenance.
But I don’t need your pity or your praise. I just need you, my Instagram-using brethren, to have the facts to make an informed decision about Instagram business profiles.
So don’t let my earworm-suffering be for nothing. Read on to learn which type of Instagram account is best for you, and whether you’ll be taking care of a business account (every day, every way) in the near future. 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.
10 benefits of an Instagram business profile
On the surface, an Instagram business profile seems like it’s an exclusive club, but really, anyone can join up.
It’s free to have an Instagram business account, and there are no specific requirements in terms of followers or content.
But if you need 10 reasons why you should consider giving it a whirl, good news: I am just itching to do a countdown here.
1. Your Instagram bio gets an upgrade
Instagram Business profiles look slightly different from a standard personal account.
Instead of just a brief description and URL, business accounts also have the chance to add an identifying industry label if they choose (like “Clothing Brand” or “Hairstylist”).
Source: @BirdsofNa
Business profiles also feature contact information. Add your email address, a phone number and a business address to help followers connect with you outside of the app.
Finally, business profiles have a call to action button — a place to prompt followers to “reserve” or “call us. ” Want some help brainstorming a compelling CTA for social? We’ve got our helpful how-to guide right here.
2. You can schedule posts
With the help of a third-party scheduling app like Hootsuite, Instagram business accounts can actually plan and schedule posts in advance. Get the full run-down on how to schedule posts for Instagram here.
A little planning goes a long way to create a consistent schedule that engages your audience — not to mention it’s going to save your social media team some serious time. (Perhaps they’ll finally get a chance to hone their recorder skills? )
3. Access to Instagram insights
Knowledge is power, they say. In that case, Business Profiles are the most powerful of them all: they’re brimming with data thanks to the Insights function.
With Insights, you’ll get a deep breakdown of profile views, reach, impressions and clicks, plus demographic and activity information about your audience.
For example, looking at my own reach from the past week, I can see that my “fans” (a. k. a. my mom) were extremely active on Instagram on Wednesday. Good to know for future mom-centric content!
But in all seriousness, these metrics offer an incredible opportunity to analyze your profile’s performance and success. For more information on how to make Insights work for you, check out our Instagram analytics guide here.
4. Set up an Instagram Shop
Instagram Shops are a newer offering from Instagram, and only Business or Creator accounts have access to this feature. Ooh la la!
With Shops, you can upload a product catalog, tag your goods, and (in some cases) even process sales directly in the app.
Take a cue from this vintage boutique, and finally make your credenzas internet famous.
Source: @fabpadvintage
Here’s more information about how to set up your Instagram shop and get that product flying off the digital shelves.
5. Access advertising options
Want to give your message a bit of a boost? Business accounts have access to Instagram’s advertising options. (Dive deep into our guide to Instagram ads here. )
Plan a campaign of posts or stories to drive traffic or conversions, build your following or spread brand awareness…just like this company that is constantly encouraging me to buy its anti-odor cream. (What are you trying to say?! )
Source:
6. Create quick replies
Business accounts have access to a feature called “Quick Replies. ” Essentially, this enables you to create standardized responses and connect them to a shortcut word.
With this tool, customer service can more efficiently help users with frequently asked Qs. Just type in the shortcut word, and your autoreply will pop up.
This trick will save you time to work on your actual business, for example, carving sculptures out of ham, as seen in this very realistic and inspiring example below.
7. Approve branded content tags
Users with business accounts can restrict strangers from tagging your account as “branded content. ” It’s a way to shut down any false endorsements out there, or people who might be using your name inappropriately, without permission.
To set up branded content approvals, just open your profile. Tap the menu button, then settings, then business, then “branded content approvals. ” Here, you’ll be able to toggle “Require Approvals. ”
You can also create a list here of “Approved Accounts”—these are partners who are able to tag your account without explicit approval every time.
I just approved Kettle Chips to tag me any time they want, as an example for this article… but also as a way of putting my dream of being a chip influencer out into the universe. This could be the start of a beautiful partnership, though at this point in time I do realize they may not “know” or “care” who I “am. ” A girl can dream!
8. Add links to Instagram stories
Business accounts with 10, 000 followers have access to Instagram’s most highly coveted feature: links! Glorious links! (Though only in your Stories, but let’s focus on the positive here. )
Once you reach that audience sweet spot, you’ll be able to add in one URL to any Instagram story. Users will have the option to swipe up to open the link.
Congratulations on this newfound Instagram superpower, you business boss, you!
9. Manage your messages better
With an Instagram business account, your DM inbox gets sorted into three different categories, which can help you sort through large volumes of messages that may come your way.
You’ll find one section for “requests, ” another for “general” messages, and yet another for “primary” ones.
I’m hoping they add a category for “love connections” and “fan art” in the future but for now, these distinctions should allow your brand plenty of wiggle room to keep on top of your correspondence.
10. Gives your profile some gravitas
Yes, anyone can create a business Instagram account — it’s free, and you don’t need to even prove that you have an official registered business.
Nevertheless, having a business account still helps make your brand look serious and professional. Get the list of secret shortcuts Hootsuite’s own social media team uses to create thumb-stopping content.
Download now
Source: @smashcomedyfest
Instagram business profile vs. personal profile. vs. creator profile
Here’s how personal, creator, and business Instagram profiles are different.
Personal profile: This is the default profile you receive when you register for Instagram. You can set this type of profile to “private, ” and link it to multiple Facebook pages. You unfortunately don’t have access to analytics or advertising features with this style of account.
Creator profile: Designed for influencers, content producers or public figures, a creator profile has access to audience insights and Instagram’s Shops feature. Posts can be scheduled with Facebook’s Creator Studio (though not with third-party scheduling tools like Hootsuite. ) Creators can also add labels to their profiles, to identify them as a blogger, an athlete, a musician, or other specific titles.
Business profile: Business profiles are the best option for brands or companies selling products or services, because of all the reasons listed in the previous section: great advertising options, the opportunity to add links, the ability to schedule posts, access to insights and analytics, and more. The main downside is that business profiles cannot be set to private… but you want the world to see what you have to say, don’t you?
Access to advertisingAccess to InsightsAbility to schedule postsAbility to post shoppable contentMore robust profile detailsLinks to multiple Facebook accountsCan set account to private
BusinessYesYesYes, with Hootsuite or Facebook’s Creator StudioYesYesNoNo
CreatorYesYes (some)Only with Facebook’s Creator StudioYesYesNoNo
PersonalNoNoYes, with mobile notification workflow on HootsuiteNoNoYesYes
How to switch to an Instagram business profile
Ready to take the leap into a business profile? Here’s your step-by-step guide.
Hot tip: before you get started, your profile should be set to “public. ” Private accounts are unable to be converted into business accounts.
1. Open up your Instagram profile, and select the menu at the top right corner (the icon of three horizontal lines).
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Account.
4. Tap Switch to professional account.
a descriptor for your business — whether that’s a grocery store, an artist, a band, or a clothing brand. You’ll have the option to display this on your profile or not.
6. If you’ve selected a category that may be considered a business, you’ll be presented with the option to self-identify as a business or a creator. Select business.
7. Review your contact information, which includes your phone number, physical address and email. These will be publicly visible on your profile, but you can edit or remove at any time.
8. Connect your Instagram account to your business’ Facebook Page and click Next. (Note that you’ll need admin access to the Facebook Page in order to do this. )
9. You’ll be prompted at this point to complete your profile, invite friends, and share photos and videos. Your business account is all set to go.
Congratulations! Your Instagram account is now officially open for business. But the work doesn’t stop here. Now it’s time to figure out a strategy for engagement, content and promotion… or if you’ve got a few minutes to spare, singing a few bars of “Taking Care of Business” with me.
Check out Hootsuite’s guide to mastering the art of Instagram for business here, and we’ll see you on the ‘gram soon.
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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Should you switch to an Instagram Business account? – Susanne Rieker
Should you have an Instagram business account or a personal one? This post is tackling one of the most popular questions I get about Instagram ever and that’s: “Should I switch to a business account or keep my personal account? ” and today I want to walk you through my personal experience, what I believe is the best option and what I see for the future in terms of using Instagram to promote our businesses.
Click here to learn how to set up your Instagram profile and here how to plan 1 month of social media updates (links open in a new tab).
Will switching to an Instagram business account impact your reach?
I still remember when Facebook pages where the new shiny thing and everybody spent crazy money, time and effort building up their fanbases. And back in the day, when you posted something on your page, your follower actually saw it!
Not the case anymore, as you might have realized. Now organic reach is nearly nonexistent, and Facebook wants you to pay for boosted posts or ads if you want your followers to see your updates. Which is fair enough, they are providing a free tool after all and they have to make money.
But guess what? Facebook owns Instagram! I expect the same thing to happen here and that Instagram will restrict posts from businesses to be seen by their followers more and more (I think we already see this happening). At the moment I’m 100% sure that if you keep a personal account, you have a bigger chance of your posts getting seen. Which is what it’s all about, right?
But what about the features that come with an Instagram business account?
There are definitely pros to switching to an Instagram business account, like:
You get insights and statistics about your followers. You also get data on impressions, reach, website clicks and can see viewer trends without leaving the app. And you get additional information about your posts and your stories and how they perform for free.
You have a contact button on your profile so people can get in touch easily. And when you’re a local business, you might also have the option to add your address or phone number.
You can schedule your posts with a tool like for example and it posts automatically on Instagram for you (when you have a personal account, you can still schedule your posts, but you will have to manually post them on your phone).
Ad creation is seamless with the promote feature and you can set up promotions directly in the app, similar to a boost on Facebook. If you have a personal account you can still set up ads, but you need a Facebook business page.
When you have more than 10k followers you can user the “swipe up” feature in stories and directly link your viewers to your website, for example to sign up.
These are all awesome features, right? So why aren’t all businesses making the switch to an Instagram business account?
Again, the biggest factor is reach. Instagram limits the amount of what is seen of business posts in the feeds with the help of their algorithm more and more. I already see this in my feed and find it really annoying. I see all the (sometimes pretty boring) posts of my friends on both Instagram and Facebook (seriously, can’t they tell I’ve already seen the 10 new baby photos from cousin Laura on one platform? ), but posts from accounts I actually want to see are hidden or not shown at all. I’m really not a big fan of the algorithm, at all, but I guess there’s no turning back. It is what it is.
Another consideration might be that you’re feeling like you lose that personal touch when you switch to an Instagram business account. There aren’t any glaring differences between personal and business accounts for your followers, but it might feel different to YOU and that will impact how you communicate.
While the contact button that comes with an Instagram business account is nice to have, I don’t think it’s necessary. Not many people are actually going to visit your website, book your retreat or buy from you from Instagram directly.
I would focus on having a call to action in your bio and adding a direct link to your website, like I do here for example:
Lastly, the analytics are really nice, but not important enough to make me switch to a business account. If analytics are important for you, at the moment you still can get some data through (mostly paid for) app like PLANN. This might change as Instagram is restricting third-party apps to use their new API, which is designed exclusively for business accounts. By next year this should be the case for all official Instagram partners and services, and personal accounts will not be able to access any analytics or scheduling platforms anymore.
So, should you switch from a personal to a business account?
It’s entirely up to you! There’s no one-size-fits-all for this question. If you’re a business that doesn’t have a face behind your brand, or you want to sell directly from your feed, switching to an Instagram business account might be the right way to go for you. But if you’re a personal brand or business, I would seriously consider keeping a personal profile.
Here’s what I’m doing:
I have a business account (@happyyogatravels) where I have over 3. 700 followers and I’m going to keep it that way because it’s not my personal brand.
My other account @susannerieker I just started at the end of 2018 and I plan to stay on a personal account as long as it’s possible. I only have a few hundred followers at the moment, but my engagement is really high and I plan to keep that up. I also want to keep the human aspect and personality of my brand.
I believe personal it’s where it’s at and I want people to connect with me as a person before they get in touch with my products or services.
Lastly, a warning: if you signed up for a business account and switch back to a personal account, Instagram might still keep you tagged as a business. You’ll have to experiment here and track your results.
Do you have a personal or a business account on Instagram? Have you switched and seen changes in your reach and engagement? Hop over to our Facebook group and share your account and experiences!
Frequently Asked Questions about what is an instagram professional account
Is Instagram professional account free?
Yes, anyone can create a business Instagram account — it’s free, and you don’t need to even prove that you have an official registered business. Nevertheless, having a business account still helps make your brand look serious and professional.Dec 3, 2020
Should I switch to a professional account on Instagram?
There are definitely pros to switching to an Instagram business account, like: You get insights and statistics about your followers. You also get data on impressions, reach, website clicks and can see viewer trends without leaving the app.May 10, 2020
How can you tell if someone has a professional Instagram account?
How will I know if another Instagram account is a Business…They have their Business Type listed directly under the name of their account. This info is pulled in from their Facebook Business Page. … They have the ‘Email’, ‘Directions’, or ‘Call’ buttons on their profile. … They have the new ‘Shop’ button!