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Email marketing is one of the oldest and best tricks in the communication playbook, and newsletters are an excellent tool for brand awareness, audience engagement, and lead nurturing. But newsletter planning is challenging. Coming up with and delivering fresh ideas...
Nov 13, 2024
Instagram is a powerful marketing channel where users come to explore, connect, and often buy. But many businesses struggle to tap into the platform’s immense potential. You need to post consistently, maintain a steady flow of content ideas, and keep up with the latest trends and algorithm changes.
The good news? These challenges are manageable with the right approach.
So, let me show you why switching to a business profile is a game-changer, guide you through setting up your account, and explain how to schedule Instagram posts to maximize efficiency. Plus, I’ll share 10 practical tips for running a successful Instagram business profile.
Taking your brand to Instagram? Good call. A business account is your gateway to more than just likes — it’s about credibility, insights, and tools that turn followers into customers.
From analytics to ads and those game-changing CTA buttons, here’s why making the switch is worth the hassle (which is not really much of a hassle):
On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a cat. Legitimacy is a thing, and an Instagram business profile is the first block in the foundation of your followers’ trust.
Switching to an Instagram business account makes your company look more professional and trustworthy. It shows your followers that your account is official, with features like contact buttons and business categories that are not available on personal accounts.
If you want to go really big, you can take it a step further with the Meta Verified blue check. But that’s optional.
Analytics is the only way to know what works for you on social media platforms.
Personal accounts have no insights and are rarely compatible with third-party Instagram analytics tools. With an Instagram business account, you can access Instagram Insights — a native analytics tool that provides detailed performance stats like reach, engagement, and follower details.
This info helps you back your social media marketing strategy with data and grow strategically.
Instagram has 2 billion monthly users — that’s a lot of people you could potentially reach with your offer. A professional account lets you use Instagram advertising, tapping into this huge pool of new customers.
Whether you run ads through Meta Business Suite, Ads Manager, or by boosting a well-performing post, it allows you to reach more people beyond your existing followers.
You can target specific audiences, promote your best content, and advertise your products or services. This makes it easier to grow your brand and achieve your business goals.
70% of Instagram users use Instagram to look for their next purchase. The Instagram audience is ready to buy, and call-to-action buttons help them do it quickly and conveniently.
Unlike personal accounts, Instagram business profiles let you add call-to-action (CTA) buttons like ‘Send an Email’, ‘View Shop’, ‘Make a Reservation’, or ‘Order Food’ to your profile and Stories.
Call-to-action buttons encourage your followers to take quick actions, like contacting you or making a purchase. It’s an easy way to turn viewers into customers and boost sales.
With an average conversion rate of 1%, Instagram is not only a social media network but a solid marketing channel. Big brands and small businesses sell on Instagram, and they do so successfully.
But the more your followers hop around apps to make a purchase, the less likely they will go through with it. Professional accounts allow you to set up an Instagram shop right inside the app, so customers can browse and buy your products on the same platform.
This feature makes shopping easy and keeps customers engaged. You can tag products in posts and Instagram Stories and showcase them naturally in your Instagram feed.
Setting up an Instagram business account is simple and can be done in just a few steps.
If you already have a creator account or a personal account, you can easily switch to a business profile — just navigate to ‘Settings’, then to ‘Account’, and tap ‘Switch’ to change your account type.
And if you want to create a new Instagram business profile, follow this guide to get started:
Step 1: Create a new Instagram account
Open the Instagram app and tap ‘Sign Up’. Register with an email address, phone number, or link to your Facebook account. This will give you a new personal Instagram account.
Step 2: Complete your profile
Fill in your business name, set a username (preferably your business name or something related), and add a profile picture (like your logo).
Step 3: Switch account type
Go to your profile and press the three lines in the upper right corner. Tap ‘Settings’, then ‘Account’, and choose ‘Switch to Professional Account’.
Step 4: Choose business account and category
Select ‘Business’ when prompted to choose between ‘Business’ and ‘Creator’. Then, choose the category that best fits your business.
Step 5: Add business details
Fill in important business information like contact details, business address, and website link.
Step 6: Connect to a Facebook page
Link your Instagram account to a Facebook business page to run ads and get more insights.
Step 7: Optimize your profile
Add a bio, choose a call-to-action button, set up Instagram Story highlights to gather all the important info in one place, and start posting to make the most of your new business account!
The question of whether using Instagram for business is worth it is a no-brainer. The answer is yes: it’s a big, popular social media platform with lots of users who can potentially become your clients.
Use these ten business tips to run your Instagram profile like a pro, whether you’re a small business or a seasoned brand:
Being on social media just because everyone else is won’t bring results. Instagram is no different.
Approach your Instagram marketing strategy mindfully, starting by setting clear goals. Why are you on Instagram? What do you want to achieve? How does it fit into your overall marketing strategy?
Setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals for your Instagram account directs your content efforts. When your Instagram content is linked to clear goals, it’s easier to stay focused and ensure that every action contributes to your broader objectives.
Each goal will have a different type of content serving it and different ways to measure success. As Ryan T Williams, exited founder of KOMI Group and business coach, says:
Whether it’s building brand awareness, driving traffic to your website, generating leads, or engaging with your community, every post should contribute meaningfully to these objectives. When there’s purpose behind your social media presence, you can measure its effectiveness and ensure it’s making a positive impact on your business growth
You’re in it for the audience. To make the most out of using Instagram for business, take time to research your target audience. Learn how they use Instagram, what content brings the most engagement, and what trends are hot.
You want to create content that resonates in terms of topics, values, and formats. I asked Lauren Grubb, Social Media Specialist at StrategiQ, about the importance of knowing your audience and she emphasized:
The first thing you should do is audience research — both demographics and psychographics. Demographics look at factors such as age, income, and gender. Psychographics look at attitudes, values, and lifestyles.
Understanding your audience is not a one-time task, though. Instagram trends are constantly changing, the algorithm moves from sharing photos to prioritizing vertical videos — and your audience’s preferences are shifting, too. Make sure to regularly revisit your audience insights to tweak your content strategy.
Brand pillars define your brand’s core values and personality. Content pillars guide the topics and themes you’ll consistently cover.
Together, they form the social media aesthetic that helps you stand out in your niche. It’s the topical and visual consistency, with a pinch of personality, that makes you recognizable in the Instagram feed.
Content pillars are also a great help for brainstorming content, especially when inspiration runs low. Dominic Edmundson, Marketing Manager at AMRIT Restaurants Berlin, notes:
Content pillars are really useful when it comes to thinking of content ideas when you’re stuck. And remember, not everything needs to be directly about the product. Your audience doesn’t want the feeling of constantly being sold to.
Getting likes is cool. Converting those likes into paying customers is cooler, though.
That’s where Instagram SEO comes into play. Use keywords in Instagram captions and bios, along with a sound hashtag strategy, to ensure your content reaches users who are genuinely interested in your offerings.
Physical location is also super important. Emily Netherland, Growth Marketing Manager at exmox GmbH and Owner of Netherland Crafts, advises:
For businesses that sell their physical products in a variety of locations or work on a drop-ship or release basis, that information needs to be one of the first things in your bio. And if you’re posting about your products or new releases, state clearly in the caption where and when to buy. Eliminate as many clicks and virtual barriers as possible!
If businesses don’t optimize their presence to provide answers quickly and clearly, they lose potential customers. Be it your offer, location, business email, or prices, make it clear and visible for both your customers and algorithm.
Consistency is key, and I’ll never get tired of saying it.
The more you post, the more your business stays top of mind. An Instagram content calendar helps maintain a consistent flow of quality posts that keep your audience engaged. Planning ensures you know what to post on Instagram and when.
Matt Janaway, CEO of Marketing Labs, explains:
Develop a content calendar to plan posts that align with key business goals and customer interests. This not only saves time but ensures a steady stream of valuable content that drives engagement and supports business objectives.
But don’t let quantity beat quality. Settle for a regular posting schedule that allows you to stay active but still produce good content.
Content calendar view in Planable
Repurposing existing content is a huge time-saver. AI tools for social media can really lend you a helping hand here with recycling your ideas, captions, and visuals.
Instagram offers a bunch of content formats. Each serves a unique purpose while keeping a visual-first approach, so you can mix and match depending on your goals:
Creating and scheduling your content helps you save time and reduces the pressure. Logging into multiple accounts manually to post at specific times? It’s giving mental breakdown.
Scheduling Instagram Reels and posts in advance, on the other hand, is a total win — you can be sure your content goes live when your audience is most active.
Ryan T Williams advocates for video content:
Video not only grabs attention but also allows you to inject personality and authenticity into your message. It’s like bringing your brand to life instead of just showing it in still frames. People resonate with stories and emotions, and video is a powerful tool to convey both
The difference between a social media platform and, say, an article in a newspaper or a podcast recording is the direct line of feedback.
Users see your Instagram account as an opportunity to connect directly. So don’t just share content and ghost — respond to comments, participate in conversations, and answer your DMs. Engaging in a dialogue makes your followers feel valued and seen.
And who knows — it can even secure some user-generated content for your business profile!
Lauren Grubb highlights the importance of engagement:
You need to remember that the users have taken the time to engage with your content. If the business responds to comments, it gives users an incentive to post again and makes them feel more connected to the brand. I always advise businesses to check their social media every day for any comments or messages from users to ensure they’re being replied to in a timely manner.
There’s one more thing just as important as consistency — data.
Measuring the performance of your Instagram content helps you understand what resonates with your audience and what doesn’t. Your top-performing posts insights highlight trends that drive engagement and enable you to make informed decisions.
Instagram analytics in Planable
Asking yourself which new ideas to test, what to tweak, and what to drop? Data knows. Ask data.
Analyze Instagram statistics and review account performance to ensure your Instagram strategy evolves with your audience’s preferences.
When using Instagram for business, don’t sleep on ads.
Ads are not magic pills that replace your effort (or diminish it). The best way to apply them is as an extension of your most successful organic posts.
An Instagram post is working well? Reuse it and amplify the impact. Boosting your top-performing Instagram posts is a simple way to reach wider, untapped audiences. Matt Janaway explains:
Organic content is essential for building relationships and establishing brand identity, while paid campaigns can quickly increase exposure and drive specific actions, like sales or sign-ups. Start with a modest budget for targeted ads based on your most successful organic posts.
The right Instagram tools streamline your entire Instagram management process, allowing you to focus on what really matters — creating engaging content and connecting with your audience.
Planning and scheduling tools make your life 10x easier
That’s what Dominic Edmundson had to say. And I couldn’t agree more.
Such tools help with scheduling posts, managing your content plan, and tracking performance metrics. Dominic highlights:
Tools provide clarity on when you are posting and what themes you’re covering. The analytics of these tools also help you schedule your content when your audience is at their most engaged.
Since Instagram relies heavily on visual content, you’ll need a mix of tools to plan your Instagram posts, create and edit visual assets, and ensure smooth collaboration.
And I have just the tool in mind.
Approvals, planning, publishing, media library, and collaboration features in Planable
Visual planning, collaboration, content scheduling, easy approval… Yes, that’s Planable, alright.
Planable is a great tool for managing an Instagram business account. It makes things simple by letting you schedule Instagram posts, Reels, and Stories, plus content for seven other major social networks. Whether you are a big brand, a marketing agency, or a small business, Planable helps you manage multiple Instagram accounts and never bat an eye.
Instagram grid view in Planable
Planable works well with Canva, so you can easily create and import visuals for review and approval. You can also edit images and videos directly in Planable, making sure your content looks good before posting.
Image and video editing in Planable
The true star of the show in Planable is collaboration. Teams can work together on Instagram posts, and set up custom approval flows to keep everyone in the loop and align content with brand standards.
Collaboration on an Instagram post in Planable
The media library keeps all your visuals in one place, so they’re easy to find and use again. This is perfect for repurposing content across platforms. For example, if you want to repurpose TikTok videos over to Instagram, you’re able to store those videos and easily access them.
Media library in Planable
Here are more useful features:
Yes, Instagram business accounts are free to set up and use. However, if you choose to run ads, you’ll need a separate budget for advertising costs.
Yes, it’s definitely worth having a business account on Instagram, as it provides valuable tools for growing your brand, engaging with your audience, and gaining insights into your content performance. Instagram is one of the biggest social media platforms, with many engaged users ready to explore and buy.
The main difference is that Instagram accounts for business offer features like Instagram Insights, contact buttons, ads, and the ability to add a shop, which are not available for personal profiles.
Content marketer with a background in journalism; digital nomad, and tech geek. In love with blogs, storytelling, strategies, and old-school Instagram. If it can be written, I probably wrote it.
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