How to set up an Instagram account for your business…

Instagram is a thriving social media network and now has over an incredible 600 million monthly active users (source: Statista). Instagram offers an amazing marketing opportunity, as only 36% of marketers are using Instagram for business, compared to the 93% who use Facebook (source: selfstartr).

So, this gives you some idea of saturated and competitive Facebook & Twitter is, meaning that many businesses need to carry out PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising on these platforms. However, Instagram on the other hand, presents marketers with the opportunity to push through the clutter.
Therefore, following our last post ‘Instagram for Business?’ we have decided to give you a step by step guide on how to set your Instagram business account up, so you can take advantage of this popular social media channel. So let’s get started…

Setting up a Business Profile on Instagram

Before you create your Instagram business account, make sure you’ve defined how Instagram will serve your business. Instagram can support a range of business & marketing objectives, but to make it a true success, you will need to narrow your focus and have a plan in place. Remember, that all social media content should be of a high quality and consistent.

If you already have an Instagram account set up for your business, but it is a personal account, then then you’ll need to start from Step 4 of our instructions. If this is the case, when you switch to a business account, you can add more information to your profile, including opening hours, a business address or a phone number. You’ll also be able to do paid advertising and gain real-time insights into how well your posts and stories are performing, so it’s worth doing!

It only takes about 3 mins to set up an Instagram Business Profile:

• Step 1: Download and launch the app (iOS, Android and Windows).
• Step 2: Open it once it has been downloaded.
• Step 3: Tap “Sign up” and enter your email address or phone number to register. Alternatively, tap “Sign in” with Facebook. Choose your username and complete the registration. Then, sign into the Instagram app on your mobile device.
• Step 4: Visit your profile and tap the cog icon at the top right corner of your screen. Then, find the “Switch to Business Profile” option in the “Settings” list menu.
• Step 5: Tap “Continue” until you arrive at the “Connect the Facebook Page” screen.
• Step 6: Select the Facebook Page of your business to link it to your Instagram profile. Note that you’ll only see the pages you’re currently an admin of, and only Facebook Business Pages can be linked.
• Step 7: Fill out your profile, start posting and monitor the success of your posts with the analytics.

For a few hints and tips to get you started, visit our post ‘Instagram for Business?’. But please remember, if you need any support to get started, we’d be more than happy to chat with you and see how we could help. But when you do get going, don’t forget to follow us!