Ever since announcing Instagram Business Profiles in 2016, brands have asked, “should I switch to an Instagram Business Profile or keep my personal account?”

For a lot of Dallas / Fort Worth organizations, converting their account was an easy decision. In fact, there are over 25 million business profiles across Instagram connected at the moment.

However, some DFW businesses are on the fence because they’re concerned about how it will affect their profile and whether or not they’ll see a drop in engagement after switching.

We get it. With all the news about Facebook’s algorithm prioritizing content from friends and families over brands, you can’t help but wonder if Instagram is going to be affected too.

However, all the evidence suggests that switching to a business account will only help your business.

Here are 6 reasons you should convert your Instagram to a business account and how to do it.

1. Getting found

Before business profiles were rolled out, the only way followers could engage 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.

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.

You can also add links to your Instagram stories. Instagram is now letting all business  accounts with 10,000 or more followers add links to Instagram Stories.

Before, this feature was only available to verified Instagram accounts. If you want to know how absolutely crucial Instagram stories are for your small business, check out our post on it by clicking here.

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 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 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.

3. Instagram Business Profiles Can Grow Their Reach with Promoted Posts & Instagram Ads

As you’ve probably already noticed, ads have become a big part of your feed as Instagram becomes more and more of a “pay to play” platform. An IG business profile gives you access to promoted posts and IG ads, providing you with tools to grow your reach and engagement.

Instagram ads use the same powerful advertising tools as Facebook, so you can set up, run, and track campaigns the same way you do with Facebook ads.

According to a recent report, 75% of IG users take action, such as visiting a website or making a purchase, after looking at an IG ad.

If you haven’t already gotten started with ads, it’s definitely worth considering adding them to your Instagram marketing strategy this year.

This year, it will become a lot harder to achieve high engagement without any paid support or strategy.

If you want to stay ahead of the game, now’s the time to really start learning how to optimize your Instagram marketing with paid advertising.

Curious about how to properly use hashtags and filters to cultivate your businesses corporate presence? Click here to read our article on how to do just that.

4. Grow Your Overall Engagement by Using All of Instagram’s Features

Switching to a business profile will also unlock more features which you can use to boost your overall engagement.

Instagram continues to roll out new features every few months, giving users fun new ways to connect with their audiences. By utilizing these new tools, you can grow your engagement and help make sure your posts are seen.

By switching to an Instagram business profile, you’ll be sure to have access to the latest and greatest Instagram has to offer.

Make sure to always keep an eye out for updates and always experiment with new features.

Not only will you grow your reach, but it will also keep you one step ahead of the trends and competition.

If you’re a small business in the Mckinney, Frisco, or Plano area looking to boost your social media presence, Luce Media is here to help. We can ensure you are getting the most engagement out of your Instagram and other social media accounts.

Still wondering if you should switch to an Instagram business profile? Find out with our handy flowchart:

Have we convinced you to make the switch your Instagram account over to a business profile?

Here’s how to do it! Setting up an Instagram business profile is easy!

Ready to make the switch? Setting up an Instagram business profile is easy!

Here’s how to do it:

• Go to your profile and tap the “gear” icon
• Tap “Switch to Business Profile”
• Select the Facebook Page that you’d like to connect to your Instagram business profile. If you don’t see your business’ Facebook Page as an option, make sure that you’re listed as an admin in the settings menu. Once the correct Facebook Page appears, select it and tap “Next.”
• On the “Set Up Your Business Profile” page, review your business’s contact information, including your phone number, physical address, and email. Once everything looks good, tap “Done” to save your Instagram business profile settings.

 

To get more information on Social Media Marketing in McKinney and other communities in DFW, please call  (469) 907-1057 or send us a note at our website.  To find out how we can teach you and your employees to deliver on social media marketing, read more here. Luce Media has deep expertise in Digital Marketing, B2B Marketing, Internet Marketing and is a well-established Digital Media Consultant in McKinney, TX and we are here to help.

Stay up to date with changes to creating a business profile here.