How to Switch to an Instagram Business Account

Now that social media has become such an integral part of our day-to-day lives, businesses have a huge selection of platforms to choose from when planning marketing campaigns. With over 600 million users worldwide, Instagram is rapidly becoming one of the most used social media platforms available. At just a click of a button users can take, edit and upload photos and videos directly from their phones - sharing them with millions of people in the process.

After the roll out of Instagram's advertising options, they've now added even more tools to help businesses get the most out of their Instagram account. Business profiles now have the option to promote their posts, add a contact button to their profile and view valuable analytical data on their posts.

Any Instagram account can access these features quickly and easily by switching from a personal account to a business profile within the Instagram app - all Instagram accounts start as a personal account.

To switch to a business profile, go to settings (the three dots in the top right corner of your profile) and scroll down to the account section. Select the "Switch to Business Profile" option and click continue.

Next, choose a Facebook page to connect your Instagram account to - to do this, make sure you have admin rights to the Facebook page you're wanting to use. Instagram will use contact information from your Facebook account to populate the contact fields for your Instagram business profile, but you'll have the chance to check and edit this in case you notice any errors. When you're happy with the details for your profile, make sure to save your changes.

Now that you've set up your business profile you'll see that a new "Contact" button will be in place on your profile; allowing users to easily get in touch with you. Clicking this will show options to call or email you, or get directions to your business.

You'll also now have the Instagram insights button in the top corner of your profile. This will show you data on how each of your posts are performing, however it'll only show data on posts which are made after you switch to a business profile.

If at any point you decide that a business profile isn't for you, you can switch straight back to a personal account by going into your account settings. Remember though, if you switch back to a personal account you'll lose access to the analytic data for your posts.

Listing your business on a large variety of social media platforms is not only a great way to reach more potential customers, but is also an effective way of creating a brand personality and encouraging engagement.