Forward-thinking businesses should be working on expanding and diversifying their digital engagement across every channel possible. When it comes to showcasing products and services, connecting with audiences, and humanizing brands, Instagram is the social media platform of choice.

We all know the eye-watering figure about how many active monthly users there are on Instagram (over two billion), so a lack of presence on Instagram is a lost chance to connect with a huge part of your audience.

In this article, we will explore what Instagram for business can offer you, how to set up your account, and get you started with some great tips and ideas to keep your content fresh.

How to set up your Instagram business account

Want to set up an Instagram business account? Follow these easy steps:

If you don’t have one already, start by setting up your Instagram account — if you do, skip this step.

Step 1: 

Create your Instagram business account:

1. Download the Instagram app for iOS, Android, or Windows
2. Open the app, and click on the option to sign up.
3. Input your email address. Using an admin email is best if multiple users will access the account. Alternatively, you can choose the option to log in with Facebook.
4. Choose your username and password. Use your company name. However, if this is already taken, you’ll have to pick an alternative that works for your business.
5. Fill in your profile information — you only have a few lines to capture the essence of what you are about and what you stand for.

Step 2:

Switch your profile to a business account:

1. Go to your personal profile and click the menu button.

2. Click the settings button, which looks like this. Choose the option to switch to a professional account
3. If you can’t see this, click ‘Account’ from the settings dropdown menu.
4. Select to switch to a professional account from there.
5. Click ‘Continue.’
6. Choose a business category for your business and click ‘Done.’
7. Click ‘OK.’
8. Click ‘Business.’
9. Click ‘Next.’
10. Add the contact details for your business. If you don’t want to add contact information, simply select the option ‘don't use my contact info’ to move on.

You can also connect your Facebook Page. Doing so will give you access to all of the features for businesses across the Facebook family of apps.
With a business account on Instagram, you can access a detailed analytics page. Audience insights will show you who is engaging with your business on Instagram and what they are saying about it.

 

Is an Instagram business account free?

Yes, Instagram for business is free. With all the tools and features available to help attract new customers and build a more substantial online presence, signing up for the platform is a no-brainer.

Ideas for your Instagram business account posts

Here are some useful post ideas that can be incorporated into your content and social media strategy as well:

• Convert more customers by using product tags. Product tags enable businesses to provide more details about a product and encourage viewers to buy.
• Create snazzy product posts using photos. In a 2019 survey, marketers reported that photo ads was the most effective format on Instagram.
• Create captivating Instagram reels of your product in use in interesting scenarios. If done well, your reels will entertain and immerse your audience. You can also get creative with reels and tell your unique story, take a stand, or use them to educate your audience.
• Show life ‘behind the scenes.' Humanize your business by showing customers what happens day to day in your business.
• Repost user-generated content. User-generated content is any content created by another user on the platform that mentions or is relevant to your brand.
• Share victories and present new products. Be proud of what you’ve achieved — share your business milestones, talk about upcoming events, or reveal new products in the pipeline too.
• Create an Instagram contest or giveaway. Everyone loves a freebie! Drive traffic and followers by hosting a contest or giveaway in exchange for following and reposting your content. (But do this in moderation in order to avoid diluting your audience.)
• Host a takeover. Partner with someone and allow them to take over your account for a short period. This can be useful to grow your follower base and cross-promote content. You can even ask employees outside the social team to share their mindset or experience at the company.
• Be charitable. People love feel-good brands, so get involved with your local community in some way and share the content.
• Post video tutorials. Post video tutorials to demonstrate how your products work and what improvements they’ll bring.
• Go live! Going live on Instagram can allow your followers to engage with you directly, ask and get answers to their questions in real time, and create a personal connection that can foster customer loyalty.

Lead geneartion is important but engaging with them and addressing their question in real-time is even more important to build your sales pipelines. To achieve this, your business requires a robust Customer Messaging Software that can use chatbots to help users with repeated queries, can transfer a chat to an agent when required and can also equip your agents with advanced tools and chat routing to help them be more productive.