Ok. Ok.
I’ll admit it…
One of the reasons people prefer Instagram to Facebook is that it’s so easy to set up.
It really takes less than 2 minutes to actually set up your account… in a way that’s functional.
BUT
If you’re going to grow your business through Instagram, you’re going to have to put some real thought into creating your account.
You can’t just make an account, slap a weird bio on it, and start posting.
If you are wanting to grow using Insta, you have to set up the account following a few extra steps that Instagram doesn’t necessarily show you.
And that’s what I wanna cover with you today.
Grab your Instagram app, and follow along with me.
Fundamentals
So first things first, before you can even make your Instagram account an effective tool for your business…
…you need to grasp a few fundamentals.
The first is that there are three types of Instagram profiles: a personal account, creator account and business account.
As the name implies, the Personal account is for people who don’t care about creating a business.
It’s an easy option for people who want to connect with friends and families and do nothing extra.
The good thing about this account is that it has all the features you love about Instagram— you can use reels, post on stories, watch videos on IGTV, link to multiple Facebook pages, set to private or public account, and even request for verification.
Now what you won’t be able to do is link contact details, monetize your account, or have any access to insight or analytics.
The next is the Creator account.
This account is a fairly new feature rolled out by Instagram and is the best account for influencers, public figures, and all kinds of content creators.
It’s kind of like an improvement on the personal account because it has more features, but at the same time, it doesn’t have the same level of features that come with a Business account. You can, however, link a Personal account to multiple Facebook pages.
And lastly, we have the Business account.
The Business account is very closely related to the Personal account but with a business dimension.
The great thing about Business accounts is that they help make your business look professional and trustworthy.
A Business profile is also great because it helps you grow your business community on Instagram rather than organically.
The features of a Business account include the basic features of a Personal and Creator account, access to business-specific insights and analytics about your account and performance, relating to content, activity, audience, ability to run ads, and access to Instagram shopping, which allows you to tag products in your posts.
You’ll also have access to video chat within DMs and be able to choose a category for your business.
However, for all its features, this sort of account does have two major differences.
The first is that it can only be public.
The second difference is that you can only link this account to a single Facebook account.
Long story short – you need to make sure you select the correct account type. You can select the account type under settings.
Your Bio
Next we need to chat about your bio. Every good bio has three elements.
The first is a descriptive title.
This title tells people what you do. For me, I’ve got a “Digital Marketing Expert.”
The second element is the promise.
The promise is like a concise elevator pitch that tells people viewing your profile what you can do for them and why they should follow you to learn more about that particular thing.
It’s about what value you can offer to the person viewing your profile.
Mine is simple.
I say, “I teach entrepreneurs how to scale through social media and simple automation techniques.”
And lastly, we have the call to action, which is the final element of any good bio.
The call to action, also called the CTA, tells the audience what to do next after reading through your bio.
So, give them something to do, whether to contact me now or look through my page.
What’s Next?
Now that you’ve got the fundamentals – how about creating the actual account? To find out how to get that started, tune into this week’s episode and I will walk you through it all.
BONUS: I’m going to share my top tip for harnessing the power of Instagram and Facebook together!
Click through for the goods!
