Creating Your Instagram Profile

Why Use Instagram?

Instagram is a free photo and video sharing app available on iPhone and Android. You can upload photos or videos of your builds and share them with people following you. You can also view, comment and like posts shared by colleagues, suppliers and your local community on Instagram.

An Instagram business account offers some extra perks that you won’t find with a standard personal or influencer account. Features like analytics, in-app purchasing, advertising, and external links can help take your brand to the next level.

Not to mention: one in two people use Instagram to find new products, services, and companies. Instagram is one of the biggest players when it comes to promoting your brand, building a loyal following, and reaching your growth goals for your business.

And fortunately, creating an Instagram business profile is simple. You can have your own shiny new business account in just a few minutes. Let’s take a look at creating one and some tips to help you get the most out of it.

Types of Instagram profiles

Instagram business accounts are just one type of account you can create Overall, Instagram allows users to create three types of accounts:

• Personal account. Most Instagram users have personal accounts, which don’t offer advertising or analytics features.
• Business account. This account suits brands who want to access ads, schedule posts, gain deep insights, and share links. 
• Creator account. Content products and influencers who want Instagram Shop features and audience insights can make a creator account. 

There are two main ways to create an Instagram business account:

• Switch your pre-existing personal profile to a business profile.
• Create a new one from scratch.

Many businesses prefer to start from scratch—unless they have a strong following, they want to carry over to their branded account.

How to create an Instagram business account

Once you’ve decided which route you want to take, it’s time to make it happen. Here are the steps for each of the two approaches we discussed in the previous section.

1. Switch from a personal account

Log in to your Instagram account on desktop or mobile. Navigate to Settings:

• To find Settings on desktop, click the menu that says “More” at the bottom left of your screen (the “hamburger menu” with three stacked horizontal lines—looks like a hamburger, right?). Settings should be the first item in the list.

• To find Settings on mobile, click your profile photo icon at the bottom left, then click the hamburger menu on the top right. Settings should be the first item in the list.
• Once you’re in settings, find the blue link that says “Switch to professional account.”

On desktop, this link will be at the bottom of the list after clicking Settings.

• On mobile, there’s one extra step. Click Account in the first dropdown list, then you’ll find “Switch to professional account” at the bottom of this list.

You’ll then be asked a couple of questions:

• Whether you’re best described as a Creator or a Business – You are a business
• Which category best suits your brand – Construction Industry
• Select Instagram business account category – Professional

2. Create a new account from scratch

Go to Instagram.com or download the mobile app. Click the “Sign Up” button, fill in your details, and you’re good to go. Keep in mind that, at this stage, it’s a personal account just like everyone else’s. From this point, you’ll switch the account the same way you did in step one.

Start by making sure your username is recognizable and easily searchable, like your business name. If your business name is already taken as a username, try keeping your business name as the first part of your username so that people searching for your business are more likely to come across your account. Things to keep in mind when you post on your business account

Ask yourself:

• Who am I posting for?
• Who is my core audience?
• What are their biggest pain points?
• How can I ease the pain points?
• What type of content do they want to see?

Next Lesson:  Profile Elements