Instagram is rocking it so this is great news! With a Business Profile and its new features, Instagram can work even better for your business and help you stand out, get insights and find new customers.
That’s why I recommend using Instagram and changing your personal profile to a business profile today to get more leverage for your business.
While Instagram is still predominantly teen focused, usage with older demographics is catching up fast, and is a target, focused market (see latest stats at the end).
It’s very easy to change your personal profile to a business profile! Follow these steps:
1. Go to your profile and tap 
2. Tap Switch to Business Profile.
3. On the Connect Your Facebook Page screen, you’ll see all of the Facebook Pages you’re currently an admin on. Select the Page you’d like to associate with your Business Profile on Instagram.
4. On the Set Up Your Business Profile page, review your business’s contact information, make any changes and tap Done.
That’s it!
With a business profile, you’ll get access to new business features and Instagram Insights:
1. CONTACT Button
The ‘Contact’ button will appear next to the Following button in the profile information section of the page. Upon clicking the button, users will have the option to get in touch with the business by calling or emailing, or get directions to their location. The ‘Location’ tag will be displayed underneath the current website link on a business page and when tapped, will open up a map showing the business location and enable users to get directions from their current location.
2. Insights
Insights on Instagram give businesses actionable information about who their followers are and which posts resonate better than others—all from within the mobile app. By learning more about the behavior and demographics of your audience, you can create more relevant and timely content.
Insights will feature metrics like top posts, reach, impressions and engagement around posts, as well as more data on your followers like their gender, age, and location.
Instagram business users will be able to identify where their followers are from, even going as deep as the city they’re in. This will be incredibly valuable for marketers, especially when it comes to figuring out when to post content to their profiles to maximize reach and engagement. The new Insights will also show you the most popular times of day your followers are using Instagram.
3. Promote
Since Facebook overtook the app, it’s now easy to advertise on Instagram and sharing photos has become necessary to gain steady followers.
The ability to promote lets you turn well-performing posts into ads right within the app—helping you connect with even more customers.
Simply pick a post you’ve already shared on Instagram and add a button encouraging people to take action. You can select a target audience or allow Instagram to suggest targeting for you. After that, your post will be promoted as an ad for any length of time you choose.
So, how do you get noticed?
It’s important to look at your analytics, this helps you find the best time to post.
Using hashtags, posting at the right time, and taking beautiful photos are just some of the ways to get your followers engaged and to grow your audience organically.
Posting often, with intention, helps you to continue to increase engagement.
Insta Stats & Facts:
- Users:
- 500 million monthly active Instagram users as of June 2016 up from 400 million in September 2015. The app is one of the most popular social networks worldwide. [Statista.com]
- Instagram counted 77.6 million users in the US in 2015 with the greatest share of traffic to Instagram (23.94%) was from the U.S. (Source)
- Nearly 30% of the total U.S. population use Instagram
- Predicted:
- Monthly US Instagram users are expected to reach 111.6 million by 2019.
- More than one-third of mobile phone users (89.4 million Americans) will be on Instagram at least once a month in 2016. By 2017, an estimated 51.8% of social network users will use Instagram. (Source)
Graph courtesy of mediakixi
- Demographics:
- 28% of adult internet users used Instagram in 2015, up from 26% in September 2014 (Source)
- 55% of young adults (ages 18–29) used Instagram in 2015, compared with 37%
- 52% of teens use Instagram.
- There is a fairly even gender split between Instagram users: 51% male/49% female.
Instagram business tools are just some of the new ways Instagram hopes to make growing a business on the platform much easier. Business profiles, insights and the ability to promote posts will be rolling out in the US, Australia and New Zealand in the coming months, and will be available in all regions globally by the end of the year.
PS: And did you notice that you can now ZOOM in on photos…
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