How to set up an Instagram business account

What does a business account give you?

• Insights: see how many people your posts reach, your followers' age and city, and when they're most active.
• Contact buttons: add email, phone and directions buttons to your profile.
• A category label: a category such as "Clothing store" or "Café" appears under your name so visitors know what you do.
• Official app connections: posting and scheduling tools can connect to your account through Instagram's official method.
• Ads: you can promote posts if you want to. This is optional.

Switching doesn't change your followers, posts or username.

Business account or creator account?

Instagram has two kinds of professional account:

• Business account: for shops, brands, cafés and service providers. Contact details and sales tools take centre stage.
• Creator account: for people creating content under their own name, designers and educators. It offers more flexible profile settings and content-focused Insights.

Both provide Insights and work with official posting tools. If you sell a product or service, a business account usually fits better. You can change your mind later.

Step by step: switching to a business account

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
2. Tap the three-line menu in the top right.
3. Go to "Account type and tools". (In some versions it appears as "Business tools and controls" under "Settings and privacy".)
4. Tap "Switch to professional account".
5. Pick the category that suits you best. Type a word like "jewellery", "bakery" or "boutique" in the search box. Choose whether to show the category on your profile.
6. Choose "Business" as the account type.
7. Review your contact details. Adding email, phone and address is optional; each one appears as a button on your profile.
8. You may be offered a step to connect a Facebook Page. You can skip it now and do it later.
9. Tap "Done". You'll now see a "Professional dashboard" on your profile.

What if my account is private?

Professional accounts can't be private. If your account is private, it becomes public when you switch. This matters if you use your personal account for business: you may want to review old personal posts. Opening a separate business account is the cleanest way to keep personal and business posts apart.

Set up your profile for business

1. Profile photo: use your logo or a clear photo that represents your products. It must be readable in a small circle.
2. Name field: your shop name plus, optionally, a keyword: "Ayse Ceramics | Handmade Mugs". This field also helps in Instagram search.
3. Bio: say what you sell, to whom and how to order, in 150 characters. Example: "Hand-shaped ceramic mugs and plates. Shipping nationwide. DM to order."
4. Link: your website, marketplace shop or an order form.
5. Highlights: titles like "New in", "Ordering", "Shipping" and "Reviews".

First things to do after switching

• Insights can take a few days to fill in; don't worry if charts are empty in the first week.
• Use the method in best time to post on Instagram to learn when your followers are active.
• Plan a week of posts. If you're stuck, start with Instagram post ideas for small businesses.
• To auto-post, connect your account to a tool through the official connection. Steps are in how to auto-post to Instagram.
• Get your image sizes right from the first post with Instagram post sizes.

Common mistakes

• Picking the wrong category: the category shows on your profile and can mislead visitors. Choose the one that best describes what you do.
• Leaving the bio empty: if a visitor can't tell what you sell in a few seconds, they leave.
• Mixing personal and business content: holiday photos and product posts in the same feed confuse customers.
• Sharing your password with tools: no tool using the official connection asks for your password. A service that does puts your account at risk.

Keep your account secure

Turn on two-factor authentication in Instagram's Accounts Centre, use a unique password, and review connected apps from time to time. If someone helps manage your account, give them access through Instagram's own tools rather than sharing your login. A business account is part of your shop; losing it means losing customers and history.

Connecting with Vitrin

Once your business account is ready, connect Instagram in Vitrin and create your first post. The connection happens on Instagram's own login screen; Vitrin never sees your password, and you can remove the connection whenever you like.

Frequently asked questions