Meet the new Instagram // Built for business

Meet the new Instagram // Built for business

Instagram has been hearing your company’s wish list — and making it come true. Just a few months ago, the platform added the ability to switch between multiple accounts. That change was just the start.

Brace yourself: Instagram is unleashing a whole new slew of tools and features for businesses.

Most excitingly, your brand can create a specific business profile. With that huge change, your brand will be able to connect and convert followers in a whole new way.

Let’s meet the new business-friendly version of Instagram. Read on to learn how to take advantage of the additions to better stand out, track your successes and discover new customers on Instagram.

New business profiles

It’s about time! Now, you can finally differentiate your business page from personal profiles.

You may be prompted to switch your account to a business profile. If not, in the “Options” menu, click “Account Settings” and find the “Switch to Business Account.” It’s that easy.

Then, your business can reap the benefits of the business profiles. Here are the biggest advantages:

Contact button: Right next to the “Follow” button at the top of your profile, you’ll see a “Contact” button. You can have users call, text or email you through that feature. Wondering how much of an impact that small button could have? Click-to-call buttons have about a 70 percent use rate on other platforms. Meaning, contact buttons like this one can lead to a 200 percent increase in conversions, according to Flight Media.

Business categories: You can now add a business category to your page, making it easier for those browsing to instantly learn what you do. Plus, this will help new users discover your brand.

Improved location: If you have a physical store, you can input your address. Then, when users click this, directions will pop up on their mobile device. Now, that’s an easy way to drive foot traffic.

Amped-up analytics

Once you have a business profile, you unlock Instagram’s new Insights. To reveal this exciting, new data, click on the graph icon on your profile page.

With the new Insights, your business can discover:

• How many impressions, or views, each post got
• Number of new followers per week
• Where your followers are located (both by country and by city)
• What time of day and what days of the week your followers are most active
• Gender of followers
• Age range of followers

Promoted posts

For better or for worse, it will also be easier for your brand to promote successful posts. In a single click, you can transform an old photo into a promoted post. Plus, you can target who will see these promoted posts.

These will function the same as sponsored posts on your Facebook feed. As you already know, the pricing system for those is complicated.

Emma Fitzpatrick is a freelance writer and marketer, whose specialties include content marketing, social marketing and short, snappy writing. Pick her brain more at emma.l.fitzpatrick@gmail.com.