Creating your account is best done on a mobile device, as Instagram has been optimized for mobile usage. While you can still create your account on the desktop version of the platform, it may not be as easy as it can be, and sometimes, it can be more challenging to navigate, and there are fewer features available on the desktop version of Instagram.
So, to get started, you will want to go to the application feature on your cell phone and download Instagram from your app store.
Once the app has been downloaded, you can launch it and follow the on-screen process for creating your account, which will include inputting either your email or phone number and then choosing a password. Once you have done that, the following page will require you to choose a username for your account.
7 Steps to Create Your Instagram Business Account
1. Choosing Your Handle
The Instagram handle that you choose needs to be clear and easy to remember; otherwise, your audience may not be able to find you again once they leave your account. Also, you want to make sure that the moment people see your username, they can make some form of a clear connection between who you are and what your company does; otherwise, they may not be tempted to click onto your profile page.
In general, most brands will use their company names for their handles, as this makes it easy for you to be found on Instagram. For example, Nike, Adidas, Walmart, and Nordstrom all use their brand names for their usernames on social media platforms, as this makes it straightforward for them to be located.
If you are a personal brand, you may need to change the way you approach your social media to ensure that you can be located and recognized by social media users. Generally, personal brands will continue to follow the same rule of thumb as other brands, which is using their names as their usernames.
For example, Kendall Jenner’s username is simply @kendalljenner, making it easier for her to be discovered online. There are, however, some exceptions to this rule of thumb when you are creating a personal brand online.
For example, if you are someone who has a long, challenging name or one that has multiple spelling, using it for your username will likely result in not being located online. In this case, you can use a nickname as your username and then use the same nickname everywhere online, or you can use an easier spelling of your name.
For example, Nicki Minaj’s real name is Onika Tanya Maraj, but this would be difficult to remember and spell; therefore, she branded herself as Nicki Minaj. This makes it easier for her fans to locate her online or anywhere they may seek her out, which makes her brand both memorable and simple. When you create your username, refrain from using odd spelling, usernames that are similar to what has already been used online, or special characters or numbers.
Unless your character or number is a part of your brand name, attempting to make your username unique by adding these characters will instead make it more challenging for you to be located by the users you wish to connect to.
Remember, this is how people are going to look you up, and this is the name that people are going to remember you by. If you want people to recall you and locate you easily, you need to create both a username and a brand that people will remember. After you have created your username, you will be taken to the main screen where you can begin navigating the application.
Here, you continue to fill out a few more parts of your profile before you begin interacting with anyone on the platform. You do not want to be putting in work to connect with your target audience if your profile is still not developed enough for people to identify you. This ensures that no connection is a missed connection.
2. Crafting the Perfect Bio
Once you have created your username, the following thing that you are going to need to write is your bio. On Instagram, your bio can be up to 150 characters in length and can include links to other profiles and hashtags that may be relevant to your brand. Your bio allows people to know who you are and what you are about, though you can also use it to leverage sales and market your business through your profile.
Using your bio wisely is the best way to ensure that you can use it to increase your memorability, as well as the amount of interaction that people will have in following you and supporting your brand. When it comes to writing a bio that will help you make sales, there are three things that you need to focus on: catchy content, being informative, and promotions.
You want your bio to be catchy enough that people are interested in actually reading it. It also has to be informative so that people can get a feel of who you are and what your company is about, and it can be promotional so that people are more likely to click on the link that you can provide for them.
Typically, complete sentences are frowned upon in bios unless you are using a single short sentence, so refrain from using anything too excessive or wordy. In most bios, rather than using sentences, people share lists of their interests or what their brand is all about. Writing your bio properly is essential, so be sure to take the time to identify what is going to work for you and your brand.
The best way to get a good feel for what will work for your unique brand is to go to the pages of other brands in your niche and read through their bios so that you can see what works and what does not.
Take a look at the bios of those who are successful versus the bios of those who have not yet accumulated a large following and try to see any trends or differences that seem to set the two apart. You want to be emulating successful brands, of course, so attempt to recreate trends that they are using in their bios through your bio but more authentically so that it resonates with your brand and your unique target audience.
In addition to writing your bio, you will also want to share the link to your website so that people can see more about who you are and have the opportunity to shop online if you have an online storefront.
If you have many links that you would like to share with people, consider using a service, such as the Link Tree, which allows you to create a professional, personally branded landing page that has buttons to the various websites you want to direct your audience to.
If you are marketing multiple things on your accounts, such as a freebie offer, your signature offer, and the opportunity to follow you elsewhere online, these different links can make it easier for you to direct your audience around to your services or other accounts.
Regardless of how you choose to structure your link, make sure that you do provide one so that people can click it and get a deeper feel of who you are and what you have to offer. The following are great bios that can be used for your brand.
Of course, you will need to adapt your bio to suit your unique brand or niche, but these will give you a great starting point to get a feel of what works and what sells when it comes to bios.
- A gourmet cheese company, “Gourmet Cheese:” The Right Wine. A Great Party. Need We Say More? #linkinthebio”
- A fashion blogger: “23 // Fashion // NYC // Lattes and Lipstick. Shop my outfits at the link below!”
- A life coach: “Chasing goals, living big, enjoying life. Live your best life – check out the link below!”
- A jewelry company: “Diamonds for every occasion. #Linkinthebio”
- A local limo company: “Ride in style for less – Vancouver/Calgary/Toronto.
Learn more about how to make your Instagram Bio attractive.
3. Uploading Your Profile Picture
Your profile is going to require a picture as well, which will provide your audience with the opportunity to visually see who you are and begin to make the connection between your name and your image.
When it comes to making branded accounts, you have two options with your profile picture: upload an image of your logo or upload an image of yourself. Whatever you choose will depend on what type of company you are running and which image you want people to remember.
For most companies, the logo will suffice as this is the easiest way to begin building brand recognition through your business. As people come to associate your logo and username with each other, they will also come to recognize your logo and identify it anywhere else where they may spot it.
This can be huge for brand recognition, which is why if you are running a company, your logo is the only thing that your profile picture should be. Make sure that you upload a high-resolution image and that it fits perfectly in the profile image circle so that your logo can be seen. If it is blurry or hard to understand, people may skip over it because they are unsure as to what is that.
If you are branding yourself, you may prefer to use an image of your face rather than an image of your logo as personal brands typically seek to inspire brand recognition through facial recognition. Make sure that you use a clear photo that accurately reflects your brand so that it makes sense with the overall image that you are attempting to create. For example, if you are a travel blogger, use a picture of you with a great outdoor backdrop that will help people make the connection.
If you are a real estate agent, have an image of you smiling in front of a home or a blank wall so that you have the emphasis on yourself and your influence as a salesperson. Do not use selfies, poor quality images, or images that seem out of place in this space as this can result in people feeling confused around your brand, which can lead to fewer followers and, therefore, fewer sales.
You should be leveraging every single aspect of your page to create one uniform image that accurately reflects your brand image.
Make sure that you never leave your profile image empty, as people will not trust or interact with companies that have not yet uploaded profile images. Refrain from communicating with anyone until this has been done, as most people who see profiles without images will assume that these profiles are either scammers or not yet interesting enough to pay attention.
The profiles with attractive, clean, and high-quality profile images that look enticing are the ones that end up getting followers, so wait until you have filled this in before engaging with people’s content or following anyone’s profile.
4. Adjust The Instagram Settings
Instagram is optimal for businesses, which is why so many micro-brands are using it to connect with their audiences. On Instagram, there are a variety of necessary settings that you should adjust to ensure that your profile is ready to support a growing brand.
This way, you can get the most out of the platform. There are four things that you need to do when you launch a branded account that should be done right away.
These are switching to a business account (so that you can run paid advertisements), adjusting your privacy settings, turning on two-factor authentication, and changing your story-sharing settings.
5. Switching to a Business Account
Switching your account to a business account is simple. You do so by going to the settings for your account, which can be located at the top right corner of the homepage. See those three lines? Just click that. From there, go to the “Account” option and tap “Switch to Business Account.”
If you do not already have one, Instagram will help you quickly set up a Facebook page that your Instagram business account will be linked to.
This step is necessary, even if you do not plan on using a Facebook page, as it will allow you to engage in certain exclusive business activities on Instagram. Among these include tagging products in your photographs, running paid promotions, and setting an address or location for your business on Instagram if you have one.
Once you have switched to having a business account, Instagram will also give you access to crucial analytical information.
This information will ensure that you can track your success through monitoring the progress of posts, watching your follower growth, and even get a clear outline as to who your demographic is and whether or not you are effectively reaching the right people through the platform.
This makes the business features on Instagram even more valuable. While a business account is not necessary for running a business on Instagram, if you desire to get any traction and build your business account on Instagram, you will want to have access to all of the exclusive business features that they offer.
6. Adjusting the Privacy Settings
On Instagram, specific privacy settings can be used to limit who can see your account and what can be seen or done on your account. You are going to want to go in and make sure that any privacy settings which may be turned “on” are turned “off” to ensure that your privacy settings are not hiding any part of your account.
Make sure that people can comment on your photos and share your posts, follow you, and message you back through your stories so that people can engage with your profile in as many different ways as possible.
Keeping your account private in any way can lead to people not being able to engage with you, which can reduce people’s desire to follow you. Remember that one of the main reasons that people are on social media is to build relationships with others. You need to be available for the relationship-building process!
7. Set Two-Factor Authentication
Having a two-factor authentication is necessary for anyone who wants to run a business online, as it ensures that people cannot hack your account, steal your followers, and block you from it. Getting your account stolen can also create havoc on your brand image if the hacker’s intentions include just that.
Two-Factor authentication will require you to approve of all new logins, either through your phone number or email address. This means that if anyone attempts to log into your account remotely so that they can hack you, they will not be able to get in without your code.
You can enable two-factor authentication by going back to your settings menu, tapping “Privacy and Security,” and then tapping “two-factor authentication.” There, you will be walked through the process of verifying either your phone number or an email address that can be used to make your account more secure.
If you do ever receive a request to log in, but you have not attempted to log in on a new browser, it is essential that you immediately change your password on Instagram. If you have received the code, this is proof that someone has identified what your password is and has successfully logged into your account.
Of course, they will be stuck in the login process since they do not have your verification code to complete the two-factor authentication login, but this still means that your account has been compromised.
By changing your password, you can ensure that no one can somehow hack into your account and begin compromising your business through Instagram.