2024 Guide: Utilizing Instagram for Business Success

Hark! Behold the secrets of mastering Instagram for thy business — from the inception of thy account to the crafting of a victorious strategy.

Is thy business still but a humble "like" on Instagram’s path, instead of boldly venturing into the realm of its full potential? Cease thy endless scrolling and begin to plot and scheme.

If thou art perplexed on how to harness Instagram for business in the year 2024, fret not. Within this guide, we shall unveil the top strategies to fortify thy brand on this ever-changing platform.

How to set up Instagram for business in 4 steps

Using Instagram for business doth stray from the path of a personal account. But fear not, for it is not a feat of great complexity! Follow these four simple steps to hoist thy brand aloft on Instagram.

1. Switch to an Instagram business account
   Before embarking on thy business journey on Instagram, thou must first bestow upon thyself an Instagram account for business. ‘Tis free for all to partake.

   Aye, here’s how to transmute thine existing Instagram account into a business account:

   • From thy profile, tap the hamburger (three lines) menu icon in the upper-right corner.
   • Tap Settings and privacy. Then, take heed and scroll until you find the Account type and tools menu.
   • Next, click Switch to a professional account to metamorphose the account thou art logged into into an Instagram business account.
   • Tap Continue (and do so more than once, as Instagram presents the features of a professional account).
   • Select a Category and adjust the slider to reveal it on thy profile, then tap Done.
   • Opt for the Business option (unless the path of the Creator doth beckon to thee), and press Next.
   • Adjust the slider to receive or decline promotional emails from Instagram for professional accounts, then advance to the next stage.
   • Append or amend pertinent contact details, then utilize the slider to decide whether to display thy contact information on thy profile, and then tap Next (or opt to skip this step by selecting Don’t use my contact info).
   • Should thou wish to couple thy Instagram business account with a Facebook business page, follow the prompts to interlace thy account with thy Facebook Page. ‘Tis, perhaps, optional, but essential for utilizing Instagram shopping features or running ads on Instagram.
   • Subsequently, thou shalt be prompted to append additional features to thy account, such as declaring thy goals to Instagram, enhancing thy portfolio with details, and expanding thy audience. Should thou choose to postpone this task, tap the X in the top left corner to retreat to thine profile.

Should thine heart long for an Instagram account for business, simply embark on the journey of creating a new Instagram account, and convert it into an Instagram business account.

You can have up to five Instagram accounts, so proceed and maintain thy personal Instagram account personal if that is thy preference. Delve deeper into the disparity between Instagram business and creator accounts.

1. Add business information to thy bio
   In 150 characters or less, let thy Instagram bio paint a vivid picture of thy brand and infuse it with thy brand voice. We offer a comprehensive guide on sculpting an impactful Instagram bio for business (complete with templates), yet here is a brisk video to guide thee through the basics.

   Remember also to maximize the potential of other elements within thy Instagram business profile:

   • Profile pic: Most brands doth employ their logo. The profile photo appears as 110 x 110 pixels (encompassed within a circle), but it rests in storage at 320 x 320, thus that is the size thou should upload.
   • Link in bio: Direct thy audience to thy website, thy latest blog post, a prevailing campaign, or a Link Tree.
   • Contact information: Shouldst thou have omitted adding contact info during thy account creation, thou can rectify this at any time by tapping Edit profile. Thereupon, Instagram shall append a Contact button to thy profile.
   • Action buttons: Should it be relevant, add a button that enables customers to schedule or reserve appointments, or to place orders for nourishment. To employ this feature, thou must possess an account with one of Instagram’s partners. Tap Edit profile, then peruse downwards to Action Buttons.
   • Story highlights and covers: Instagram Story highlights offereth another avenue to optimize thy profile real estate by furnishing additional information about thy brand, products, or services. Arrange Stories into preserved collections, then impart a touch of elegance with Highlight covers.

2. Connect thy product catalog
   To flag products in Instagram content, or to orchestrate certain categories of Instagram ads, thou must construct a product catalog. This may be achieved within Meta’s Commerce Manager.

   • Journey to Commerce Manager and click Start Now, then opt for Create a catalog and select Get started once more.
   • Opt for Ecommerce, then click Next.
   • Should thine shop reside on an ecommerce platform such as Shopify or BigCommerce, select Connect to an ecommerce platform and proceed through the steps to forge thy catalog. If otherwise, select Upload product info, christen thy catalog, and click Next.
   • Open thy catalog by clicking View catalog, then Commence adding items to initiate the inclusion of products.

Should more depth be desired on navigating Commerce Manager, a complete post awaits to illuminate the workings of this tool.

1. Turn on Instagram shopping
   When thy catalog teems with products, ’tis time to activate Instagram’s shopping features.

   • Proceed to the Get started page.
   • Elect Get started.
   • Click Create a shop, thence Get started, and subsequently Next.
   • Review the pre-selected sales channels and append or subtract accounts as needs dictate.
   • Select the account/sales channel to which thou wishest to tether thy shop. Shouldst thou already vend on Shopify or another partner platform, adjust thy Checkout method to reflect this truth. Once all is arranged, hit Next.
   • Thereupon, elect the countries thou art willing to dispatch thy products to. Note that Instagram Shopping doth not extend its reach ubiquitously. Choose from the enumerated countries in the dropdown menu.
   • Insert thy business email. Herein shalt thou receive any correspondence concerning thy Instagram Shop.
   • Choose thy business portfolio or initiate a new one. Click Next.
   • Single out the catalog thou art eager to employ for thy shop and advance with Next. To designate a catalog, it must meet the eligibility criteria befitting shops. This decision, once made, cannot be altered. Note: Should a catalog be absent, this stage shall bypass thee.
   • Examine thy shop details, acquiesce to the Seller Agreement, and finalize the genesis of thy shop by selecting Finish setup.

Should thou aim to center thy focus on the realm of Instagram Shopping whilst traversing the path of using Instagram for business, seek out our informative blog post that dissects all thou should know about Instagram Shopping.

How to employ Instagram for business: 8 strategies

Standing out as a business amidst the throng on Instagram is akin to scaling a formidable Everest. Employ these Instagram for business insights to render thy journey smoother.

1. Research thine audience
   A sound social media strategy commences with a profound comprehension of thine audience.

   Instagram’s audience demographics furnish a panoramic view of the populace that frequents the platform. For instance, 18-34-year-olds reign as the preeminent ad audience on this domain.

   Nonetheless, this datum doth not imply that thy precise audience on Instagram shall mirror the 18-to-34-year-olds. For example, through perusing the audience insights of mine own Instagram account, I discern that my audience leans towards the elder spectrum in contrast to the Instagram norm:

   In such instances, take note of the demographics of thy audience across other social channels and amongst thy existing customer base. Though this comparison may not be a precise translation to Instagram, it shall proffer insight into who gravitates towards thy business and the message thou dost convey.

   Grasping thine audience’s inclinations positions thee favorably to fabricate targeted content and business captions for Instagram that resonate. Since audience research forms a pivotal cornerstone of thy content strategy, dive into our extensive post that elucidates the path to uncovering thy target market.

2. Determine thy content mix
   Having discovered the essence of thy audience, thou must now ascertain what to share with them. Instead of sporadically disseminating content as the whim strikes, fashion a content strategy that engages thy audience, propels them towards involvement, and aligns with genuine business objectives.

   Whilst ’tis prudent to intersperse promotional content to kindle excitement about thy products and foster sales, ’tis equally crucial to proffer content that forges community and kindles engagement.

   This may encompass embracing user-generated content or other curated resources, disseminating insider knowledge about thine industry, or partaking in a trending meme. (Yet tread with caution—embroil not thyself in trends that clash with thy brand voice.)

   Hunt for avenues to fashion themes or recurring installments that manifest as a series. "Content buckets" lend thee the ability to fulfill certain objectives without becoming ensnared in overthinking the creative process. The more foresight thou impart at the outset, the smoother thy progress in generating regular content and adapting to unforeseen or unplanned events.

3. Schedule thy content in advance
   From Reels to Stories to posts, Instagram proffers an array of options for content distribution.

   The added boon here lies in thy ability to craft content during defined blocks of time and schedule its release at the optimal moment for thy audience. Even if said moment resides beyond conventional business hours, perchance on the weekend, or amidst the nocturnal stillness.

4. Tag products
   When thou unveil content showcasing thy products on Instagram, tagging renders it effortless for individuals to learn more or make a purchase. Thou canst tag up to 20 products in a photo feed post.

   Source: Tory Burch

   To commence tagging products, create thy Instagram post or Reel as usual. Then, ere the final screen ere posting, tap Tag products. This enables thee to tag products from thine own shop or another’s, fostering opportunities for collaboration and mutual promotion.

   Within Stories, products can be tagged employing the Product link sticker.

   Source: Pat McGrath

5. Monitor thy results (and derive wisdom from triumphs and defeats)
   With an Instagram business account at thy disposal, thou dost possess access to the platform’s inbuilt analytics tools to aid thee in comprehending the performance of diverse content types.

   No matter the social media marketing tools thou dost utilize, the essence lies in inspecting regularly to discern which manner of content resonates most with thy target audience. A pattern shall emerge concerning which fosters the most engagement, as well as the types of social media content that expand viewership beyond thy extant follower base. (Hint: Venture into Instagram Reels.)

   Employ these insights to refine thy content strategy across time.

6. Regard Instagram as a channel for customer service
   Triumph upon Instagram mandates thy engagement with thy followers rather than merely dispatching content into the void and praying for approbation. An integral component of this exchange is the monitoring of thy DMs for queries, comments, and requests for customer service.

   Instagram business accounts boast a couple of DM features that streamline the management of customer service on the platform. Firstly, thy inbox is segregated into Primary and General tabs to ease thine navigation of messages. Secondly, thou art able to craft saved responses for frequently posed questions that can be accessed through keyboard shortcuts.

7. Automate content creation
   The mean Instagram business account bestows 1.55 posts daily upon the main feed.

   A plenitude of content indeed!

   Fortunately, the epoch of manual content creation hath waned. Presently, swifter content creation techniques such as copywriting and graphic design may be expedited with the guidance of generative AI tools.

   Always bear in mind, content birthed by AI ought to be perceived as a starting point, not a finished creation. Ensure thou dost scrutinize any AI-generated content for precision, brand voice, style, and tone ere unveiling it to the world.

8. Elevate thy grid aesthetics
   Behold how it unfolds:
   • Seamless planning: The visualization of thy grid layout hath been rendered simpatico like ne’er before. Through Instagram Grid, the ability to foresee how thy posts shall coalesce is bestowed upon thee, guaranteeing a harmonious and visually pleasing grid.
   • Drag-and-drop simplicity: Shouldst thou desire to rearrange thy grid, lo and behold! With the uncomplicated drag-and-drop functionality, thou may experiment with diverse layouts until thou dost alight upon the perfect configuration.
   • Scheduled posts: Bid adieu to last-minute panics. With Moyens I/O, thou canst schedule thine grid posts aforehand, ensuring its perpetuation in activity and engagement even during thy busiest hours.
   • Curate like a professional: Explore and curate exquisite content directly from the Moyens I/O dashboard. Whether ’tis user-generated content, AI-generated hashtag suggestions, or trending topics, we dost equip thee with the tools required to maintain thy grid fresh and pertinent.
   • Track thy success: Through Moyens I/O’s analytics dashboard, thou art equipped to monitor metrics of engagement and grasp what resonates with thine audience. Harness these insights to refine thy grid strategy and incite further engagement.