Instagram offers business profiles on their platform and we recommend any company looking to reach out to their customers make the transition if their profile is currently set as a personal account.
For businesses that already have an existing Instagram account, admins for the page will be able to convert it to the business profile through the settings tab.
Instagram’s business pages include a more robust bio that can include a website URL, street address, and directions for the location. The page also includes a contact button beside the profile photo that can be programmed to allow customers to either call or email businesses straight from their Instagram page.
Once a business profile is added, business page owners will have access to a mobile ad tool that will allow them to convert their organic posts into sponsored ads within the app itself. To learn more about marketing on Instagram, click here.
As with Facebook, any boosted posts can be targeted to a specific audience for a specified length of time. Businesses can test market a post for free and if there is a lot of engagement, easily turn it into an ad.
Instagram also allows business accounts to moderate comments and block comments with words or phrases often reported as offensive from appearing on your posts.
Business accounts also offer insights that can help you understand who is engaging with your business. Admins will now be able to quickly view details on their most popular posts as well as data such as reach, impressions and total engagement for each post. For businesses that are also looking for more information on their followers, Instagram will also provide user details including gender, age, and location. There is also a Professional Dashboard, where you can track your performance, access and discover professional tools, and explore educational information curated by Instagram. All analytics are available on mobile only at first, but this may change later.
Why don’t I have the switch to business button on my account
When you go into your personal Instagram settings under “Blocked Users” do you see a “Switch to Business Profile” option?
Hello,
I have been trying to switch my personal instagram account to business but each time I click the facebook page I want to use. It keeps saying page already linked to an instagram account. How do I rectify this problem thanks
When you go to that Facebook page’s settings, is there already an Instagram account or profile associated with it? If so, you will have to remove that first.
Hi Jim,
I am unable to see the option from where I can switch my profile into business profile. Why is that not showing to me?
Please suggest.
Thanks,
My Instagram advert said I don’t have permission.. I should contact the Page admin and I am the page admin.what should I do?
I have a business page on facebook and connected it to my instagram. My instagram business account was doing so good for like a month getting many likes and comments a post. Ranging from 40 likes to 100 likes a post. Recently insta asked me to input phone number again and I did. Next post I tried entering only got maybe 4 likes from people who follwed me but on my insights it showed interaction as far as view and reaches. Its been like this ever since. I reached out to insta and facebook and no response. I don’t understand why it is being like this…please help if you can…
Hi Teresa,
Thanks for the question. We have not heard of anyone experiencing the same issue that you’ve described. We’re not sure how adding your phone number would change those analytics. The only recommendation we would make is to try reaching out to Instagram and Facebook again.
Sorry we could not be more help.
Jim
Hey, all. I have a personal Instagram account but where the videos show a gear icon, I have three dots in a vertical row. I don’t see an option to convert this account to a business account. Is it only available on some platforms? I’m on an Android system.
Hi,
Thanks for the question. The gear icon should be in the top right hand corner of your Instagram homepage, whether you are on Android or any other mobile device. If you are still not seeing it, another suggestion would be to ensure you have the latest Instagram update.
Beyond that, we suggest reaching out directly to Instagram to determine why that option isn’t available to you.
Take care,
Jim
Hello, I have a small question. I see that updating my instagram business category must be done over the facebook page, however, after updating it, my instagram is still displaying the old, outdated business category. Does this usually take some time to be edited? Thank you.
Hi Shallom,
Thanks for the question. From our experience, once you update the information on the Facebook account, your connected Instagram account should have that same information within minutes.
Our suggestion would be to ensure that the changes made on the Facebook account have been saved. As well, ensure the Facebook account and the Instagram account have been connected first before making the changes.
Take care,
Jim
i need you help guys, i am using insta business account i want to change back to person account the Facebook page i was using is blocked despite the effort to contact Facebook they haven’t re open it for me. is there a way of changing it back personal account?
Hi gline,
Thanks for the question. The standard way to convert your Instagram account back to a personal one is by going to the options section of your page (the wheel icon in the top righthand corner), scroll down to the “Switch Back to Personal Account” and click that in order to convert it back.
If you’ve already tried that and it didn’t work because of the issue you mentioned, scroll further down on the options page to “Linked Accounts” (in the settings section). Try disconnecting the Facebook account that has been blocked and then re-trying the option mentioned earlier. If that doesn’t work either, you may need to contact Facebook directly.
Hope this helps.
Jim
I’m having an issue turning my page into a business page. It keeps saying the FB business page and the Instagram page are already connected, but then doesn’t let me use the business tools. Any idea what I can do?
I have a personal instagram and my parter created another one but personal as well for our business, it is already linked to our facebook business page but now we want to turn that page into a business page and when it comes the time to select the facebook account it says it couldnt find the page or that we dont have admin priviledges but we do, we are both admins, can someone help with this. Thank you
Hi Emily,
Your best bet may be to connect with Instagram Help directly to determine why you are experiencing that issue. You can reach them through this link https://www.facebook.com/business/help/897631030335607.
Sorry we couldn’t be of more help,
Jim
I had a personal Instagram account that I never used, so I used that to create an Instagram for a business I work for – I had to enter an email address for the business, but my email address was already being used for my main/personal Instagram account, so in researching online I found that I could use my personal email address with a “+” in the address before the @ symbol, and that did work. So anytime I used the app on my iPhone, it opened as the business instagram and I could post photos.
Sometime in the last week, however, the app switched back to my personal instagram account, and I can no longer get to the business instagram. I’ve tried logging out and back in, I deleted the app and reinstalled, I tried “switch to business profile” which allows me to see my other facebook accounts (including the business facebook page), but when I click on it, I get an error saying “This page is already connected to a business profile”.
I typed the business instagram url into a web browser and tried to log in that way, but it only allows me to enter the username for my personal instagram – which theoretically should allow me to access the business instagram, but does not.
Any idea what happened, and how to fix this? I even tried to just change all my profile info and turn it into the business instagram, but of course I can’t have the same business profile name. Which is how our customers would find us on instagram. How can I fix this?
Hi Kirsten,
According to Facebook, you are able to switch back and forth between personal and business. However, any insights data gained while in business mode (e.g., impressions, reach) will be lost for good once switched over to personal mode. Once you switch back to business mode, you will start getting that insight data back for any new posts.
To switch your business profile back to personal, go to the “Options” section of your Instagram homepage on mobile. You can find that section by pressing the gear icon in the top right hand corner. The choice to make the switch can be found halfway down the page.
Take care,
Jim
Hi Jim,
I have an Etsy shop and have the shop on vacation. Is it possible to switch back to non business mode for now then back to business mode when I re open my shop? Thanks
Hi Leke,
If I understand your question correctly, you are converting over your page from personal to business? If so, you should not lose any of your current followers.
Hope this helps,
Jim
Hello Jim,
i am about opening a Facebook business page for my business and i am worried if i switch my personal to business i would lose my current followers who in turn have been my loyal clients.Currently,i have a business page but linked to my personal account.Please advise.Thank you.
Leke
Same here! Spent hours trying to figure this out. I am an admin on my Facebook page which is currently linked to my IG but when I try to switch to a business account a message keeps saying I don’t have a FB page. So weird! Hoping it’s a glitch that will be fixed soon.
Hi Lori,
First thing I would check is to ensure you are the admin of that business’s Facebook page. If you are already an admin, the issue may be that Instagram hasn’t yet fully rolled out their business profile yet. It should be available by the end of 2016.
Beyond that, you may want to contact Facebook directly to determine if there is another issue preventing you from being able to do the conversion.
Hope this helps,
Jim
I have the same problem as Joseph here above me :/
Hi Tiina,
As I just mentioned to Joseph above, the first thing I would check is to ensure you are the admin of that business’s Facebook page. If your role is editor or lower, you will not be able to make the change.
If that is not the problem, the issue may be that Instagram hasn’t yet fully rolled out their business profile yet. It should be available by the end of 2016.
Beyond that, you may want to contact Facebook directly to determine if there is another issue preventing you from being able to do the conversion.
Hope this helps,
Jim
I go through all of the steps, but it tells me I have NO pages. I am an admin on 3 pages plus I have a personal one. Help?!
Hi Joseph,
First thing I would check is to ensure you are the admin of that business’s Facebook page. If your role is editor or lower, you will not be able to make the change.
If that is not the problem, the issue may be that Instagram hasn’t yet fully rolled out their business profile yet. It should be available by the end of 2016.
Beyond that, you may want to contact Facebook directly to determine if there is another issue preventing you from being able to do the conversion.
Hope this helps,
Jim
How can I fill in the “other” field on my Instagram bio? I want to add an industry, but it won’t let me change it from “other”. I want to change it to say spa/beauty/personal care.
Hi Emily,
Instagram will pull the information from your businesses’s Facebook page. Check to see if the industry field has been filled out on the Facebook page first. If it hasn’t, be sure to add it there first. Once done, that field will automatically be filled out on the Instagram page.
Take care,
Jim
I just switch from personal to business, A lot of my pictures are not on the business. Is there a way to move them over?
Hi Teri,
Were these pictures that were on the account when it was personal that didn’t move over when you switched it to business? Or are they ones that you just want to move to that business account?
If it is the latter, your only option would be to post those pictures on the new account however you would not be able to carry over any of the likes or comments the original post would have had.
Take care,
Jim
I have a facebook page but still s=don’r seem to be able to convert to a business instagram account. Why?
Hi Marni,
There is no release date for the Instagram business profile option but it should be available in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand in the “coming months” with a worldwide rollout by the end of 2016.
Take care,
Jen