Instagram Personal vs Business Account: Which to Choose?

Just over six years ago, Instagram gave users the option to convert their personal accounts into their newly introduced business accounts. Since then, Instagram for Business has exploded. However, many people have chosen to stick with their personal accounts, even when they’re also business owners.

Should you choose a business or personal Instagram account? Here are some things to consider before you make that choice:

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An Instagram for Business Account

One of the primary reasons that people choose business accounts is to access the range of tools available on the platform. These allow brands to power up their Instagram marketing efforts. Here are some of those features:

Analytics

Instagram offers analytics tools to business account users. If you have an Instagram for Business account, you can track metrics such as your click-through rate, identify which posts are performing best, and learn more about the demographics of the people who are engaging with your posts.

Paid Advertising

Instagram offers businesses a variety of advertising options. However, you must have a business account before you can access these. Make sure to understand the Instagram video specs before diving head first into the ad platform.

Contact Details

Business owners can include contact information as part of their profile. This info may include your business phone number, address, email, and even directions to your location. Your information can help customers connect with your business, and it may increase trust by creating a sense of validity.

Links in Instagram Stories

If you have a business account and at least 10K followers, you can include external links in your Instagram stories. You can use this feature to guide audience members to campaign landing pages or lead capture forms.

Another Reason to Choose a Business Account for Instagram

The tools and resources available to business users are certainly plenty of motivation to create a business account. However, for many people, there’s an additional reason.

If you have an active, personal social media presence that you would like to keep entirely separate from your business presence, you should strongly consider using a business account. This approach will allow you to maintain separate business and personal connections.

A Personal Instagram Account

At first, it might seem as if this decision should be quite simple. If you have a business, wouldn’t you want a business account on Instagram? Maybe, but there are some benefits to maintaining a personal account instead.

The Ability to Connect with Multiple Facebook Pages

If you use a Business Instagram account, you can only connect that to one Facebook profile. However, you can link back to several Facebook pages with a personal account.

Potential Concerns with Organic Reach

Creating a business account can absolutely give you access to paid advertising options. That’s quite valuable for many brands. However, there is some indication that switching to a business IG could have a negative impact on your organic reach.

This impact may be due to the fact that people simply prefer interacting with individuals, particularly people they know personally. Also, if your follower count increases after you move to a business account, that will likely lower your organic reach. Still, if your business plans rely on organic reach, this is something to consider.

There’s a Personal Connection Between You and Your Business

The nature of your business, and your role in that business, is also an important consideration here. Are you:

• A solopreneur?
• Someone who has a very public connection to your business?
• An entrepreneur with a strong personal brand?
• Comfortable integrating your personal and business social media?
• Counting on your personal reputation to build business relationships online?

If you are interested in engaging with customers and other business partners on a personal level, then a personal Instagram might be the best choice.

Here’s a simple test: Google your business name. When you do, are you finding that people are discussing your company or that they are discussing you? If it’s the latter, your business and personal brands have a strong link. You might find that a personal IG helps you engage with customers on that personal level.

Instagram Marketing Strategy Is Key

There are clearly good reasons to pursue a business account and to stick with a personal Instagram. Just be clear that no matter which one you choose, your Instagram success depends on several factors.

The chances are that your brand isn’t going to succeed or fail based on this single decision. Instead, your Instagram presence is going to depend largely on your ability to create a marketing strategy that allows you to earn engagement and use the platform to achieve your business objectives.