Instagram Account Types: Which One Is Right for Your Small Business?
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Instagram is an essential platform for small business owners, packed with tools to connect with audiences and grow your brand. However, with its ever-expanding features, navigating Instagram can feel overwhelming.
Instagram offers three account types - Personal, Business, and Creator
One of the first steps to success is choosing the right account type for your business and goals. Instagram offers three options - Personal, Business, and Creator - each with unique features.
Let’s break down the differences in this quick guide to help you choose the best fit for your needs and streamline your overall Instagram management.
Instagram Account Types
As mentioned, there are three account types: Personal, Business, and Creator. Business and Creator accounts are often grouped together as Professional accounts. All account types are free. Let’s go over them next.
1. Personal Instagram Account: Best for Casual Use
A Personal Instagram account is ideal for sharing personal updates, travel photos, or hobbies with friends and family. When you set up Instagram for the first time, it defaults to a Personal account. It’s also the only account type that can be made private.
Pros:
Easy to set up and use.
Access to Instagram’s basic features like Stories, Reels, and posts.
Cons:
No access to performance analytics or audience insights.
Limited tools for business growth - no ad management or in-app shopping features.
Best For: Individuals not using Instagram for business purposes and who value privacy and prefer not to use the platform for professional or promotional purposes.
2. Business Instagram Account: Built for Brands
A Business Instagram account is designed for businesses of all sizes, making it an excellent choice for small business owners and entrepreneurs. It offers features to help brands market their products, engage with their audience, and measure performance effectively.
Features and Benefits:
Analytics (Insights): Track performance metrics like reach, engagement, and audience demographics.
Contact Options: Add “Contact,” “Call,” or “Email” buttons to your profile.
Shopping Features: Use Instagram Shopping to tag products in posts and Stories.
Ad Management: Run and manage Instagram ad campaigns.
Best For: Small business owners aiming to increase visibility, engage with customers, and sell products or services.
3. Creator Instagram Account: Ideal for Influencers
A Creator Instagram account is tailored for influencers, public figures, and content creators focused on personal branding and collaborations.
Features and Benefits:
Advanced Messaging: Categorize direct messages into Primary, General, and Requests.
Content Insights: Access tools designed to analyze engagement and follower growth.
Music Library: Unlike Business, Creator has access to full music library
Collaboration Tools: Manage partnerships and sponsored posts.
Best For: Entrepreneurs or creators prioritizing personal branding, partnerships, or influencer marketing.
What’s the Difference Between Business and Creator Accounts?
The difference between the two Instagram professional account types is minimal. As of now, the main distinction lies in the music available for your posts, stories, and reels. While both Business and Creator accounts offer many shared features, their primary focus is what sets them apart.
The main difference:
Business Account: Designed for companies that sell products or services, offering features like Instagram Shopping, ad tools, and contact buttons. A business account will only be able to use commercially available audio.
Creator Account: Geared toward individuals building a personal brand, with tools for audience growth and managing collaborations. A creator account will have access to the full music library.
For most small businesses, a Business account is the best choice due to its robust marketing tools.
How to Choose the Right Instagram Account Type
Selecting the account type that best fits to you depends on your goals.
Main consideration of the goals:
Selling products/services or running a local business? Choose a Business account.
Creating content or managing collaborations? Opt for a Creator account.
Using Instagram casually or testing the waters? Stick with a Personal account for now. If you’re planning to start a business, you can easily switch to a Business account when ready.
Remember, you can always switch account types anytime as your needs evolve.
How to Change Your Account Type on Instagram
Switching your Instagram account type is simple and free, and you can move between account types at any time. Please note that the steps below may vary slightly depending on your phone's operating system (Android or iOS) and model.
To switch the account type:
Open Instagram and go to your Profile and tap the Menu icon (three lines).
Depending on the account type you currently have, select Business Tools and Controls, Creator Tools and Controls or Account Types and Tools.
Then switch the desired account type (Personal, Business, or Creator).
Tip: If you're using or planning to use scheduling tools, they typically allow you to switch your account type during the Instagram setup process. Let's talk about that next ;-)
Simplify Instagram Management with a Scheduling Tool
Managing an Instagram account, regardless of its type, can be time-consuming. Fortunately, social media scheduling apps streamline the process, making it easier to plan, manage, and publish content efficiently.
While your Instagram account type determines the features available, effective content management often requires robust scheduling tools. Personal accounts face significant limitations with third-party apps, so opting for a Professional account (Business or Creator) is ideal for seamless post management and publishing.
Effective Instagram content management often requires robust scheduling tools
Previously, connecting a Facebook page to Instagram - a complex process - was required for smooth scheduling. However, Instagram has since improved its integration, and tools like Hookle now offer streamlined Instagram management without requiring Facebook.
Hookle’s AI-powered platform lets you manage all your social media channels from a single dashboard. Features like smart scheduling optimize posting times, while the content calendar helps you plan and oversee posts across platforms with ease.
Don’t just take our word for it - try Hookle for free today and simplify your Instagram management!
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