Instagram Business Account: How to Set One Up and Use It

An Instagram business account is a free professional profile for brands. It adds Insights (your audience and post statistics), contact and action buttons, a business category on your profile and the option to run ads. You can switch any personal account to a business account in Settings in a minute, and switch back if you change your mind.

What is an Instagram business account?

Instagram has three account types: personal, creator and business. Creator and business accounts are both "professional" accounts. A business account is the one built for shops, services, venues and brands.

Instagram for business gives you:

• Insights: reach, engagement, follower growth and when your followers are online
• Contact and action buttons: call, email, directions, and options such as Book or Order where your tools support them
• A business category under your name, so people know what you do at a glance
• Ads and boosted posts, managed in the app or in Meta's ad tools
• Meta Business Suite, Meta's free tool for scheduling posts and answering messages from Facebook and Instagram in one place

Instagram business accounts can't be set to private. If you want a private profile, it has to stay personal.

How do you create an Instagram business account?

To create a business account on Instagram, you start with a normal account, then switch it to business. Here's how to create a business instagram account from the app:

1. Sign up for Instagram with your business email and choose a username that matches your business name.
2. Go to your profile and tap the menu (three lines) at the top right.
3. Open Settings and activity, then Account type and tools.
4. Tap Switch to professional account, pick the category closest to what you do, and choose Business.
5. Add your contact details, address (if customers visit you) and a link to your website.

That's how to create instagram business account settings from scratch. Linking a Facebook page is optional, but it lets you manage both in Meta Business Suite and run ads across both apps.

How do you switch to a business account on Instagram?

If you already have a personal account with followers, follow steps 2 to 5 above. Your posts and followers stay, and Insights start counting from the day you switch. Setting up a business account on Instagram this way is the quickest route for a business that has been posting from a personal profile.

Should you use a business account or a creator account?

Both are professional accounts with Insights, but they suit different people.

• Business account: for local businesses, retailers, brands, organisations and service providers. Choose it if customers need to call you, email you or find your address.
• Creator account: for influencers, content creators, bloggers, public figures and artists who earn from their own content and brand partnerships.

If you run a business, stay on a business account. A creator account is built for people whose personal profile is the product.

How do you make the most of a business Instagram account?

A business Instagram account only helps if people can act on it. Get these right:

• A bio that says what you do, who it's for and where you are
• Your logo as the profile photo, so customers recognise you
• Highlights for your services, prices, reviews and location
• A steady posting rhythm (our guide to how often to post on social media helps you set one)
• Insights checked monthly, so you make more of what works

Some people search for an "Instagram business page", but on Instagram it's called a profile or account. A Facebook business page is a separate thing, and our Facebook page tips cover that.

What we see when regional businesses set up Instagram

When Rock Solid Marketing takes over Instagram for businesses across Sunraysia and the Mallee, the first fixes we look for are simple: a personal profile switched to business, a bio that names the town, a working website link and contact buttons that actually ring the business. Those changes cost nothing and make the account easier to act on.

For more on building the account from there, see how to build your brand on Instagram.

Frequently asked questions

How do you change an Instagram account from business to personal?

Go to Settings and activity, then Account type and tools, and tap Switch to personal account. Your posts and followers stay, but you lose Insights, contact buttons and ads. You can switch back to a business account later, although Insights from the gap won't return.

How do you turn off a business account on Instagram?

Turning off a business account means switching it back to personal, using the steps above. If you want to stop using the account entirely, you can deactivate it temporarily or delete it from Accounts Centre, but deleting removes your posts permanently.

Why can't business accounts on Instagram use music?

They can, but only from a smaller library. Popular songs are licensed for personal use, not for promoting a business, so Instagram limits business accounts to tracks cleared for commercial use. Original audio, such as your own voice-over, works on any account.

Is an Instagram business account free?

Yes. Creating and switching to an Instagram business account costs nothing. You only pay if you choose to run ads or boost posts, and you set that budget yourself.

Can you have more than one business ig account?

Yes. You can add several accounts in the app and switch between them without logging out, which helps if you run more than one business or location. Use a separate business email for each, so access is easy to hand over if staff change.

An Instagram business account is free, quick to set up and makes it easier for customers to contact you. Switch over, fill in your profile properly and check your Insights each month. If you'd like help running it, our Instagram marketing team and our social media management plans can take it from there.