Instagram Business vs. Creator Accounts

If Instagram is a new platform to your business, you may not know that there are different types of profiles available or that they offer a variety of features depending on the purpose of the account. 

Instagram accounts can either be personal accounts or professional accounts. Then, to break it down even further, Instagram splits professional accounts into two other categories – business and creator.

While you may assume that a business account is best suited for a business, that may not necessarily be the case. Both professional account types share many of the same features, including access to Instagram Insights, but there are also some key differences to be aware of.

Businesses should create some form of professional account to have access to the analytics and insights Instagram provides for content. These tools aren’t necessarily available on personal accounts.

Instagram business accounts are specifically intended for commerce – buying or selling a service or product. This profile gives access to scheduling, Facebook Creator Studio, and the capability of using third-party analytics, such as Google. One of the downsides to utilizing a business account is the limitation on music selections for Reels. Business accounts cannot use music associated with royalties, so many of the trending sounds are off-limits to business accounts.

Instagram creator accounts are intended for people creating content that might feature a particular brand or product but not sell it. Rather, these influencers are looking to create a loyal following that will allow them to continue to promote other products or services while potentially profiting from their endorsements. Creators can use music (even if associated with royalties) in addition to business features like analytics.

Features available on both business and creator profiles:

• Access to Instagram analytics
• Search for and collect media by hashtags
• Manage Instagram comments with Conversations

Features available only on business profiles:

• Publish pre-scheduled single-image/video posts, carousel posts, and Reels (not available for stories)

The biggest difference between the creator and business accounts comes down to the purpose of the content and whether scheduling is necessary. A business account will allow you to pre-schedule posts but will limit the design elements to remain compliant. Choosing which platform to use depends on the goals of the business, but switching between the two is simple, so it’s possible to try both and determine which works best for your business. 

If you need help analyzing the performance of your Instagram account or would like to optimize your business’ presence on any social media platform, Fuhrman Creative has a team of experts ready to help! Visit Fuhrman Creative online for more information.