Last week, Instagram announced new business tools that mirrors what’s available on Facebook with pages. What they’re not saying is how their business model will affect the timeline, but if “promote” is their third vaunted feature, businesses are gonna have to pay for eyeballs. Instagram is rolling the new business feature set out now to select accounts, and will likely notify those accounts that qualify directly. There isn’t an application process. For some insight into Instagram from a Sony shooter and long-time colleague, see our post about Dan Rubin.
With so many companies using Instagram, and many people on the platform interacting with them, there was a desire from our business community to do more. So we listened. And, after hundreds of interviews with businesses, three key needs became clear—stand out, get insights and find new customers.
Business profiles are a free feature for accounts wanting to be recognized as a business on Instagram. With a business profile, businesses can choose how they want their customers to get in touch with them: call, text or email with a tap of the contact button as well as get directions. Business profiles also unlock access to insights and the ability to promote.
Insights on Instagram give businesses actionable information about who their followers are and which posts resonate better than others—all from within the mobile app. By learning more about the behavior and demographics of your audience, you can create more relevant and timely content.
The ability to promote lets you turn well-performing posts into ads right within the app—helping you connect with even more customers. Simply pick a post you’ve already shared on Instagram and add a button encouraging people to take action. You can select a target audience or allow Instagram to suggest targeting for you. After that, your post will be promoted as an ad for any length of time you choose.