Should I Get a Personal, Business or Creator Instagram Account?

Gone are the days when all Instagram accounts were created equal.

You could only post pictures taken with your phone back then! Your audience were your friends and family! Oh, how things have changed…

The way that Instagram is being used has changed drastically since its release ten years ago. Businesses use the app to market themselves and sell their products. People use it to be inspired, entertained, and educated. And then, of course, there’s influencers - they’re not traditional businesses, but they’re not regular users either.

In order to cater to these three main categories, Instagram allows you to choose between a personal, creator or business account. I’ve personally opted for a Creator account, because the available categories better define my niche, I don’t sell a physical product, and I want to access the most detailed possible insights.

But what does each one mean? Which one is the best for you?

Let’s break them down…

Should You Get a Personal Instagram Account?

Sure, if you’re just there to browse and enjoy yourself! You can also promote your business if you want (Instagram doesn’t forbid personal accounts being used for business) but you’ll be missing out. Creator and Business Instagram accounts offer audience insights, post stats, shopping options and more (more details below).

One of the first steps in your Instagram marketing strategy should be switching to a Creator or Business account. By understanding your audience better, you’ll be able to create better content for them.

To make the switch, simply go to Settings->Account->Switch to Business Account or Switch to Creator Account. Instagram will prompt you to fill in all your details and that’s it! All Instagram account types are free to use, and you can always switch back if you change your mind.

Should You Get a Business Instagram Account?

In Instagram’s own words, business accounts are “best for retailers, local businesses, brands, organizations, and service providers”. So yes, get a business account if you’re any of those things!

You’ll be able to select a category that best describes what you do, which can be displayed on your profile, and also add a call-to-action on your profile (e.g. Book Now or Order Now).

You’ll get access to in-depth analytics of your audience and posts. Think audience demographics, times when your followers are most active, or which of your posts had most comments in the past year.

If you have a product-based business, make use of the Shop option to add your products, tag them in posts, and have people buy directly from the app. Directly from the app!

Note that you need to connect a Facebook business page in order to switch to a business Instagram account. This will also give you access to Instagram ads, which can be so useful when you’re trying to get your business out there!

If you’re planning your content ahead (and if you love saving time, of course you are!), having a business account allows third-party tools to automatically publish on your profile.

Should You Get a Creator Instagram Account?

Creator accounts are meant for “public figures, content producers, artists and influencers”. Accounts in this category don’t necessarily sell a product, they’re mostly aspirational and educational. You’ll be able to pick a category that best describes what you do, with more nice options than the business account.

Like business accounts, creator accounts also offer in-depth analytics of your following. You can analyze the daily growth of your account, access demographics, and access the Creator Studio feature, which gathers all your insights on a single dashboard.

The DMs you receive can be split up into categories: Primary, General and Requests. This can be a handy feature for influencers overwhelmed with lot of direct messages, which may or may not be relevant. You can also chose to disable contact buttons from your profile at any time, or use industry-specific calls-to-action to encourage people to contact or hire you.

Instagram now allows select US-based Creators tag shoppable products in their photos, which is a wonderful feature for influencers.