Utilizing Instagram for Business - Ramblings Of A Gamer

Is your company still “liking” Instagram instead of embracing its full potential? Time to stop scrolling and start planning. Here, we explain how to use Instagram for business in 2025. We’ll share the best ways to help your brand succeed on the ever-changing platform in this guide.

4 Steps to Business Instagram Setup

Instagram for business differs from personal use. No worries, it’s not rocket science! Start your brand on Instagram with these 4 easy steps.

Go Business on Instagram

Create a business Instagram account before using it for business. Anyone can do it for free.

How to turn your Instagram account into a business account:

Tap the hamburger (three lines) menu icon in the upper-right corner of your profile.
Tap privacy and settings. Scroll down to Account type and tools.
Select Switch to a professional account to switch to an Instagram business account.
Instagram previews professional account features, so you may need to tap Continue several times.
Tap Done after selecting a Category and sliding to show it on your profile.
Select Business (unless Creator makes more sense) and tap Next.
Tap Next after sliding to opt in or out of Instagram professional promotional emails.
Add or edit relevant contact details, use the slider to choose whether to show your contact information on your profile, and tap Next (or Don’t use my contact info to skip this step).
Follow the instructions to link your Instagram business account to your Facebook page. Although optional, this is required to use Instagram shopping features or run ads.
Next, you’ll be asked to tell Instagram your goals, add details to your portfolio, and grow your audience. Tap the top left X to close this window and return to your profile to save this for later.

You can have five Instagram accounts, so keep your personal one private if you like. Discover the differences between Instagram business and creator accounts.

Include Business Information in the Bio

Instagram bios should describe your brand and voice in 150 characters or less. Take advantage of your Instagram business profile’s other features:

Profile pic: Most companies use logos. Upload your 320 x 320 profile photo, which appears as 110 x 110 pixels (cropped to a circle) but is stored at that size.
Link in bio: Link to your website, blog, campaign, or Link Tree.
Contact details: Tap Edit profile to add contact info if you didn’t when you created your account. Instagram adds a Contact button to your profile.
Action buttons: Add buttons for booking appointments or ordering food if applicable. This feature requires an Instagram partner account. Scroll to Action Buttons under Edit profile.
Story highlights and covers: Instagram Story highlights can maximize profile real estate by providing brand, product, and service information. Save Stories, then highlight covers.

Link Product Catalogs

Create a product catalog to tag products in Instagram content or run certain ads. Meta’s Commerce Manager allows this.

Visit Commerce Manager, click Start Now, then Create a catalog and Get started again.
Select Ecommerce, then Next.
If you sell on Shopify or BigCommerce, click Connect to an ecommerce platform and follow the instructions to create your catalog. Otherwise, click Upload product info, name the catalog, and click Next.
View catalog to open your catalog, then Add items to add products.

Enable Instagram Shopping

After adding products to your catalog, enable Instagram’s shopping features.

Visit Get Started.
Select Start.
Select Create a shop, Get started, and Next.
Check the pre-selected sales channels and add or remove accounts.
Choose the account/sales channel to link your shop. Adapt your checkout method if you sell on Shopify or another partner platform. After setting up, click Next.
Select the countries to ship to. Instagram Shopping isn’t everywhere. Select a country from the drop-down menu.
Enter a business email. This is where Instagram Shop communications arrive.
Choose or create a business portfolio. Click Next.
Choose your shop catalog and click Next. You must choose catalogs that meet the shop eligibility requirements. No changing this catalog later. This step isn’t visible without a catalog.
Review your shop details, agree to the Seller Agreement, and click Finish the setup to finish setting up your shop.

3 Instagram Business Strategies

Businesses can struggle to stand out on Instagram. Use these Instagram business tips to simplify.

Know your Audience

Understanding your audience is key to a good social media strategy.

The Instagram audience demographics show who uses the platform. The site’s largest ad audience is 18-34-year-olds. However, your Instagram audience may not be 18-to-34-year-olds.

Instagram Insights or Meta Business Suite provide audience demographics. If you’re just starting out on Instagram for business, you may not have enough followers to gain meaningful insights. In this case, purchase followers on Instagram to quickly grow your audience and access valuable analytics.

Look at your other social media audience and existing customers’ demographics. Though not Instagram-friendly, this should show you who’s interested in your business and what you have to say.

Understanding your audience helps you create Instagram content and business captions that resonate.

Determine Content Mix

After identifying your audience, decide what to say. Create a content strategy that engages your audience and supports your business goals, rather than posting random content when the mood suits you.

You should post promotional content to boost sales, but you should also build community and engagement.

You could include user-generated content, curated resources, industry insider knowledge, or a trending meme. (Be careful — only join trends that fit your brand voice.)

Look for ways to create themes or regular installments for a series. “Content buckets” enable you to complete tasks without overanalyzing the creation process. The more you plan, the easier it is to produce regular content and respond to unexpected events.

Plan ahead for Content

Instagram content options include Reels, Stories, and posts. Using a content calendar to schedule content across Instagram and other social platforms is the best way to unify your strategy.

Use a calendar to schedule all your content to publish automatically at the right time. Schedule Stories and Reels ahead of time.

What are the Cons of Using Instagram for Business?

Business Instagram accounts can sell products and be seen, but there are some drawbacks.

First, increased competition among platform businesses can make organic reach difficult. Second, managing a business account requires consistent effort; you may want to hire a social media manager. Third, while personal accounts can be updated more easily, business profiles control reputation and customer perception. Read up on social media crisis management before starting.