A professional Instagram account can help brands strengthen their online presence, expand their reach, and genuinely connect with customers. The best way to do this is to create a dedicated Instagram Business account with access to features that support visibility, engagement, and growth.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or bolstering your existing presence, here’s everything you need to know about creating and growing your Instagram Business account.
How to use Instagram for your small business
Follow these steps and best practices to reap the benefits of Instagram for your small business.
Set up an Instagram Business account
First, you’ll need to set up your Instagram Business account and optimize your profile so customers can find you. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Download the Instagram app (or visit instagram.com if you’re on desktop), then sign up using a business email or phone number. You can also log in with an existing personal account and convert it to a business account (see below).
- Make your account a Business account by going to Menu (three stacked horizontal lines in the top right corner) > Settings and activity > Account type and tools > Switch to professional account.
- Select the category that best describes your business.
- Add a profile picture (usually a logo or brand image), along with a bio that clearly explains what your business does, who it serves, and (if applicable) where you operate.
- Fill in your business and contact information, including your website, email, phone number, and location.
[Read more: How to Get Instagram Verified: A Complete Guide]
Develop your Instagram strategy
Before you start posting consistently, define exactly what you want Instagram to do for your business. Are you looking to increase brand awareness? Website traffic? Lead generation? Setting clear, measurable goals around these broader objectives can guide your content decisions from the start.
You’ll also want to zero in on your target audience. You may have already included this information in your business plan or other marketing strategies; draw on this knowledge to maintain a consistent presence across platforms. Consider how your audience spends time and engages online, as well as their overall preferences, pain points, and motivations.
From there, you’ll need to craft your brand voice and aesthetic. Decide on your business’s tone and language (Professional and educational? Conversational and relatable?), as well as your color palette and/or visual style. This mixture will serve as a template to align your imagery, messaging, and captions in a way that feels cohesive and intentional.
Build content pillars and a posting plan
Create a content calendar to help you think about what you’ll post, when it will go live, and what purpose each post serves. During this process, identify a few core content pillars or themes to which your posts will belong. Some common small business content pillars include education, behind-the-scenes content, customer stories, and promotions, though the exact pillars can vary by industry and overall business goals.
When mapping out individual posts, remember that every photo and video should reflect your brand and the message you’re trying to convey. The caption should provide additional context for your visuals (what’s the whole story, and why does this matter?) and conclude with a clear call to action (e.g., visiting your website, booking a call with you, or joining the conversation).
[Read more: 6 Proven Steps for Creating a Social Media Marketing Strategy]
Use high-impact formats and features
Instagram has built-in formats and features you can use to maximize the reach and impact of your content.
- Reels are short-form, vertical videos (similar to TikTok videos) that appear in the Reels tab. They’re most effective for showcasing expertise, products, and processes, as well as for entertainment-oriented content.
- Stories appear at the top of a user’s Instagram feed and disappear after 24 hours, making the feature ideal for timely, informal content. Interactive stickers—like polls, questions, and links—are integrated into Stories to encourage quick, direct engagement.
- Carousels allow you to share multiple photos or videos in a single feed post, which users can swipe through. This format is a great way to share step-by-step content, highlight before-and-after transformations, or expand on an idea that needs more than a single image.
- Live video lets you broadcast in real time and interact directly with viewers via comments and questions. Most businesses use this for announcements, Q&As, or conversations that benefit from immediacy.
- Collab tools allow multiple accounts to co-author a single post or Reel, which will appear on each of their profiles. The collaboration not only makes partnerships and cross-promotions but also expands the post’s reach to multiple audiences simultaneously.
While any business type can find success in its niche on Instagram, certain industries and models are particularly well-suited to the platform.
Leverage the Instagram Explore page to reach new audiences
In addition to the main feed, each Instagram user has an Explore page, which suggests new posts and accounts based on who they follow and the types of content they engage with. Appearing on this page can introduce your content to people who are already interested in similar topics, products, or services.
Rather than aiming for broad visibility, focus on reaching the right audience. Posts that encourage (and earn) likes, comments, saves, and shares are more likely to be shown to users engaging with similar content. Clear captions, relevant hashtags, and popular formats like Reels and carousels—which the Explore page often favors—can further enhance discoverability.
Track what works with Instagram analytics
Once you’ve gotten in a good rhythm with posting, you can review Instagram’s analytics to evaluate how your content is performing against your previously established goals. Review metrics like reach, engagement, follower growth, profile visits, and website clicks to understand how people are finding and interacting with your account.
Rather than focusing on individual posts, look for patterns over time. For example, certain content formats are more frequently saved, specific hashtags are correlated with better discovery, or your Stories perform better on certain days or at certain times. Use these insights to adjust your content mix, posting cadence, and messaging—and revisit this step regularly.
Promote your Instagram across channels and connect accounts
If you already have audiences on other platforms, make it easy for them to find and follow you on Instagram. Add your Instagram handle to your website, email newsletters, and other social media profiles so people can connect with you across channels.
You can also connect your Instagram Business account to a Facebook (Meta) page through your account settings. The connection allows you to share your posts across both platforms and access additional business tools via Meta, without creating separate content for each channel.
Boost posts to reach new audiences
You can also boost your Instagram posts to promote them beyond your existing audience. On Instagram, boosting a post turns it into an Instagram Ad, which can appear in feeds, Stories, or Explore for people who don’t yet follow your account. You can choose a goal for your ad (profile visits, website visits, direct messages, or purchases), then define the demographics you want to target. Boosting is managed directly through the Instagram app or Meta’s ad tools.
Engage with your community
As with any social media platform, Instagram functions best when it serves as a two-way communication channel rather than merely a publishing platform. Follow and interact with accounts in your industry niche or local community, reply to comments and direct messages, and acknowledge your followers’ questions and feedback when they come in.
You can also build and strengthen relationships by sharing user-generated content, such as testimonials and customer photos, and by collaborating with influencers and creators who align with your target audience’s interests and behaviors on the platform. Done consistently, these types of interactions help humanize and build your brand, which can strengthen trust and keep followers coming back time after time.
[Read more: 10 Tools and Strategies to Build a Brand Community]
Prepare for a crisis situation
Your Instagram strategy should leave room for the realities of life. In the face of unexpected events, sensitive situations, and other crises, your usual rhythm of promotions, product launches, and upbeat posts might not land as intended. Being crisis-ready means knowing when to pause your usual content, acknowledge what’s happening, and pivot your posts to remain appropriate, helpful, and human.
Start by auditing any queued posts, and cancel or reschedule anything that could read as out-of-touch or insensitive in the wake of a crisis. Then, carefully review your audience’s conversations and questions, and adjust your messaging to address their needs and concerns. You may need to share situational updates or answers to common questions or even temporarily pause or scale back on posting until the crisis passes.
Best business ideas to start on Instagram
While any business type can find success in its niche on Instagram, certain industries and models are particularly well-suited to the platform. Here are just a few:
- Photography and videography. Whether you capture nature, headshots, or special events and milestones, photography and videography services are a natural fit for the visually focused platform. In addition to sharing your best portfolio shots, you can also include behind-the-scenes content and customer stories to showcase your style, quality, and expertise.
- Personal care and beauty services. Hair stylists, nail technicians, and makeup artists also tend to do well on Instagram, especially when combined with local marketing approaches to reach clientele in their area. Before-and-after images, current trends, and even seasonal styles (such as updos during wedding season or holiday-themed manicures) provide visual evidence of your skills and approach.
- Cooking and baking. Whether you prepare homemade meals, bake custom cookies, or launch a local eatery, food-based content has long performed well on social media. Sharing snaps of your menu, “how it’s made” videos, and even cooking blogs and helpful kitchen products can turn casual viewers into customers.
- Personal training. As a personal trainer or fitness instructor, you can share workouts, instructional tips, and client progress updates. This content can give potential clients a sense of your training style and program expectations before reaching out.
- Creative businesses. If you’re an artist or you create handmade items, take high-quality photos and videos to show off your work. You can also set up shoppable posts for direct on-platform sales or offer commissions for those seeking personalized pieces.
- Coaching and consulting. Career consultants, life coaches, and similar business models are well-suited to Instagram, since these services tend to rely on credibility and connection as much as expertise. Photo carousels and short-form videos can be particularly effective for sharing insights, mini-lessons, and overall perspectives.
- E-commerce sales. Boutiques and online retailers can showcase their created and curated items through aesthetically pleasing photo and video shoots. Instagram’s shopping features can come in handy here, too, from merchandise launch promotions to virtual storefront shopping.
- Dog sitting and walking. Pet care businesses tend to benefit from Instagram’s emphasis on personality and authenticity—not to mention the internet’s longstanding affinity for cute animals. Sharing “pupdates” of your furry clientele can not only capture attention but also build trust among local pet owners.
Are you thinking of adding another social media platform to your marketing strategy? Check out our guide on how to run a business on TikTok.
Dan Casarella contributed to this article.
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