Should a business use an Instagram creator account or a business account?
For a service business, usually a business account. Instagram's help center says business accounts are best for retailers, local businesses, brands, organizations and service providers, and creator accounts for public figures, content producers, artists and influencers. Both are professional accounts with insights, ads and a contact button. You can switch types at any time, but a professional account cannot be set to private.
What both types get
Instagram's help page "About professional accounts on Instagram" says professional accounts can be set to Business or Creator, and lists features that include:
- A professional dashboard to track performance.
- Ads, including ads that run on both Instagram and Facebook through Meta's tools.
- A Contact button near the top of the profile, with directions, a phone number and an email address, which anyone who taps Contact can see.
- A category label below the profile image, which you can hide.
- Insights on who your followers are, when they are online and how each post performed.
- An inbox with Primary, General and Requests folders.
Which one a service business usually wants
Instagram's own description puts service providers and local businesses under business accounts. Its set-up page adds that the category you pick does not decide whether you set up a business or creator account; you choose the type separately.
As general advice, a creator account suits a person whose own following is the product, such as an artist or a speaker. A plumber, a cleaning company or a salon is the kind of business Instagram's description of business accounts names.
Before you switch
- Professional accounts cannot be set to private. Instagram says switching a private personal account makes it public and accepts all pending follow requests.
- You can switch between business and creator, or back to personal, at any time. Instagram says switching back to personal removes access to ads, may remove some tools and disconnects any linked Facebook Page.
- Instagram recommends connecting your business Facebook Page to get the most out of its business tools; once linked, you can share Instagram posts to Facebook only through that Page.
Reach, and who holds the login
The two Instagram help pages cited here describe the account types by who they suit and what tools they add; neither says that one type is shown to more people. As general advice, choose by the tools you need, and judge the account by inquiries: record each one with social as its source channel, or paid if it came from an ad, and follow it to won, lost or still open.
Set the account up with a business email and phone number, and keep the login with the business rather than one employee or an agency; the related answer on who should own your ad accounts explains why.
Sources
- Instagram Help Center, "About professional accounts on Instagram"
- Instagram Help Center, "Set up a professional Instagram account to access business or creator tools and controls"
Related answers
- Which social media platforms should a service business be on?
- Who should own your Google Ads and Facebook ad accounts?
- What is Meta Business Suite, and how is it different from Business Manager and Ads Manager?
- How do you keep track of leads that come in through Facebook, Instagram and other messages?
Lead generation and lead tracking
A lead that waits a day goes cold, and a lead with no source teaches you nothing. Ascent Vision fixes both.