A business Instagram is one of the most beneficial things for a Realtor to set up. This account takes only a few minutes to set up, yet it can help you exponentially in posting meaningful content for the right audience. It helps potential clients contact you with ease and it includes great analytical features to help you learn how to post well. Keep reading to learn how to set up of a business Instagram and how to navigate the features.

Setting Up a Business Instagram

1. If you do not already have an Instagram account, download the app and create one. Set it up just like a regular Instagram account. The setup should be easy when following the prompts.
2. After setting up your account with a great profile picture and a bio that really captures your personal elevator pitch, you are going to convert your regular profile into a business profile. You are only able to do this on the mobile app.
3. Go to your profile page, tap the three lines in the upper right hand corner, then go to “Settings.”
4. Select “Switch to Business Profile.”
5. At this point, you should be prompted to connect your business Instagram to your Facebook. If you have a Facebook page for your business, it is a good idea to connect them because some of the information from your business Facebook page should also transfer and make your Instagram setup easier.
6. You should then be prompted to fill out your contact information. Make sure to use an email and phone number that you check regularly so that you can respond promptly to potential clients! You will also have the option to put in an address for you to be reached at.

At this point, your business Instagram should be all set up, so let’s talk about how to navigate it.

Navigating the Features of a Business Instagram

In the upper right hand corner, there should be a bar graph icon (which only appears if you have set up your business Instagram). Click on that icon and you should be able to view a few helpful reports:

• Impressions: The total number of times your post has been seen (not necessarily liked or commented on but just the number of people who have laid eyes on it)
• Reach: The number of accounts that have seen your post (this is helpful in factoring out the accounts that have looked at your post multiple times)
• Engagement: The number of accounts that have liked or commented (perhaps the most helpful report as far as knowing what content is of high quality)
• The increase from the previous week in all mentioned areas
• Your top posts (i.e. your most popular posts)
• The increase in and demographics (age, location, gender) of your followers

While viewing your top posts, you also have the option to promote a post. This is basically reposting one of your most popular posts, but you can target it to a specific audience based on the reports you have viewed pertaining to your audience demographics. You can look at your reports, determine a more narrow audience, and promote the post to that audience, which can include people who do not follow your account. Promoting posts costs money and you can set your budget based on your desired reach and the duration for which you want the post to be promoted.

Another great feature of the business Instagram is the 'Call to Action' button that can be directly linked to your phone number so that potential leads need only to click the button and instantly be calling you. This should automatically be set up or very easily activated if you filled out all of your contact information in the set up phase. If you do not want to have a 'Call To Action' button, though, the business Instagram provides extra areas to fill out your contact information so that you do not have a crowded or poorly formatted bio.

Using Your Business Instagram Well

Your business Instagram can be an incredible tool to accomplish greater business goals. Look at your big picture goals and determine how the business Instagram features can help you accomplish those goals. Do you want to expand your audience? Look at the posts that have had the greatest engagement and continue promote similar content to reach audiences that you otherwise would not!

Basically, a business profile is a personal profile with a ton of added features to help you manage your Instagram as efficiently and effectively as possible. There is really no reason not to do it if you want to use your Instagram well and generate as many leads as possible from your social media.

Instagram is constantly adding new features and moving things around, so be sure to keep up with the Instagram Business Blog to be a front-runner in using the Business Instagram effectively.

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