Have you wondered what’s better for your salon or spa – a personal Instagram profile or a business Instagram account? We’ll explore the pros and cons of each and show you how to create a business page if you decide to switch.
Instagram only started testing business profiles in 2016, and by the end of 2017 there were already 25 million business profiles created. This is a popular trend for businesses that is growing quickly! Let’s find out if it’s right for your salon/spa.
Personal Instagram Profile
Pros:
· You can set the account to private, meaning only approved followers can see your posts
· You have the ability to link your Instagram profile to multiple Facebook profiles, meaning you can share your instagram content on more than one Facebook account. (Only relevant if you want to be able to choose between multiple Facebook accounts.)
Cons:
· No insights into how your posts are performing, or the audience who follows you.
· No ability to promote posts or make ads.
Conclusion:
If you’re using Instagram to help market and grow your business, the personal profile is lacking any tools to help you get there. The personal profile is basic and uncomplicated, therefore, if you never plan on using any of the business features, then there’s no need to change - but you'd be doing your business a disservice. Why? Because Instagram can be used for so much more than just posting great balayage shots. Let's look at some of the business uses next...
Business Instagram Profile
Pros:
· You can create a Contact Button near the top of your profile so that viewers can quickly call you, email you and/or get directions, with the press of one button.
· Insights (one of Instagram’s best business features) is the app’s built-in analytics tool that provides detailed information on both your followers and also your posts. You can easily see your followers' demographics, when they’re online, and more. You can also monitor which posts or Stories are getting the most engagement, so that you can improve future content. (This feature alone is worth switching for!)
· You have the opportunity to set up and run Ads, the same way that Facebook works, so that you can improve your reach.
· You can also Promote Posts. It’s a lot like boosting a post on your Facebook page.
· If you grow your following to 10,000+ followers, Instagram Business Profiles can now add links to their stories so that viewers can be taken directly to other websites to get more information
Cons:
· You must have a Facebook business page before you can have an Instagram one. If you don’t use Facebook or don’t have a business page yet, it would take extra steps to get your Instagram business profile going.
· You cannot make the profile private. However if you are a business and trying to increase your exposure, you shouldn’t want to limit your visibility to only approved followers. You want the whole world to see you!!
Conclusion:
As you can see from the available tools, having an Instagram business profile makes so much more sense for your salon / spa. You’ll be able to learn about your followers’ behaviors, see which posts perform best, reach new followers by promoting posts or placing targeted ads, and ultimately create a better connection with your audience.
Convinced? Read How to Create an Instagram Business Profile next to get set up!
Looking for more Instagram and social media tips for salons and spas? Check out the rest of our Resource Library for valuable content to help grow your salon or spa business!
Comments