Instagram’s New Requirement: Switching to a Business Profile for Advertisers

With social media platforms changing almost constantly, our team of digital experts are always on the lookout for the updates that will most closely impact political campaigns. In the latest change — Instagram is rolling out new profile requirements for running paid ads.

What’s the Latest? 

Beginning October 25th, 2023, advertisers must convert their Instagram accounts from personal accounts to business profiles in order to run Instagram ads.

Why the Switch to Business Profiles?

The transition to business profiles is intended to empower advertisers by giving them access to additional insights and metrics. With a business account you can see metrics from your paid ad program including click-through rates and engagement metrics, as well as organic metrics like impressions and post shares from your account. This is especially important for campaigns looking to measure the impact that their paid ads have on their organic social media content strategy.

Account Privacy and Instagram Placements

To convert your account to a business account, your account must be set to public — which is already something we recommend for campaign accounts to make it easier to access your content. If you prefer to keep your account private, paid Instagram ads will not be available for your campaigns. 

How to Convert to a Business Account

Converting your Instagram account to a business profile is a straightforward process. To get started, follow these steps:

1. Toggle to your profile: Open Instagram and navigate to your profile.
2. Tap the profile icon: This is located in the upper right corner of your profile.
3. Go to Settings & Privacy: From there, select “Settings & Privacy.”
4. Access Account type & Tools: You may need to scroll down to find this option.
5. Switch to a Professional Account: Select the “Professional Account” option.
6. Select a Category: Choose a category for your account. While this can be displayed on your profile, it’s not required. You can toggle it off or edit it at any time.
7. Confirm: Confirm your choice to switch to a professional account.
8. Fill in your contact details: You can choose to hide your contact information once your account is configured. Additionally, you can opt out of sharing your information at this step.
9. Allow Meta permission: Grant Meta permission to connect with your account.

Reverting to a Personal Account

You can easily revert to a personal account. Common reasons for reverting might include the end of a campaign or a preference for a private account. Simply access your account settings and follow the steps to switch back to a personal profile.

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