Instagram allows users to create two types of accounts – personal and business. Personal accounts are intended for regular users who share photos and videos with their followers. Business accounts are created by companies and brands to promote their products and services. By default, every Instagram account is public – any network user can follow it and view the published materials. However, there is an option to make the account private, to limit the circle of people who can see your content.
How to make a business account on Instagram private
To make a business account private on Instagram, follow these steps:
- Go to the “Settings” section of your profile;
- Select the “Privacy” option;
- Toggle the “Private Account” setting to “On”;
- Press the “OK” button to confirm the action.
After this, your business account will become private. Now, users will not be able to follow your profile unless you approve their subscription request. Also, the content of your account (photos, videos, stories) will be viewable only by approved followers.
Note that before you can make a business profile private, you need to convert it to a personal account. This can also be done in the account settings under “Switch to Personal Account.” After conversion, you can close the profile.
Advantages of a private business account on Instagram
- Audience control. You can reject subscription requests from non-target users;
- Content protection. Photos and videos from your account will only be accessible to an approved audience;
- Increased exclusivity. Users get a sense of privileged access to private content;
- Analytics. It’s easier to track the effectiveness of advertising and the number of new subscribers;
- Personalization. You can interact only with a loyal audience, ignoring non-target users.
How to reopen a private account
If you decide to make your profile public again to attract new followers, it’s easy to do so. To do this, you need to:
- Go to the profile settings;
- Select the “Privacy” section;
- Toggle the “Private Account” setting to “Off”;
- Press “OK”.
After these actions, your Instagram profile will become public again and accessible to all network users. You will be able to use hashtags, geotags, promote the account in search to attract a new audience.
How to promote a private account on Instagram
Despite limited visibility, private profiles can also be promoted. Recommended methods include:
- Targeted advertising from Instagram. Allows effectively reaching the target audience;
- Advertising with popular bloggers. Partner integrations with opinion leaders who have a loyal audience;
- Cross-promotion on other social networks. Posting links to the private Instagram on open profiles on Facebook;
- Word of mouth. Encouraging loyal subscribers to share the link to your profile with their friends;
- Promotions for subscribers. For example, offering discounts or bonuses for inviting new participants.
Conclusions
The private account format on Instagram allows companies to control their audience, increase the exclusivity of content, and analyze the effectiveness of marketing. Meanwhile, such a profile can still be promoted through advertising and creative marketing moves. The main thing is to clearly understand the goals and have a loyal audience of subscribers ready to recommend your account to their acquaintances.
