How to: Set up an Instagram Page

Sahail Ashraf posted on 15 October 2021

Instagram has some great potential for brands. We explain how to set up a business page.

Instagram requires no introduction. It has exploded into one of the most popular social media networks around (if not the most popular) and pretty much created the modern Influencer culture. When it comes to business, it offers plenty of potential to create a marketing effort that can bring in more engagement and ultimately more sales. Using Instagram for business is great fun, but before any of that happens you will have to get set up with a business page on the platform. Here is how to do it.

Download the app

Instagram cannot be used unless you have the app. If you already have an Instagram account you can switch to a business one when you tap on ‘sign up’.

Bear in mind that, during the signup process, you may need to consider granting access to multiple users within your organisation. This is most likely going to be the case if you are running a social media marketing team. For that reason, it is important to use an admin email address that everyone can use when they are accessing the account.

You can log in with Facebook also, which just makes it a lot easier in these initial stages. Once you have decided on how the account is going to be accessed, simply choose a username and password and then set up the account for your business.

And then?

Like any social media platform your next step is to make sure that you use the platform effectively.

Your first job is to understand your audience.

You will already have an audience persona from the work you do on other platforms, so you will have an idea of who buys from you and who engages with your brand. When it comes to Instagram it’s important to remember that the audience is predominantly young, in the 25-34 years old demographic.

Use this information, as well as your analytics on the other platforms that you use, to make sure you’re creating the right content for the platform. Instagram is a very visual platform and you need to bear this, as well as audience knowledge, in mind when creating the content that you use.

As with all of your social media marketing work, understanding what kind of content your audience engages with will drive much of your work. Using analytics is vital if you are to get a good start with your Instagram page.

Create a calendar

The creation of  a content calendar is hugely important, especially if your business is running on a number of platforms.

Your Instagram posting can be purposeful when you define your audience and goals. A content calendar for social media allows you to avoid missing important dates and schedule time for creative content creation.

Take advantage of opportunities to create themes or regular installments that you can develop into a series. It will be easier for you to respond to unexpected or last-minute events if you plan ahead.

Create a bio

Visitors to your profile read your bio because they are curious about you. Use your bio to captivate them and make them want to follow you.

A 150 character bio should speak about your brand (especially if it is not obvious) and showcase your brand voice.

One link only

You only get to use one link in the business bio (with accounts that have fewer than 10,000 followers), so it has to be perfect. Make sure to post one if you want that extra bit of value from your bio. Describe a recent campaign, a current blog post or an Instagram landing page on your website.

Those are the basics when it comes to setting up an Instagram business page. It’s a great platform for businesses who speak to that audience, and are able to take advantage of the image-focused approach.

Are you responsible for social media marketing for your brand? Why not try Locowise? It has all the metrics you need to make sense of the marketing noise.