Instagram is currently beta testing a new type of account: Creator account. This is not available for just any average user to test, and it will probably be reserved for accounts with high followership when it finally rolls out. Currently, the conditions for being eligible to test an Instagram Creator accounts are over 10,000 followers and a connected Facebook™ business page.
What Is an Instagram Creator Account?
The key features of this type of account are:
- More detailed analytics in terms of follows and unfollows;
- Filters for Direct Messages;
- More options for working with sponsors;
- Shoppable posts for promoted items.
There is a downside to this type of account, as well and this is the lack of access to Instagram's API. Thus, users who have an Instagram Creator account cannot schedule posts and cannot connect other third-party tools (such as analytics, social mentions, etc.).
While it is actively promoted as a desirable type of account for influencers, some businesses may find it useful and opt for it.
How Can You Switch to an Instagram Creator Account?
If you are eligible, you can go to the Account option and tap on the Switch to Creator Account option. Next, you will have to select a category that best describes you (your business). You can opt for one of the following:
- Actor
- Artist
- Athlete
- Blogger
- Comedian
- Entrepreneur
- Fashion Model
- Journalist
- Musician
The last step is to decide whether you want to publicly display the category and contact info or not. That’s it, you now have an Instagram Creator account.
Let us look at some reasons why you may be interested in making the switch:
1. More Follower Insights and Growth Options
The Instagram Creator account offers very detailed information about who followed and unfollowed you. The numbers will be broken down not only to user profiles and demographics, but also to types of content: feed, Stories, and IGTV.
Also, this account will have access to the Instagram Creator Studio dashboard on a desktop computer. This platform is connected with the Facebook™ Creator Studio. For marketers, this would be a great advantage, because they can monitor analytics for both platforms in the same place – and with the added comfort of a large computer monitor, instead of the mobile screen.
2. Filter Your Direct Messages
Most Instagram users with a large number of followers are flooded with Direct Messages. Those who switch to the new Creator account will be able to filter these messages into three categories: Primary, General and Requests.
Just like for the business account, Requests is where most spam messages land. However, the added Primary and General categories allow Instagram users to move messages from users with which they want to interact more to the Primary inbox category.
3. Make Your Contact Information Public
Buying decisions are emotional and in the moment. The same goes for starting to interact with a business on a closer level than simply following their social media accounts. An Instagram Creator account allows you to show your contact information (email, mobile phone, address, etc.) next to your account name, so that prospects can easily get in touch with you.
4. Shoppable Posts
Last but not least, the Instagram Creator account will allow users to tag branding partners and shopping options directly into a post. This is a simplified way for influencers and businesses to work together and get actionable insights for the success of their partnership.
As you can see, the Instagram Creator account may not be a good fit for all businesses. Also, this is still a beta type of account and most definitely will be tweaked following feedback from the testers. Once it is launched for all users who qualify, it is likely that it may incorporate more marketing and sales tools than the ones we talked about here.