Our blog is intended to inspire and educate others about all aspects of documentary photography. For photographers, documentary filmmakers, and creative storytellers, that mission also encompasses the teaching of those business skills necessary to thrive in the competitive creative marketplace.

Each post in this series will discuss ways to expand your client list, gain more proficiency, utilize new tools, or level up your marketing. Topics covered here are discussed more thoroughly during our Mentoring and Business Skills workshops. Contact our offices here to learn more about these programs.

1. Contact Button and Quick Reply:

   A business profile allows you to add contact information like an email address, phone number, and location. When you sign up for an IG Professional account, there is a “Public Business Information” section that makes it easier for potential clients or collaborators to reach out. You can even set up “quick reply” to allow some pre-formatted responses to DMs.

2. Instagram Insights:

   With Insights, you can access detailed analytics and insights about your posts, stories, and engagement. This data helps you understand what’s working and what is not resonating. This data, combined with your clients’ customer information when you onboard them, helps you make informed content decisions.

3. Promote or Boost Posts:

   Business profiles can promote their posts or “boost posts” to them to get a wider audience. The system allows you to target specific demographics or interests and you can run paid advertising campaigns directly from the app. Thankfully, you no longer need 10,000 followers to promote a link on a story but not all accounts can boost a post.

4. Instagram Shopping:

   If you’re selling products or services, you can use Instagram Shopping to tag products in your posts, making it easier for followers to discover and purchase offerings from your account. Instagram offers a solid walk through on how to use this feature.

5. Scheduling Posts:

   If you are using Meta Business, you can schedule content to drop in the future. Some third-party tools and apps allow you to schedule posts for a later date or time. We love Social Bee to help our social media coordinator maintain a consistent posting schedule and save everyone valuable time.

6. Categorized Profile:

   Categorizing your business profile under specific categories can make it easier for users to find you when searching for services related to your photographic niche. You want to pay close attention to this section when setting up your account and check back every year to make sure the category you chose still fits your business focus.

7. Verification:

   Business profiles can sometimes be more likely to be eligible for the “blue verification badge” or blue checkmark you see on some profiles. Some sponsors or collaborators may view the checkmark as a measure of credibility and authenticity.  Note: With everything online, a blue check isn’t a surefire way to verify someone’s account is legit. Always do your homework and be wary of spammy collaborators on Instagram.

8. Professional Appearance:

   The business profile displays a more professional appearance, which can be beneficial for building trust with potential clients. People may view your work more favorably if they think you are acting as a registered business and not a hobbyist.

9. Audience Demographics:

   One of the best reasons for a pro account is the insights into the demographics of your followers. You want to see how your posts (aka: your hard work) are being seen, by whom, and how often. Then, you can tailor your content to suit your target audience better.

10. Accessibility to Third-Party Tools:

    Business profiles often have access to third-party tools and integrations that can enhance your Instagram experiences, such as scheduling tools as we mentioned above, ad managers, and analytics platforms.

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* Before we close out, we should add a quick note about “creator profiles” on Instagram. Yes, there are creator accounts now, but today, we were only dealing with pro vs. personal pages. If you want a great breakdown of how creator accounts work, we suggest you go visit this blog here. It has a great step-by-step on what a creator account can do for your business should you choose to go down that route.

Don’t forget to continue to revisit this blog for more career insights and business skill solutions tailored for documentary storytellers and creative professionals.

And, finally, remember to sign up for one of our workshops if you’re interested in more training for your photographic and documentary skills and join our amazing faculty on an adventure. More information on our latest trips here.