23 Mar Instagram 101: Bare Basics of an Account
Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms. It is one of the most engaging platforms and most businesses & organizations can certainly benefit from having a presence on Instagram. In this article, we will walk you through the most essential features you must have on your account.
Account Name
An account name, sometimes called your Instagram “handle”, is the word following @ on your that helps people directly identify your account. The most important tip here is to create an account name as close to your business name as possible. For Candeavor, our account name is @candeavor.
If your business name is taken, keep it very similar or add a relevant twist. For example, GQ Designer Ted Stafford’s name is taken by another user – instead of getting @tedstafford, his account name is @tedstaffordGQ
Business Name
This is the name that shows up next to your account name – the one that people will search for if they don’t know your direct account name. For example, Leica’s account name is @leica_camera and it’s company name shows Leica Camera
Profile Picture
First impression matters. Your profile picture is very likely the first thing most people see. For businesses, it’s your logo, something easily recognizable. One notable difference here compared to most profile pictures is that Instagram asks for a circle-shaped profile picture. If you use your logo, be sure to account for the rounded corners.
The good news is that you don’t have to create a circle-shaped photo yourself. Simply hit “edit” and you’ll get Instagram’s built in crop tool:
Biography
In 150 Characters, this is your chance to shine. On top of the Why, What, and Wheres of your business, we recommend that you add a little personality to your bio. Use an Emoji? Tell a joke? Give people a reason to be intrigued.
Website Link
Unfortunately, Instagram does not allow for users to post URLs within the platform except for the “website” column in your biography. Use this wisely – we recommend a traceable link so we know when people are coming from Instagram.
Another popular way of using the website link column is the “link in bio” strategy. Since users can’t post links in the comment section of a picture, we can instead refer interested users to the “link in bio”. Make sure to constantly update it!
Bonus Tip: Private v. Public account
When it doubt, keep your account in Public mode (the default mode). Unless your brand value is to be exclusive and/or mysterious, having a public profile helps others find you. To change your private v. public option, click on the wheel on the top right corner and you’ll find this:
