Instagram has become the go-to social media platform for millions to share photos, videos, and stories every single day. Harnessing the power of Instagram can put your business in front of local buyers & sellers where they’re already spending tons of their time: in front of their digital screens. Not sure where to begin? Let’s start with discussing one of Instagram’s best features for professionals: the business account.
As Facebook Marketing Partners, we’re often asked by real estate professionals, “Should I be using my Facebook Business page or my personal page to market myself on social media?” Since Instagram is now owned by Facebook, the app ended up adopting many of Facebook’s key features: one of which being the introduction of “Instagram Business Accounts” in 2016. So, the question remains: Should real estate professionals use personal or business profiles on social media to grow their audience and raise brand awareness?
First, let’s talk about the differences between the two options. Essentially, Instagram business accounts function very similarly to a personal account where a user shares his or her content to connect with current clients and generate new leads. However, utilizing a business account puts the user in a position to promote their services in ways that aren’t possible by way of a personal account.
With access to powerful advertising, transparent analytics, and exclusive Instagram insights, using an Instagram business account is absolutely the right choice! Real estate agents should absolutely be using a business account on both Facebook AND Instagram to promote their business.
So, what exactly are the bonuses of using an Instagram business account? For starters, an Instagram business profile gives the user the incentive of having a “contact” button (either call, email, or both!) embedded directly within the profile. This button allows your audience easy access to communicate with you about their real estate needs. If you’re trying to grow your exposure and following, business accounts give users the ability to promote an Instagram post, or start an ad campaign (which cannot be accessed via a personal account). Whether or not you opt in to running ads, Instagram business accounts provide detailed information about the user’s audience, times when they’re active on the platform, and more helpful information to assess whether or not your marketing strategies are being effective.
Not only that, but using an Instagram business account allows Back At You’s system to create, schedule, and auto-post relevant real estate related content to our clients’ pages without any user interference!
In short, by utilizing an Instagram business account you can:
- Gain visibility into powerful analytics about your audience and engagement
- Run ads and promote your content to generate exposure & leads
- Automatically publish your content to Instagram with Back At You’s Social Media Center
The only downfall? You cannot have a private page on Instagram if you utilize the business account feature. However, there’s always the option to have more than one Instagram account: one for your career, and one for personal photos that you might not want to share with a broader audience. Instagram has made it incredibly easy to toggle between multiple accounts, so you’ll never have to sacrifice sharing your family, vacation, or personal photos amidst promoting your business.
Ready to make the switch over to a business account on Instagram? Here’s how to make that happen:
- Open the Instagram app, and tap the three lines in the upper right corner of your profile.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Account.
- Tap Switch to Professional Account.
- Tap Business.
- You’re done!
Back At You also encourages you to connect your Instagram account to a Facebook Page associated with your business. This way, you can utilize all of the features available for professionals across the Facebook family of applications and streamline your social media marketing efforts.
Interested in learning more about how Back At You can automate your Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter presence? Email hey@backatyou.com to set up a personalized consultation with one of our social media experts!