Instagram Creator accounts are similar to the social network’s Business accounts but are aimed at individual Instagram influencers, artists, content creators, and public figures instead of large companies, brands, and organizations.

Who Are Instagram Creator Profiles For?

Instagram Creator accounts are for individuals with a large following who want to create their own personal business or brand. Instagram influencers are the intended user base for such accounts. Large organizations and companies are better suited for Instagram Business accounts.

The main difference between Creator and Business accounts is the Instagram shop feature, which is only available to Business account owners. If you want to run a store on Instagram, use a Business account.

There are no limits on who can have which sort of Instagram account. So, if you want, you could try each type to see which one suits you the most.

Instagram Creator Profile Features and Limitations

Instagram Creator profile features differ slightly from Business profile options. Creator profiles are designed for individuals who manage their Instagram accounts by themselves, without a team to support them, yet still want to access data to help them grow their profile and brand and make money on the social network.

Here are the main features available with an Instagram Creator account:

  • Customizable category labels: Choose from job categories such as Writer, Actor, or Video Game Content Creator, or disable the option entirely.Contact options: Choose what contact information, if any, you want to display on your profile.Better insights: More nuanced data to track which posts do well and when users unfollow or follow you.Inbox filter options: Primary and General tabs are added to the Instagram DM inbox for sorting messages.Quick replies: Select from a variety of pre-written replies when responding to DMs.Request filter options: Sort your requests by account importance and date.Influencer shoppable posts: Add shoppable tags to your posts that link to another account’s store. Thses tags can be effective when trying to make money on Instagram with sponsored posts.

While several features can be appealing to solo creators or influencers with a Creator account, there are some limitations. For example:

  • Lack of third-party app support: The Creator account’s API isn’t supported by third parties. If you manage an Instagram Business account via a service such as Hootsuite or Tailwind, you can’t use the service if you switch to a Creator account.
  • No Instagram Shop feature: To run a shop from your Instagram profile to sell your products, you’ll need an Instagram Business account.

How to Switch to an Instagram Creator Account

Anyone can switch their personal or Business account to a Creator account at any time. Conversely, anyone can change their Creator account back to a Business or personal account whenever they like. No data is lost when changing account types.

  • Open the official Instagram app on your iOS or Android device.
  • From your Instagram profile, tap the hamburger menu in the upper-right corner.
  • Tap Settings.
  • Tap Account.
  • Tap Switch to Creator Account.
  • If you currently have a regular personal account on Instagram, tap Switch to Professional Account instead, then tap Creator.
  • Tap Next.
  • Tap the category you want your Instagram profile associated with, then tap Next.
  • This category can assist Instagram in showing your posts to users who may be interested in your content.
  • Tap the toggle switches for Display category label and Display contact info to show or hide this information to other users on your Instagram profile.
  • These Instagram profile controls can be changed at any time in the future.
  • Tap Done.
  • Your Creator profile Instagram account will now be live. If you decide to revert your account back to a personal profile or a Business account, repeat these steps and choose the appropriate options in Settings > Account.

If your personal Instagram account is private, switching it to a Creator account makes it public. All pending follow requests are also immediately approved. You cannot have a private Creator account on Instagram.

Open the official Instagram app on your iOS or Android device.

From your Instagram profile, tap the hamburger menu in the upper-right corner.

Tap Settings.

Tap Account.

Tap Switch to Creator Account.

If you currently have a regular personal account on Instagram, tap Switch to Professional Account instead, then tap Creator.

Tap Next.

Tap the category you want your Instagram profile associated with, then tap Next.

This category can assist Instagram in showing your posts to users who may be interested in your content.

Tap the toggle switches for Display category label and Display contact info to show or hide this information to other users on your Instagram profile.

These Instagram profile controls can be changed at any time in the future.

Tap Done.

Your Creator profile Instagram account will now be live. If you decide to revert your account back to a personal profile or a Business account, repeat these steps and choose the appropriate options in Settings > Account.

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