So you’re gearing up to become a creator on Instagram? Great! The next step is deciding what kind of account to use, and the obvious answer may be a Creator account. It’s in the name isn’t it? But what is a creator account? You’re in the right place, because this article has all the answers.
Whatever type of account you have, the Instagram Creator account can give you access to tools designed to help you understand your audience and grow your profile. It’s one of Instagram’s two types of professional account, alongside the Business account. “Creator accounts are best for public figures, content producers, artists, and influencers,” according to Instagram. (Business accounts best suit retailers, brands, organisations and service providers.)
Before you start posting Reels and having a sneaky look at who has watched your Stories, here’s everything you need to know about Instagram Creator accounts.
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An Instagram Creator account is a type of professional account designed primarily for individuals building a personal brand or creating content for an audience. Originally launched in 2019, Creator accounts offer detailed analytics, including audience demographics, post reach, engagement metrics, Story performance, and access to a professional dashboard. You don’t need thousands of followers to qualify either. If you’re starting out and want to treat your Instagram account more like a portfolio or professional platform, you can switch to a Creator account from your first login.
You can also add a category to your profile, such as “artist” or “singer,” helping your profile visitors understand what you do at a glance. Creator accounts also offer additional tools for managing your DMs, including a second inbox, which can be a lifesaver as your following grows. “You can filter messages by primary, general, and request inboxes,” Mary Keutelian writes for Sprout Social. And, best of all, it’s completely free to switch between the accounts. Just bear in mind that switching from a personal to a professional account will limit your ability to perform certain actions, such as setting your profile to private.
Instagram Business accounts launched in 2016, three years before the Creator account went public. Both are professional accounts, and there’s plenty of overlap between them. Both give you access to analytics and advertising tools. Their main difference is who they’re designed for and who uses them. Creator accounts offer their users things Business accounts don’t, such as:
- Music library: You get access to Instagram’s full music library, which means Creator accounts can use trending audio, including popular songs that can help drive discovery, in Reels. Business accounts, on the other hand, are limited to commercially licensed audio, giving them a smaller selection that often excludes the trending sounds associated with Reels discovery in the Instagram algorithm.
- Monetisation tools: Creator accounts have access to features such as paid subscriptions, badges during Instagram Lives, and Stars on Reels, which gives creators more ways to earn directly through their content. These monetisation features aren’t available to Business accounts.
- Creator Marketplace access: Instagram’s built-in platform for brand partnerships helps businesses discover creators and collaborate with them on paid opportunities. Creator accounts can access the Creator Marketplace, but business accounts aren’t eligible.
- Daily follower tracking: Tracking follower gains and losses from day to day makes it easier to see how individual pieces of content affect changes in your audience.
When it comes down to choosing between Business and Creator accounts, think like this: If you’re building a personal brand, Creator is your go-to; if your Instagram represents a company, shop, agency, or organisation, a Business account is probably right. “The decision between using a Business or Creator account is typically a straightforward one,” according to digital marketing automation platform Daily Story. “Most businesses opt for the Business account, while individual influencers, artists, and public figures tend to be better served by a Creator account.”
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There’s no minimum follower count you need to hit before switching to a Creator account, but you want to think about it if you’re a content creator, actor, musician, or any other type of creative. Basically, if you’re building a personal brand, it could be worth it.
- Go to your Instagram profile and tap the three-line menu in the top-right corner.
- Open Settings and look for “Account type.”
- Select “Switch to professional account.”
- Instagram will take you through some introductory screens explaining the professional tools available.
- Choose a category that best describes what you do. There is an option to put this on your profile too.
- It will ask you if you want a Creator or Business account. Select Creator.
- Decide what contact information you want to be visible on your profile.
- You can connect to your Facebook if you like.
That’s it!
If you already have a Business account, you can make the switch through your account settings rather than starting from scratch.