Instagram recently released Creator Profiles specifically for influencers. These profiles have enhanced analytics, inbox management, shoppable posts, and other features specific to the Instagram Influencer.
The latest Mary Meeker Internet Trends Report is out, and Instagram is very obviously on top. In less than 2 years, the image-based social media app saw a 46% jump in users who log in to the platform at least once a day.
Instagram can contribute some of this explosive growth to the success of influencer marketing. Instagram influencer marketing grew by over 39% in 2018, according to research.
“From public figures and artists to entrepreneurs and publishers, creators are a cornerstone of the interest community on Instagram,” says Instagram in a recent press post. As a result of this success, the platform recently adjusted it’s user models to accommodate the needs of these influencers on the app.
Instagram Rolls Out Creator Accounts for Influencers
While businesses using Instagram have their own type of account with analytics and the ability to sponsor and boost posts, we regular users have personal accounts to follow our friends, family, and brands we love.
Instagram influencers used to fall somewhere in the middle between personal and business profiles They were technically “just” people who happened to use their Instagram presence for business-like purposes. However, to get the stats and analytics they needed for influence marketing, they needed an account that tracked those metrics.
Listening to the needs of one of their biggest growth drivers, Instagram recently released a new type of account specifically for their influencers: Creator Profiles.
How are Creator Profiles Different?
Targeted toward “traditional talent, digital influencers, and artists,” the Creator Account includes influencer-focused tools like growth insights, category options, messaging filter capabilities, and labels for contact information.
Before the Creator Profile, Instagram encouraged influencers to just use business accounts, but those profiles still didn’t have the right tools that influencers needed. A spokesperson for Instagram said, “Existing tools around business profiles make it difficult to track creator follower growth and engagement over time and that existing business tools weren’t designed with them in mind.”
However, the new influencer-focused profile has different capabilities from the business profile and options that are more influencer-focused:
Actionable Social Data
The data will span all of Instagram’s content offerings–posts, stories, and IGTV–including days and times when followers are online, follow/unfollow metrics, demographic information, and much more.
This data allows influencers to do their jobs better by understanding what resonates with their target audiences and making this Creator data available for the influencer’s brand partners.
Streamlined Inbox Management
With many followers and a very public profile comes hundreds, if not thousands, of direct messages a week. Before the Creator Profile, it was difficult for influencers to sort through follower DMS to find messages from brands who wanted to work with them or even their real-life friends.
The new Creator Accounts have filtering options that allow for better communication with brands and with followers so hopefully, an influencer never misses that important DM.
Filtered Contact Methods
Along with more control over who can contact an influencer, the new Creator Profile gives users agency over how they are contacted. With options to designate a preferred contact method, influencers can focus on building relationships with brands they love.
This makes cold-contact more difficult for newer brands, which is why it’s still critical to take advantage of tools like Sideqik to discover, vet, and contact influencers for your brand.
One-Click Shoppable Posts
According to recent press from the social app, the Creator option also allows followers to buy directly from an Instagram post: “You can simply tap to see exactly what your favorite creators are wearing and buy it on the spot.”
This is next-level for many influencers and brands working together to drive more activations. It eliminates barriers to entry for conversion–and allows a user to purchase without ever having to leave the platform.
Source: Instagram-Press.com
How Do I Make the Switch to a Creator Account?
Currently, the Creator Profiles are only available to influencer accounts with 10,000+ followers. To see if your profile can access the Creator Account options, you can follow Instagram’s guide here.
If you’re a personal account, you’ll have the option to “Get More Tools” to switch to a Creator Profile. If you’re a business account, you can just choose “Switch to Creator Account.” Make certain to choose the appropriate category and ensure you have your contact information and display settings set up. Then get to influencing!
It’s not just for traditional influencers, though. “It looks like Instagram’s new Creator account will help bloggers, entrepreneurs, and influencers of all kinds boost their brand awareness,” says Syed Balkhi for Entrepreneur.
While many influencers feel like Instagram’s ever-changing algorithm is constantly working against them, steps like the introduction of the Creator Profile indicate that Instagram understands how important influencers are to the growth of its platform–and that it wants to keep them around.
Nancy Rothman
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