When creating an Instagram account, you have three unique account types to choose from. What you select will depend on your social media goals.
You might be a casual blogger who enjoys sharing information and images. You might use Instagram for personal messaging and set your profile to private. Maybe you’re a business owner looking to grow your brand, or a content creator building a following.
Whatever it might be, choosing between a Personal, Business, and Creator account can have a big difference in your Instagram success.
Each account type offers unique features. Personal accounts are ideal for connecting with friends and family. Business accounts give you access to in-depth analytics with promotional tools. Creator accounts combine personal features with professional tools, which makes them perfect for influencers and public figures.
It's important to select the right account type so you can get the most out of Instagram. You should consider your strategy and which account type would suit it the most. There’s also no problem with trying one account type out and changing to another if your needs change – Instagram offers that flexibility in switching between a creator or business account.
In this guide:
- What Instagram account types are there?
- Instagram personal accounts: Features and ideal users
- Instagram business accounts: Tools for brands and organizations
- Creator Instagram accounts: Tailored for influencers and public figures
- Key differences between business and creator accounts
- Frequently asked questions
What Instagram account types are there?
There are three Instagram account types: Personal, Business, and Creator. Each has particular features so it’s important to understand which Instagram account type is right for you.
Personal accounts are for those who simply want to connect with family and friends. You can choose to make it public or private to further control who sees what you post.
Business accounts are ideal if you want to grow sales or expand your brand. This account type provides in-depth analytics, contact buttons, and promotional features that help you record and track the success of your social media activity.
Creator accounts are perfect if you’re exactly that, a creator. If you’re an influencer or content creator, then this is the one for you as you get specialized features such as enhanced inbox management and performance analytics. A creator account makes it easier for you to connect with more followers and manage brand partnerships.
Here are the key features:
Personal account
- Basic sharing features
- Optional privacy settings
- Simple profile options
Business account
- Instagram Analytics dashboard
- Ad creation tools
- Contact buttons
- Connectivity to Facebook via Meta Business Suite
- Shopping features
Creator account
- Growth insights
- Advanced messaging
- Content performance tools
- Brand collaboration features
The choice you make depends on what you want to get out of Instagram. Consider your goals and match them up with the relevant features that matter most to you when selecting your account type.
Instagram personal accounts: Features and ideal users
A personal Instagram account is the default option when signing up. It’s the perfect option if you’re using Instagram for personal enjoyment or to casually share memories with friends and family.
The key features of personal accounts are the ability to switch between a public and private profile to control who sees your content, full access to Instagram Stories and Reels, the ability to privately message followers, basic content sharing, and music library access.
If you’re not too worried about marketing or business metrics, a personal account is probably the easiest option for you, especially if you just want a simple social media experience.
What you get from personal accounts
A unique feature it has is the ability to make your account private. This means only those you accept to follow you can view your profile, and it'll otherwise be closed to non-followers.
Personal accounts do not have access to more advanced features such as analytical software, promotional tools, shopping tags, contact buttons, or detailed insights.
It’s about focusing more on building genuine connections rather than marketing, business, or brand growth. You can create and post content that is reflective of your organic style. You can post casual photos, share daily Stories, and interact with friends without the pressure of maintaining a professional image.
Better yet, there are creative tools to help you edit photos and videos with ease. There are filters, stickers, and text that help make your posts more fun and engaging.
Instagram business accounts: Tools for brands and organizations
If you choose a business Instagram account, you’ll get access to smart tools that help you build a strong brand. To switch account type, go to your account settings, select “Account,” and then “Switch to Professional Account” to choose a business profile. These accounts provide you with in-depth analytics about your followers, content performance, demographics, and audience engagement, which can be found within Instagram Insights.
You get a professional dashboard that tracks your account’s growth and various metrics. These metrics look at data from reach, impressions, and profile visits, and they’re all easy to view in one place.
Another unique feature of business accounts is contact buttons, which enable you to insert an email, phone number, and business address into your profile. This naturally makes it easier for customers to find and contact you.
An example of a strong business account on Instagram is Gymshark. In addition to using contact buttons, they have a very clear brand image, use all different types of content (Stories, pictures, videos, and highlights), and provide clear links to their online store.
More benefits from a business account
Instagram ads can help you reach new audiences and expand your brand beyond your current following. Meta owns Instagram, so your business profile also links to your Facebook page to keep a unified presence on both platforms. The integration allows for shared posting and insights that save managing multiple social media platforms.
Under the analytics page, you can also see when your audience is most active and plan content accordingly. This helps you maximize engagement by posting content at optimal times when your audience is most likely to interact with it.What's more, your business account offers enhanced messaging features with separate primary and general inboxes, allowing you to prioritize important customer queries more efficiently.
Creator Instagram accounts: Tailored for influencers and public figures
If you’re an influencer or content creator, then creator accounts are ideal as they have special, designed tools that are tailored to your industry. They help build your brand; they’re free to set up, and they offer more flexibility than standard business accounts.
There is plenty of crossover with business accounts, though. You get detailed analytics that show your content's performance. The data also includes follower growth, demographics, trends, and reach.
A business account provides you with a secondary inbox that efficiently manages messages from non-followers. You can sort and prioritize messages based on importance, and use quick-reply templates to respond faster to common inquiries.
A good example of a creator account on Instagram is fitness guru Joe Wicks.
He has a very clear bio that demonstrates who he is and what he does. He then has a link tree that links to his products and services. Of course, Joe also creates content that is relevant to his brand and is consistent with his posting schedule, which means he’s really nailing his Instagram game.
How to get the most from creator accounts
With creator accounts, it’s a good idea to test different content formats to understand what your audience resonates with. Combine this with the insights tool, and you'll then begin to understand what content is working and when it’s working. From here, you can start picking out trends.
It’s also much easier to manage brand partnerships for sponsored content as you can tag products and brands you’re working with and can approve collaborations.
Under the music library, you can access trending sounds and songs that add more engagement to Stories and Reels.
It’s also important to understand what type of creator you are. Instagram lets you add a category label to your profile, for example, “blogger,” which helps potential audiences know what type of content they’ll get from you.
Key differences between business and creator accounts
When comparing business and creator accounts, the crossover in the features they offer is fairly evident. But it’s important to remember that they are both professional accounts that are unique in their own way.
Business accounts are better for brands that are exploring new customers and looking for more sales. Your aim is to expand your brand and highlight your products and services. Detailed analytics help make this happen as you better understand shopping behaviors and engagement.
Creator accounts are better for content creators and influencers, using analytics tools to predict trends and see what content is resonating most. You can also categorize your profile to label what kind of creator you are.
When it comes to analytics, the key difference between business and creator accounts is that business accounts offer insights into shopping behavior whereas the creator account focuses far more on content performance.
With the contact buttons, business accounts tend to use the “book now” and “order” buttons more, whereas creator accounts use simpler contact choices.
Both business and creator accounts have messaging filters, but they’re different based on your needs.
You should pick a business account if you’re regularly looking to market products and services, while creator accounts are there if the focus is on making successful content and building personal brands.
It’s important to remember that both are professional accounts with unique features, tools, ad posting, and insights. You just need to decide which best fits your goals, but you can switch between them at any time if you need to experiment.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main differences between a personal and a business account on Instagram?
Personal accounts on Instagram focus on connecting with friends and family through private sharing. You can control who sees your posts and stories.
Business accounts give you access to analytics, ads, and contact buttons. Your profile becomes public, and you can add business details like hours and location. You can also make a creator account that gives you access to other tools and a different range of posting options.
How do Creator accounts on Instagram differ from Business accounts?
Creator accounts offer more detailed follower insights and growth-tracking tools. They’re better for growing personal brands on Instagram, while business accounts have a greater focus on converting audiences. You get access to a professional dashboard with both accounts.
What are some advantages of converting to a professional Instagram account?
Professional accounts unlock detailed analytics about your followers and post performance. You can schedule content and access advanced messaging tools, all via the Meta Business Suite.
The ability to run paid promotions helps expand your reach. You also get a professional-looking profile with business information and contact buttons. What’s more, it’s easier to link and manage your professional account if you’re using a third-party tool like Brandwatch to oversee your Instagram management.
Which Instagram account type is most suitable for influencers?
Creator accounts work best for influencers and content producers. These accounts provide engagement metrics and audience insights. A business account is better for brands because there’s a greater emphasis on audience conversions.
With a creator account, you can track follower growth and see when your audience is most active. The flexible contact options and category labels help showcase your personal brand.
Are there any limitations to using a professional Instagram account compared to a personal one?
Professional accounts must be public, so anyone can see your content. Therefore, some privacy settings available to personal accounts aren't accessible.
You also need to maintain regular posting and engagement. Remember, your professional account is a reflection of your brand. It requires more active management to benefit from all the available features, compared to the light approach you can have to a personal account.
