Introducing the Instagram Creator Profile
It’s no secret that Instagram has been shifting its focus from the average individual to its most powerful user: influencers. Influencers are defined as users that have more than 15,000 followers that they actively engage with. According to a recent report, there are more than 500,000 active influencers on Instagram alone, accounting for 39% of all Instagram accounts.
Keeping their high-profile users in mind, Instagram rolled out a new account specifically designed for Influencers called the creator profile. By identifying their specialty, this tailored account profile design helps influencers grow their brand and manage their accounts more effectively. Similar to choosing your industry in a business profile, this list of options allows you to choose your role including actor, graphic designer, musician, blogger and many more. However, this isn’t the only unique feature. Check out these three additional features that will change how influencers continue to dominate Instagram.
1. Growth Tools
One of the biggest features on the new account is the set of tools that provide influencers with high-quality insights, all while growing their following and broadening their reach. Users gain access to daily follower reports that reveal both “follow” and “unfollow” data, allowing users to see which content is working best, or against them. 
This portal also provides data on which times your followers are active, your reach engagement, and even demographics of your followers including location and age. Plus, you can access all this information from the fingertips of your phone, or through Facebook on your desktop.
2. Contact
Although the business profile also provides a contact button for users, the creator profile provides an additional layer of privacy to the account owner. Users have the option to either show or hide their contact information with other people within their category (actor, graphic designer, musician, etc.).
In addition, the creator profile has introduced a simple messaging management system. As an influencer, many users get hundreds and even thousands of direct messages daily. With the creator profile, there are three tabs that help to filter messages and distinguish between business messages, friends, and fans: Primary, General, and Requests. The best part is that you only receive notifications for primary message requests unless you specify otherwise in your settings. Plus, you can move messages into different message categories. 
3. Shoppable Posts
With this newest creator profile feature, influencers and creators can now place their products directly in front of their followers for purchase. Before this, shoppable posts consisted of tagged products from only your Business Account. However, this version of the shoppable posts allows influencers to partner with companies, brands, and other influencers to tag and sell products straight through their posts.
With this, users can purchase any tagged product from their profile without even leaving the Instagram app. This feature will be an advantage to not just creators, but brands as well, as it will drive more sales. Although this feature is still in beta testing and is only being tested by a limited group of influencers, this new feature will soon hit the ground running.
In conclusion, Instagram has shifted from being an app to exclusively share photography, to the ideal social platform that users showcase their lifestyle and promote their products or brand on. Embracing its transition of purpose, Instagram’s launch of the Creator Profile now allows users to get even more personal with their followers and create a unique one-on-one experience. Amongst the new features in the creator account, influencers can not only humanize their brand but promote their company, expand their following and grow their network of connections. Although this new profile is currently only available to high-profile users, it’s only a matter of time before the creator profile will be available to all users.
