Switch To A Business Or Creator Profile To Connect Instagram
Instagram only allows Business and Creator Profiles to connect to third-party scheduling tools like SmarterQueue. Due to API restrictions, Personal Profiles cannot be connected at all. Switching to a Business or Creator Profile ensures compatibility with Instagram’s API, unlocking features like direct publishing, analytics, and content curation.
📌 In This Article
- Why You Need A Business Or Creator Profile
- How To Check Your Instagram Profile Type
- Switch To A Business Or Creator Profile Via Instagram
- Switch To A Business Or Creator Profile Via Facebook (Alternative)
Why You Need A Business Or Creator Profile
Instagram only allows Business and Creator Profiles to connect to SmarterQueue, making a profile upgrade essential for scheduling posts, direct publishing, and advanced functionality:
Direct Connection & Publishing
- Business and Creator Profiles can connect directly to SmarterQueue.
- Direct Publishing is available for:
- Business Profiles: Single-image, carousel (up to 10 images), video feed/reel posts, and some Story posts.
- Creator Profiles: Single-image, carousel (up to 10 images), and video feed/reel posts. Stories must be published manually.
- The manual notification workflow remains available for all post types, even if Direct Publishing is enabled.
In-Depth Analytics
If you link your Business or Creator Profile to a Facebook Page and connect it via Facebook, you’ll gain access to additional analytics:
- Profile Analysis: Get a full report when analyzing an Instagram profile.
- Follower Growth Tracking: View follower counts in Reports.
- Post Performance Insights: Track engagement metrics for individual posts, including likes, comments, and reach.
Content Curation
Switching to a Business or Creator Profile that is connected to a Facebook Page also improves content discovery:
- Import content from other Instagram profiles inside Find Content.
- Import posts where your profile has been tagged, making it easy to reshare relevant user-generated content.
How To Check Your Instagram Profile Type
Before switching, confirm whether you already have a Business or Creator Profile:
- Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
- Tap the menu icon (☰) in the top-right corner.
- Select "Settings and Privacy".
- Here you’ll see different options come up, based on your current profile type:
- Account Type and Tools (for a Personal Profile);
- Creator Tools and Controls (for a Creator Profile);
- Business Tools and Controls (for a Business Profile).
If your profile is Personal, you’ll need to switch to Business or Creator to connect to SmarterQueue.
Switch To A Business Or Creator Profile Via Instagram
You can convert your Personal Profile to a Business or Creator Profile directly from the Instagram app:
- Tap the menu icon (☰) in the top-right corner and open Settings and Privacy.
- Go to Account Type and Tools.
- Select "Switch to Professional Account".
- Click through the prompts under Get Professional Tools and select a profile category (e.g., artist, blogger, digital creator).
- Choose Business or Creator, based on your needs.
- Follow the prompts to complete the setup. 🎉
Connect Your Instagram Profile To A Facebook Page (Optional)
This step is no longer required for Direct Publishing but is still highly recommended to access in-depth analytics and engagement reports.
If you want to link your Instagram Business or Creator Profile to a Facebook Page, follow these steps:
- Log into the correct Facebook account in the Facebook mobile app, ensuring you have admin rights to the Page you want to connect.
- Return to the Instagram app, tap "Log In To Facebook", and select the Facebook Page you want to link.
Now that you've switched to a Creator or Business Profile, you can connect it to SmarterQueue by following the steps in our "Add Or Remove Social Media Profiles" article.
Switch To A Business Or Creator Profile Via Facebook (Alternative)
If you prefer to switch your Instagram Profile to Business or Creator via Facebook (and automatically connect it to a Facebook Page), follow these steps:
- Navigate to a Facebook Page you manage (that you’ll connect to Instagram) on Facebook.com.
- Click "Settings" from the left-hand menu, then select Linked Accounts → Instagram.
- Click "Connect Account" to add your Instagram profile.
- If an Instagram account is already connected, you’ll see it listed here.
- In the pop-up, enter your Instagram login details and confirm.
- After logging in, click "Connect" again to confirm the link.
- Choose your Instagram messaging settings for your Meta inbox.
- You'll be prompted to convert your profile to a Business or Creator account. Select the one that best matches your needs.
- Click "Next" through the prompts to:
- Select a Profile Category that best represents your business or content.
- Review your contact information.
- Click "Done" to complete the setup. 🎉
Once finished, your Instagram account will be connected to your Facebook Page under Linked Accounts.
Now that you've switched to a Creator or Business Profile, you can connect it to SmarterQueue by following the steps in our "Add Or Remove Social Media Profiles" article.