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

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:

  1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
  2. Tap the menu icon (☰) in the top-right corner.
  3. Select "Settings and Privacy".
  4. 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:

  1. Tap the menu icon (☰) in the top-right corner and open Settings and Privacy.
  2. Go to Account Type and Tools.
  3. Select "Switch to Professional Account".
  4. Click through the prompts under Get Professional Tools and select a profile category (e.g., artist, blogger, digital creator).
  5. Choose Business or Creator, based on your needs.
  6. 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:

  1. Log into the correct Facebook account in the Facebook mobile app, ensuring you have admin rights to the Page you want to connect.
  2. 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:

  1. Navigate to a Facebook Page you manage (that you’ll connect to Instagram) on Facebook.com.
  2. Click "Settings" from the left-hand menu, then select Linked Accounts → Instagram.
  3. Click "Connect Account" to add your Instagram profile.
    • If an Instagram account is already connected, you’ll see it listed here.
  4. In the pop-up, enter your Instagram login details and confirm.
  5. After logging in, click "Connect" again to confirm the link.
  6. Choose your Instagram messaging settings for your Meta inbox.
  7. You'll be prompted to convert your profile to a Business or Creator account. Select the one that best matches your needs.
  8. Click "Next" through the prompts to:
    • Select a Profile Category that best represents your business or content.
    • Review your contact information.
  9. 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.