Instagram Entrepreneurs: Grow Your Business Like a Boss

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Karen Lin

Instagram Growth | Aug 18, 2023

Want More Real Instagram Followers?

The competition on social media is tough for businesses, but the opportunities for business growth are worth the trouble. Instagram’s robust marketing features make the platform especially advantageous for businesses. The most successful Instagram entrepreneurs leverage the platform like a boss to connect and engage with their target market and boost their revenues. You can follow in their footsteps and become the next IG entrepreneur big shot to watch out for.

An Instagram entrepreneur tightening his tie.

Business Instagram Account: Why You Need One

You can have a business exclusively on Instagram. Or you can use the platform as an additional channel for your business website/online store, or your brick-and-mortar place of business. Whatever the case, using Instagram for your business is always a smart move, as many successful Instagram entrepreneurs have proven.

These are some of the most important benefits of having a business Instagram account:

  1. It can be a key channel to help you drive brand awareness and boost sales, especially if active Instagram users belong to your target market.
  2. It gives you a direct line of communication to your customers. You can easily reach them to promote new products or services, special offers, events, etc.
  3. It gives you a great opportunity to build and nurture customer relationships and customer loyalty.
  4. It’s an excellent tool to help you learn more about your target market, competitors, and industry trends.
  5. You can use Instagram to create a new or supplementary revenue stream. Instagram entrepreneurs with business accounts can monetize videos with ads or earn directly from the platform through shoppable posts.

Any sensible IG entrepreneur should also be aware of the disadvantages of using Instagram for business. But don’t worry, these are manageable drawbacks.

First, the direct line of communication to your customers can be a double-edged sword. You will also be opening up your business to direct messages about anything from just about anyone. Second, your competitors can get more insight about you the same way that you can get insight into their operations.

Change Instagram Account to Entrepreneur Professional Account

The first step towards becoming a certified IG entrepreneur is creating a business Instagram account. Having a professional business account is not a requirement to run a business on the platform. But it’s necessary if you want to be taken seriously by your target market and other entrepreneurs on Instagram. A business account will also give you access to the platform’s valuable marketing tools.

You can create a new account for your business or convert an existing personal account into a business account. Take note that using the Instagram app on mobile is better than using it via a web browser. The web version offers limited functions. Another thing to keep in mind is that the email address you use should be your business email or the email associated with your business’ other social media accounts.

Convert Instagram Account to Professional Business Account

If you are creating a new Instagram account for your business, you’ll start with a personal account and then convert it into a business account. Here’s how to do it.

  1. Go to your profile and tap Menu in the upper right corner.
  2. Tap Settings. For some accounts, the Switch to professional account option will be listed directly under Settings.
  3. Tap Account.
  4. Tap Switch to professional account.
  5. Tap Continue.
  6. Select a Category for your business and tap Done.
  7. Tap OK to confirm.
  8. Tap Business.
  9. Tap Next.
  10. Add contact details and tap Next. To skip this step, tap Don’t use my contact info.
  11. Next, you can opt to follow the steps to connect your business account to a Facebook Page associated with your business. At this time, you can only connect one Facebook Page to your business account.
  12. Tap X on the top right corner to return to your profile.
  13. To display or hide business information on your profile, go to your profile and tap Edit profile. Go to Profile display under Public business information to choose whether you want to hide or display your category label and contact info. Then, tap Done.
A man presenting at a conference for Instagram entrepreneurs.

Best Practices To Set up an Optimized Instagram Business Account

Optimizing an Instagram business account will take a bit of time and lots of trial and error. But these best practices should get you started on the right track. Here’s how experienced Instagram entrepreneurs do it.

  1. Select the right profile photo. The ideal option is your business logo. Make sure you use the right size and a high-quality photo.
  2. Write a descriptive and polished bio. You can add a link to your bio to drive people wherever you want them to go.
  3. Customize your business profile. You can choose to hide who you follow on Instagram or hide like counts for your posts. You can also customize audiences for certain posts.
  4. Familiarize yourself with Instagram’s basic features. Know how Stories, Reels, Explore, and your inbox work. Learn more about tools for Instagram management.
  5. Create an exceptional and appealing Instagram grid. Choose an aesthetic theme that reflects your business identity. Always upload high-resolution photos and videos.
  6. Find Instagram accounts to follow. Start with other Instagram entrepreneurs within your niche. Expand your list to pages that are closely related to your niche or industry. You can check out what accounts your competitors are following.
  7. Learn how to get verified on Instagram. Find out what you need to do to get the coveted blue check for your business account.

10 Entrepreneur Instagram Accounts You Should Follow

These ten entrepreneur Instagram accounts offer a mix of inspiring content, strategies, and ideas. Don’t forget to give them a follow!

  1. Gary Vaynerchuk, @garyvee. This serial entrepreneur’s impressive resume includes: CEO/Chairman of Vayner Media and Vayner Sports; investor in FB, Venmo, Twitter, and Liquid Death; author; speaker; and digital media and social media expert.
  2. Richard Branson, @richardbranson. Famous founder of the Virgin Group, where he’s referred to as Dr. Yes. He describes himself as an “adventurer and thrill seeker, who believes in turning ideas into reality.”
  3. Grant Cardone, @grantcardone. Author, real estate investor, creator of the 10X approach, and CEO of CardoneCapital.
  4. Girlboss, @girlboss. An online community for women that mostly features female Instagram entrepreneurs.
  5. Rachel Hollis, @msrachelhollis. Author of self-help books, motivational speaker, and blogger.
  6. Daymond John, @thesharkdaymond. A businessman, investor, and TV personality who’s among the most popular investors on the reality TV series, Shark Tank. CEO and founder of FUBU and founder of The Shark Group.
  7. Jenna Kutcher, @jennakutcher. Host of The Goal Digger Podcast and author of “How Are You, Really?” She’s often referred to as the “queen” of marketing.
  8. Jasmine Star, @jasminestar. Business strategist and CEO of Social Curators.
  9. HoneyBook, @honeybook. An all-in-one client experience & business management platform for independent business owners.
  10. Brit Morin, @brit. Founder of MyBFF, BritandCo, and BeSelfmade.
Business tycoon Sir Richard Branson speaking at an event.

Top Business Industries for Aspiring Instagram Entrepreneurs

Instagram entrepreneurs in these business industries are among the most successful on the platform. If you haven’t decided yet what business you want to start, you will most likely fare well with one of these top business categories on Instagram.

  1. Fashion. Statista’s projected revenue for the fashion industry for 2022 is $689,884 million.
  2. Beauty. According to another Statista report, the top two leading beauty brands on Instagram are Kylie Cosmetics with 25.37 million followers and Anastasia Beverly Hills with 20.1 million followers.
  3. Travel. Especially after the global pandemic forced month-long lockdowns, more people are eager to travel again.
  4. Fitness. According to Hype Auditor, the most followed fitness account on Instagram is Nike, with a whopping 270 million followers.
  5. Food. This is no surprise considering the fact that food is among the most photographed subject on Instagram.
Printed photos of outfits and fashion accessories.

How To Choose an Instagram Niche for Instagram Entrepreneurs

Research is your number one friend when choosing an Instagram niche for Instagram entrepreneurs. Take note of these reminders when doing your research:

  1. Identify and analyze niche trends. You can choose a niche and find out the latest trends within it. Or you can make your choice based on which niche is most trending and in high demand.
  2. Perform a deep dive on your competition. Studying your potential competition will also help you identify lucrative niches. You’ll also be able to identify which niches have the toughest competition.
  3. Look at trending market keywords. Trending market keywords are good indicators of niches with rewarding business potential.

Fake Entrepreneurs on Instagram: How to Spot Them

Scams are prolific on social media, and Instagram is no exception. Scammers use fake Instagram accounts, and some of them may present themselves as Instagram entrepreneurs or brands. Here are some tips from the platform to help you avoid scams and spot fake entrepreneurs on Instagram. Watch out for the following:

  • Anyone asking you to pay a fee in order to apply for a job.
  • Accounts representing large companies, organizations or public figures that are not verified.
  • Accounts asking you to move your conversation off Instagram to a less public or less secure setting, such as a separate email.
  • Pages that are not located where they say they are.
  • Messages that appear to come from a company you know that ask you to click on a suspicious link.
  • Accounts that have a brief history on Instagram.
  • Messages or posts with poor spelling and grammatical mistakes.
  • Pages asking you to claim a prize.
  • Businesses offering items at an extreme discount.

If you suspect that an Instagram account, post, or, message is a scam, make sure to report it to Instagram.

Person reading a magazine article about how to succeed in business.

Succeed as an Instagram Entrepreneur With the Help of a Growth Expert

Starting a business on Instagram requires a lot of planning and research; managing and growing your business is another story. Instagram models and influencers often work closely with Instagram entrepreneurs to help them grow their business. But with or without brand collaborations, becoming a successful Instagram entrepreneur often means being an all-around expert on social media strategy. You can give yourself a much-needed advantage by teaming up with an expert in Instagram growth strategy, a company like Path Social.

Two of your topmost goals when launching a business on Instagram is to grow your followers and build brand awareness. To do both, you’ll need precise audience targeting capability. When you team up with Path Social, you’ll be able to leverage their advanced proprietary AI technology. This technology tracks down real users who are right for your brand, whatever niche you’re in.

Path Social also has an in-house team of social media specialists who will help you promote your page and content to your target audience. As a bonus, Path Social’s wide network of Instagram influencers can help boost your reach through shout-outs.

With Path Social, you can be sure that you’ll gain followers who are genuinely eager to see more of your content and who will deliver quality engagement.

Trusted by more than 20 thousand Instagram brands across all niches and industries, Path Social is your best bet for lasting and rewarding growth. Start growing and gaining Instagram followers today!