With more than 440 million users, it’s no wonder Instagram has become a huge hub for businesses and advertisers alike. Until now, companies had to resort to using third-party apps to measure the impact and reach of Instagram posts – but early last week, the social media app announced new options for businesses. #Blessed

The new features will include designated business profiles, enhanced analytics and new advertising options. These new features will roll out in the United States, New Zealand and Australia in the next few months and will be available globally by the end of the year.
With Instagram’s new business profiles, companies can add a “contact” button to their profiles that directs customers to a phone number or email address. Users can also find directions to the business if companies choose to include it. Creating a free business profile will give companies access to the other features, analytics and new ad options that Instagram is rolling out.
New analytics options will show deeper insights into non-advertisement posts. Due to Instagram’s API, this information has never been available in-app. Companies will be able see how many people a post reached, how much traffic a post drove to the company’s website and how a post performed compared to other posts by the company.
For the first time ever, Instagram will soon allow in-app posts to serve as company advertisements. Previously, Instagram ads had to be set up through the web-based Facebook Ads Manager (similar to Facebook’s Promoted Posts). With the new updates, the app will let you turn well-performing posts into advertisements. Businesses will be able to choose a target audience or let Instagram suggest targeting, and the ad will run for as long as the company wants.
Keep an eye on the new Instagram for Business blog for updates as these options roll out!