How to Change an Instagram Account to Creator

Switching your Instagram to a Creator account is one of the quickest ways to level up your social media presence, turning it from a casual hobby into a serious growth engine. This guide will walk you through exactly how to make the change step-by-step, explain the powerful tools you'll unlock, and show you how to start using them right away to grow your brand or personal profile.

Why Switch to an Instagram Creator Account? The Real Benefits

You might be wondering if it's worth the few taps it takes to make the switch. In short: absolutely. A Creator account is more than just a label, it’s a toolkit designed specifically for individuals building a community and a brand. A personal account is for sharing photos with friends, a Creator account is for building an audience.

Here’s a breakdown of the specific advantages you gain the moment you switch over.

Access to In-Depth Analytics and Insights

This is arguably the single most powerful feature. Ever wonder what actually resonates with your audience? Or where most of your followers are located? A personal account keeps you guessing. A Creator account gives you a dashboard full of answers. You'll get access to:

• Audience Demographics: See the age range, gender, and top city/country locations of your followers. If you think you're talking to 20-somethings in New York but your analytics show a major audience in London, you can adjust your content or posting times accordingly.
• Content Performance Metrics: Go beyond likes and comments. For every post, Reel, and Story, you can see metrics like Reach (how many unique accounts saw your content), Impressions (total number of times your content was seen), and Engagement (shares, saves, comments). You can even see how many people followed you from a specific Reel.
• Follower Growth Trends: Track your follower count day-by-day and see which posts coincided with spikes in new follows or unfollows. This isn't just a vanity metric, it’s direct feedback on what's working. If you posted a behind-the-scenes video and gained 100 followers, that's a signal to create more content just like it.

More Control Over Your Profile and Inbox

As your account grows, so does the noise. A Creator account gives you tools to manage your digital space more effectively.

• Flexible Profile Controls: You gain the ability to add contact buttons (like an email address) to your profile, making it easy for brands or collaborators to get in touch. Don't want that information public? You can also hide your category label (e.g., "Digital Creator") and contact details for a cleaner look.
• A Smarter Inbox: Say goodbye to a single, chaotic DM folder. The Creator inbox is split into two tabs: Primary and General. You can move important conversations - like brand partnership proposals or messages from key followers - into Primary, while messages from strangers or less urgent comms stay in General. This simple filter makes community management feel organized instead of overwhelming.
• Saved Replies: Tired of typing out the same answer to frequently asked questions? You can create "Saved Replies" to answer common DMs with a single tap. It's a massive time-saver that helps you stay engaged with your community without the burnout.

Advanced Content and Monetization Tools

A Creator account is the gateway to earning money and collaborating professionally on Instagram. These tools are exclusive to Creator and Business profiles.

• Branded Content Tools: When you work with a brand on a sponsored post, you can use the "Paid partnership" label. This adds transparency for your audience and gives the brand partner access to the post's analytics. It professionalizes the collaboration process.
• Shopping Features: If you sell your own products, you can tag them directly in your posts and stories, creating a seamless shopping experience for your followers from discovery to checkout.
• Access to a Wider Range of Music: This is a subtle but huge advantage. Creator accounts typically have access to Instagram's full library of commercially licensed music for use in Reels and Stories. Business accounts often face a more restricted, royalty-free audio library, which can make it hard to jump on trends. If viral audio is part of your strategy, a Creator account is a must.

Creator vs. Business Account: What's the Difference?

When you switch to a professional account, Instagram gives you two options: Creator and Business. While they share many features like analytics and promotion tools, there are a few key distinctions.

Choose a Creator Account if:

• You are an individual public figure, artist, influencer, or content producer.
• Your primary goal is to build a personal brand and grow an online community.
• You want access to the broadest selection of trending audio for Reels.
• Managing DMs efficiently with the Primary/General inbox is a priority.

Choose a Business Account if:

• You represent a company, organization, or local business with a physical location.
• You need features like adding a physical address to your profile.
• You plan to use third-party tools that require API access (some tools integrate more deeply with Business accounts, though this is becoming less common).
• Access to the full commercial music library isn't your top priority.

For most individual creators, influencers, and personal brands, the Creator account is the perfect fit. It’s tailored for you.

How to Change Your Instagram Account to a Creator Account (Step-by-Step Guide)

Ready to make the switch? It only takes a minute. Here’s exactly how to do it. Just one quick note before you start: your Instagram profile must be public. You cannot switch a private account to a Creator or Business account.

1. Open Instagram and Go to Your Profile. Tap your profile picture in the bottom-right corner of the app.
2. Access the Settings Menu. Tap the "hamburger" menu (the three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner of your profile page.
3. Select "Settings and privacy." This should be at the very top of the menu that appears.
4. Find "Account type and tools." Scroll down through the settings page until you see the subheading "For professionals." Underneath it, you'll see "Account type and tools." Tap on it.
5. Tap "Switch to professional account." This option is typically presented in blue text. You'll then see a series of screens that highlight the benefits you'll get, like access to insights and new contact options. Tap "Continue" through these screens.
6. Choose a Category. Instagram will ask you to select a category that best describes what you do (e.g., Artist, Blogger, Digital Creator, Entrepreneur, Gamer, Photographer). Pick the one that fits you best. You can also decide whether to display this category label on your public profile with a simple toggle switch.
7. Select "Creator." This is the key step. You'll be presented with a choice: "Are you a creator?" with the options Creator and Business. Make sure you select Creator, then tap "Next."
8. Complete the Setup (Optional). Instagram may prompt you to complete a few optional setup steps, like reviewing your contact info, connecting a Facebook Page, or checking out your new professional tools. You can do these now or come back to them later.

That's it! Your account is now officially an Instagram Creator account. You'll notice a new "Professional dashboard" link at the top of your profile where you can access all your new tools and insights.

You've Switched. Now What? Putting Your Creator Tools to Work.

Switching is just the first step. The real growth happens when you start using the tools you’ve just unlocked to make smarter decisions about your content.

Turn Data into Direction with Your Analytics

Don't just glance at your insights, analyze them. Open your Professional Dashboard and tap on Account Insights. Here are a few things to look for:

• Best Performing Content: Instagram will show you your top posts, Stories, and Reels based on reach or engagement. Look for patterns. Is it your educational carousels? Your funny, trending Reels? The conversational Q&,A's in your Stories? Whatever it is, that's what your audience wants to see more of.
• Best Times to Post: In the 'Total followers' section of your insights, you can see the days and hours when your audience is most active. Use this data as a starting point to schedule your content when your followers are most likely to see and engage with it.
• Audience Deep Dive: Regularly check your audience demographics. If you notice a growing follower base in a new country, consider creating content that resonates with them or adding subtitles to your videos.

Actionable Tip: Dedicate 15 minutes every Monday morning to review the previous week’s performance. Find your single best-performing post and ask yourself one question: "Why did this connect so well?" Write down the answer, and use that as inspiration for the week's content.

Master Your Creator Inbox to Save Time

Your inbox reflects the health of your community. Keep it organized to stay on top of important conversations.

• Use Primary vs. General: As a rule of thumb, move any brand collaboration requests, questions from other creators you admire, or DMs from highly engaged followers to Primary. Let everything else default to General. This keeps your focus on high-value interactions.
• Set Up Saved Replies: Go to your settings and find "Creator," then select "Saved Replies." Create shortcuts for things like "Thanks for your kind words!," "I got this product from [Brand Name]," or "I don't have the capacity for new projects right now, but thank you for thinking of me!" This will save you countless hours.

Explore Partnerships and Monetization Slowly

With a Creator account, you now have the tools to professionalize your work. When a brand pays you for a post, use the Branded Content tools to properly disclose the partnership. This not only builds trust with your audience but also gives the brand valuable data, making you a more attractive partner for future collaborations. As you grow, you may become eligible for other features like Instagram Subscriptions or Gifts on Reels, which provide additional ways for your audience to support you directly.

Final Thoughts

Making the change to an Instagram Creator account is a simple, free move that instantly equips you with the professional tools needed to understand your audience, refine your content strategy, and build a thriving online presence. By using insights and profile controls effectively, you stop guessing what works and start knowing.

Once you have access to these invaluable insights, keeping up with a consistent content schedule is the next challenge. At Postbase, we designed our visual content calendar specifically for people who create lots of visual content, especially short-form video. I know firsthand how frustrating it is when other tools fail to post your scheduled content, which is why we built our platform for rock-solid reliability, so you can focus on creativity, not troubleshooting.