It was a long time coming, but finally, Facebook released Instagram Creator Studio for users to enjoy. If you’re wondering why people love it or how it could benefit your business, we’ve got answers for you. Calling all influencers, content creators, and Instagram fanatics: here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use the Instagram Creator Studio.

But wait… what is it? 

Instagram Creator Studio is a space for content creators and influencers to dig deeper into their content. The creator studio lets you connect to Instagram, view your content library, and dive into insights to measure the impact of your content. 

In a nutshell, it helps you get a better grasp of your content so that you can be more successful with your profile and hopefully, monetize it.

Who should use it? 

Wondering if you’re a good candidate for the creator studio? You probably are. In the past, it was only offered to users with more than 10,000 followers. But now, anyone can use it. That being said, you probably won’t get much out of it if you post rarely or don’t care too much about the numbers behind your content. It was built for influencers and content creators who are trying to scale their business on Instagram, but hey, if you’re interested in using it — you can! 

How does it help? 

The creator studio really is what you make of it. Some influencers are on it non-stop; others use it to complement the analytics systems they already have set up. Here are a few ways to get the most out of it: 

• Track performance. Perhaps the biggest benefit of the Instagram Creator Studio is the analytics capabilities. With the studio, you can track performance, dig deeper to understand your audience and learn ways to optimize your content for the next time around. 
• Schedule IGTV. In a time crunch? You can use the studio to schedule out your TV posts. 
• Understand your followers. This is another big one. With the studio, you’re able to really get a look at who’s following you and what they’re all about — which means you can better engage with them and tailor your content to their interests. 
• See reach and total impressions. Most content creators are big on engagement metrics, with good reason. With the Instagram Creator Studio, you’re better enabled to gauge the engagement of your audience. 
  
  

How to set it up

1. Start by making sure your Instagram is connected to your Facebook. This will be necessary for step 2. 
2. You’ll need to change over your profile to a business profile or creator account. To do this, you’ll need to go to your account (tap the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner). Tap Settings, then Account and then “Switch to professional account.” From there you can choose between business and creator. 
3. Open creator studio and tap the Instagram icon in the top right corner. A message will pop up asking if you want to connect to Instagram. Hit “Try it now.” 
4. Next, it will ask if you’d like to share Instagram access with your Facebook page members. This is up to you — select the option that will work best for your brand. You can change this at any time. 
5. Take it for a spin! Look through your content library, click on the insights, or create your first post in the studio. Have some fun with it! 
   
   

Get the most out of it 

It may take some time to get the hang of it, so get acquainted with it when you have time. Luckily, it’s pretty user-friendly — but if you need some starter activities, here are a couple of ideas. 

• Monitor your activity. Under the Insights tab, you can look at your overall account activity. This tells you how many posts you’ve put out, what kinds of interactions you’re getting, impressions, and accounts reached. If you really want to get fancy with it, take a look at the actions taken on your account. You’ll be able to see website visits, profile visits, emails, and more.
• See who is seeing your content. Another fun section to play around with is the Audience section, which is also under the Insights tab. You can see the age and gender of your followers, what time they’re most active on Instagram, and where they live. Who would’ve thought?
• Start scheduling. Now for the fun part, right? As you’re clicking around and figuring things out, don’t forget your purpose here: posting great content to push out into the world. Use the studio to schedule out your posts and/or IGTV so you can start making waves with your profile. 

If you were unsure about the Instagram Creator Studio, you probably have no doubts now.

For anyone who loves making great content and is trying to boost their following, it’s a no-brainer. And if you ever need an extra hand with it, know that you have a team of experts right here waiting to help you out!