Privacy remains a big concern for many individuals amidst the extensive use of social media. As our daily lives increasingly intertwine with our activities on social media, many individuals feel concerned about sharing too much of their lives on social platforms. At the same time, many people love to express themselves and showcase their content. As a result, social media has become an extension of their lifestyle and personality.
Instagram gives its users the option of keeping their accounts private or public. As an avid social media user, you also may have faced the dilemma of deciding what you share online and who you share it with. In this article, we will talk about the different aspects of public and private Instagram profiles and the pros and cons of each.
Public Instagram Profile
A public Instagram profile implies that all of your content is accessible to everyone. The stories, audio, and video content you share are visible to anyone who visits your profile. Moreover, anyone can check who your followers are and whom you follow.
Who is it suited for
Public Instagram profiles are like an open book where everything is visible. Bloggers, influencers, and meme-makers opt for public profiles as they are looking to increase their following. The more following they have, the more opportunities for them to grow and have a wide outreach irrespective of boundaries. In addition, businesses prefer to collaborate with influencers having a large number of followers. It, in turn, enables the followers to turn their hobby into a lucrative venture.
Similarly, many individuals have profiles dedicated to a certain passion or hobby, which they use either to turn it into a business or to showcase their skills to audiences far and wide merely. Large and small-scale businesses have business accounts on Instagram that act as a gateway to their e-commerce portals. Instagram analytics provide them with useful insight that can improve their key metrics and help them increase their engagement and conversion rate.
The challenges
While pubic profiles provide growth opportunities to individuals and businesses, there is a catch. Having a public profile means you do not control who sees your content or how they choose to use it. You are exposed in the public eye, which may prove to be a challenge in certain instances.
Private Instagram profile
With a private Instagram profile, individuals can keep the content on their profile private, and they can allow access to a select number of individuals based on their preference (with the exception of tools like private instagram viewer).
Who is it suited for
If you are an individual who does not feel comfortable sharing their content with everyone and want to keep it exclusive, a private profile is a right choice for you. On the other hand, if you own a profile with rich and unique content, you may prefer to maintain your control and allow only limited individuals to have access.
Moreover, certain businesses also opt for a private account. It helps them retain exclusivity and a certain sense of intrigue around their brand, which can eventually help them gain more followers.
The challenges
A private account can significantly reduce your audience and consequently the engagement on your posts. For example, even if you apply relevant hashtags, your posts will not appear in searches. Similarly, businesses choosing to go private will have their accounts switched from business to personal accounts. As a result, they will not have access to the data provided through Instagram insights and lose the shopping link from their profile.
Conclusive Remarks
Having a public or private account is merely a matter of choice; however, your decision can have varying impacts. Therefore, when you decide between opting for a public or a private profile, weigh in on the important factors. For example, if you choose privacy and your content control over everything, go for a private account. However, if your Instagram handle is a means of furthering your personal and professional goals, you may opt for a public Instagram profile.
