Instagram launches 'best practices' to help creators

Instagram's professional dashboard is getting an update. If you have a professional Instagram account — if you're a creator, an actor, a writer, a business, or any of the other dozens of options to choose from — your account looks a bit different than a typical Instagram account. You can have a little hyperlinked tag under your name on your profile, you can see analytics about your grid and story posts, and there's heightened performance tracking and other tools. On Tuesday, the social media platform announced that professional users will also have access to a "best practices" section on their dashboard, which is intended to aid creators in engagement, reach, monetization, and optimization. According to Meta's blog post, users will have access not only to general tips but also personalized help "to give you a sense of how your account is performing." SEE ALSO: 9 travel influencers on Instagram to help plan your next adventure "Though anyone can be a creator, succeeding as one takes effort, time, and the right information," Instagram Creators wrote in a blog post. "That’s why we’re excited to introduce best practices, our new in-app destination that guides you with best practices, personalized tips, and educational reels to help you understand how to grow your audience and strengthen your content on Instagram." If you're a creator, you can access the new tool by navigating to your profile and clicking "professional dashboard" at the top of the page (under your bio but above "edit profile" and "share profile"). You might not have it immediately, but it should update when you update your app. The professional dashboard is only available on the Instagram app. Best practices include five main topic areas: creation, engagement, reach, monetization, and guidelines. I have a professional dashboard, and my creation section includes tips like "make creating reels part of your routine," "check your timing," and "try trending audio." My engagement section includes tips like "fo