Instagram is working on a new feature for business owners and influencers. The app is adding a new “professional dashboard” feature that brings all the app’s business tools into a dedicated space in the app.
The new dashboard is meant for anyone who uses Instagram professionally and is available to creator and business accounts. Creators may see shortcuts for branded content partnerships and other monetization features, while a restaurant or shop owner can track their ads or set up shopping features. The dashboard will also display account analytics and link to tutorials and other helpful articles.
These features aren’t entirely new to the Instagram app, but it’s the first time the company has centralized all its business tools into one place. The update also highlights the growing importance of Instagram to businesses and influencers alike. Facebook has recently ramped up its efforts to cater to Instagram users whose businesses depend on the platform, adding shopping features to nearly every section of its app. For creators, it introduced commercials for IGTV videos and other long-awaited monetization features.
Instagram has faced increased pressure to help its most popular users make money, as creators have more and more platforms to turn to. TikTok launched a $200 million fund to pay its stars last summer. And Snapchat recently began an aggressive push to pay users for popular videos via its new Spotlight feature.
