A lot of businesses have already been using Facebook's Instagram for promotions. New features that are said to be undergoing testing for the picture-sharing service, however, will provide better functionality for businesses.
The Later Blog reported that Instagram is testing new business profiles with a small number of users, with three features that will make the Instagram bio resemble a Facebook page.
The features mentioned in the report are a "Contact" button, which will be shown beside the "Following" button, a location tag and a displayed category for the Instagram account.
Clicking on the "Contact" button will present users with the options of either to "Get Directions" or to "Email" the account. The button mimics the functionality of Facebook and Messenger of allowing users to directly contact a business without exposing the email address of the business to save it from potential spammers.
Clicking on the "Location" tag, meanwhile, will bring up a map to the business' exact spot, with the category appearing on profile allowing users to discern what a business is all about if its name is unclear.
All these new features will save businesses from having blocks of text on their bio, as previously, they would have to specify their contact details, location and type of business, which clutters up the profile.
A spokesperson for Instagram confirmed that the new features spotted being tested in the wild are real, though it is only available to a small group of users. The service could be planning to launch a wider rollout for the features soon, though, as Instagram is looking to expand its advertising reach.
The features will go hand in hand with the many changes that Instagram is implementing to benefit businesses while also driving up advertising revenue for the company. Instagram recently expanded its Carousel ad format to allow advertisers to push out more photos and videos to users of the service in less space.
