IG Business User Persona - Who is the social media giant for?

Why Instagram?

As an Instagram user myself, I wanted to explore how other user personas feel and experience the social media app.

Some of the things IG has launched this year include sending your friends songs and scheduling your DMs.

I've had an account since IG first came out back in 2010. Every time I go into the app, something has changed. Some things feel unnecessary, like updating my status.

Sharing a story feels overwhelming. So many options! Though I fall into doom scrolling at times, I don't think Instagram makes features for users like me.

So, who is Instagram designing for?

Defining the User Persona

With 2.35 billion users worldwide, Instagram has several types of user personas—casual users, small and big businesses, entrepreneurs, influencers, and more. Furthermore, user behavior based on age, region, gender, and political views significantly varies.

Therefore, I decided to focus on an entrepreneurial profile in Spain.

What is the goal of the user persona?

User personas are key tools to help us design products that meet our users' needs. They're fictional characters created to represent our real target audience.

User personas take complex research about specific user groups and turn it into something clear and digestible.

My goal with this project is to showcase how Instagram could better address the needs, motivations, and pain points of this user persona.

User Persona: Wedding Photographer

Why a wedding photographer? Most wedding photographers are small business owners or work for themselves.

Being a wedding photographer involves self-promotion, equipment investment, attracting and retaining clients, administrative tasks, and nowadays, being active on social media platforms.

Interview Questions

Here are some questions we need to ask to understand their needs and pain points better:

General Social Media Usage:

1. Which social media platforms do you use most frequently, and for what purposes?
2. How much time, on average, do you spend on social media platforms daily?
3. What do you enjoy most about using social media?
4. What are some of the biggest frustrations or challenges you face when using social media?
5. Have your social media habits or preferences changed over time? If so, how?

Platform-Specific Questions:

1. How do you currently use Instagram for your business?
2. What were your initial reasons for using Instagram? Have those reasons changed?
3. How effective do you feel Instagram has been in helping you achieve your business goals (e.g., bookings, client inquiries, brand awareness)?
4. What kind of content do you typically share on IG? How much time and effort does it take you to create this content?
5. How do you feel about the current balance between the effort required to maintain a presence on Social Media and the results you see?
6. What features or aspects of IG do you find most useful? Least useful?
7. Have you noticed any changes in engagement with your content over time? What do you attribute this to?
8. How do you feel about the emphasis on different content formats (e.g., images vs. videos) on IG?
9. How do you discover new content or accounts on IG?
10. How do you interact with other users or businesses on the platform?
11. What would make your experience using IG more valuable and enjoyable for your business?
12. Are there any features or tools that you wish IG had that would better support your needs as a wedding photographer?
13. How do you feel about the way IG's algorithm displays content? Does it feel fair or transparent?
14. Have you considered reducing your activity or leaving IG? If so, what were your reasons?
15. If you could design one new feature for IG specifically for professionals like yourself, what would it be?

Methodologies

• Survey
• Interviews
• Affinity Map

Conclusion

Elena's journey highlights a key problem: visual artists struggle to build sustainable careers in a world increasingly dominated by short-form videos and complex algorithms.

Despite feeling the pressure to maintain an online presence, she would prefer not to do this extra work.

The disparity between the effort required and the direct bookings received illustrates that Instagram does not always provide the most effective or enjoyable avenue for some of its users.

Ultimately, this research echoes a broader question: Who is Instagram truly designing for?

Understanding and addressing the pain points of specific entrepreneurial personas like Elena is crucial.

Failing to do so risks alienating valuable segments who may seek alternative platforms that better align with their professional goals and content formats.

Instagram should create better tools for artists like Elena to showcase their work, find clients, and maintain a healthy online presence while still focusing on their craft.