Instagram for a local business: profile, Reels and link

A customer looking for a hairdresser, a renovation crew or a bakery finds a business on Google and often also checks its Instagram. If the profile is empty or it’s unclear what the business does, they go back to the search results. If they see fresh photos and Reels of real work, it’s easier for them to call.

In this guide I show how to set up your profile, what to put in your bio, how to add a link you can measure, and how to keep up 2–3 posts a week without burning out after a month. I don’t promise reach: that depends on your industry, your city and what you show. What I do promise is order that works in your favor.

Step 1: set up a business account

For a business, use a business account or a creator account, not a personal one. It gives you insights, a business category, contact buttons and the option to connect a Facebook Page. You will find the switch in your account settings. Instagram changes the option names from time to time, so look for the entry about a professional account.

Set up these elements:

• username: short, ideally the same as your business name and as on your other channels (e.g., pomost.tarasy),
• display name: your business name plus a word people type into search (e.g., “Pomost | terraces and gardens, Giżycko”). Instagram searches this field,
• profile picture: your logo or a clear business mark, legible in a small circle,
• category: the one closest to what your business does,
• contact buttons: phone, email, directions. Enter the same details as in your Google Business Profile.

If you don’t have a logo, a legible name on a plain background is enough to start with. If you want it done properly, I set up and configure business profiles along with graphics and descriptions.

Step 2: write a bio that says what you do

The bio has a limited length (currently 150 characters), so every word has to work. Answer three questions in it: what you do, for whom and where, and what the customer should do next.

A ready-made template:

Composite and stone terraces Giżycko and Masuria Free quotes, we reply within 24 h See our projects: link below

There are no frills in the template. There’s the industry, the place, a promise you keep, and a pointer to the link. Write the name of your town the way your customers search for it. If you work in several towns, list the most important ones or write “Masuria”.

Step 3: a link in your bio with UTM

The link in your bio is the main place where customers go from Instagram to your website. Point it to one specific page where they can do something: your offer, a form or a booking. A home page with ten menus is a worse idea.

Add UTM parameters to it so that you can see in GA4 how many visits came from Instagram. Example:

https://twojafirma.pl/oferta?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=biogram

After a few weeks you will check in GA4 how many people visited and whether they sent an inquiry. I describe how to measure this in the guide on UTM links and customer sources in GA4. If you don’t have analytics yet, I will set up GA4 and conversions so that calls and form submissions are counted.

Step 4: Story Highlights: prices, reviews, directions

Stories disappear after 24 hours, but Story Highlights stay under your bio as circles. They are your cheat sheet for a new customer. Make three to five:

1. Prices (or “How much does it cost”): sample “from” prices with a range and what they depend on. A photo of a single price list page is enough.
2. Reviews: screenshots of Google reviews or messages from customers. Ask for permission, especially when a first and last name is visible.
3. Directions: a map, address, opening hours, a place to park. For businesses without premises: the area where you work.
4. Projects: your best before-and-after photos.
5. How to order: three steps from the phone call to the finished job.

Make the covers in one color with a simple icon. You get a consistent look and you don’t need a graphic designer for it. You can collect reviews by following my guide how to get Google reviews.

Step 5: Reels shot on your phone

Reels are short vertical videos. For a local business, the ones that work best show real work. You don’t need a studio or a video editor.

Ideas that work:

• before and after: one shot of the same place before the job and after it,
• a day at work: a few short clips put together into one Reel,
• one tip in 30 seconds: e.g., how to check whether tiles are laid properly,
• an answer to a customer’s question: “How long does it take to install a door?”,
• behind the scenes: preparing an order, baking, unpacking a delivery.

Filming rules:

• hold your phone vertically and steadily (lean it against something or use a small tripod),
• wipe the lens, as it’s the most common reason for blurry videos,
• film in daylight, ideally near a window or outdoors,
• start with the most interesting shot, not with your logo,
• add subtitles, because many people watch without sound,
• mention the city and the service in the caption.

If the video shows a customer, their home or a car with a license plate, ask for permission or cover such elements.

Step 6: a rhythm of 2–3 posts a week

Consistency matters more than volume. For a one-person business, a good plan is:

On a free evening, prepare content for two weeks. Collect photos and videos as you go in one folder on your phone, labeled with the location. If you also run Facebook, you don’t need two sets: you can publish the same post in both places. If you want to automate this, I have a system for planning and publishing posts on Facebook and Instagram.

Step 7: reply to messages and connect to Facebook

Customers write on Instagram the way they write to friends: briefly and usually after hours. Set yourself some rules:

• check messages once in the morning and once in the evening,
• set up quick replies for the most common questions (price, date, address),
• set up a welcome message with your phone number and hours,
• move phone numbers and private addresses over to a phone call or email.

An example quick reply to copy:

Hello, thank you for your message. Quotes are free: please send us a description of the job, the town and a photo. We will reply within 24 hours on business days.

If you get a lot of messages, you can consider a social media bot that answers questions about prices and dates. My guide on the Messenger and WhatsApp chatbot covers the rules in more detail.

Connecting to your Facebook Page (in the app: Edit profile, then Page) lets you publish in both places at once and manage messages in one place. Make sure that you, not a former contractor, manage the Facebook Page. I write about how to protect yourself in the guide on a hijacked business account.

What not to do

• Don’t buy followers. Empty reach doesn’t bring inquiries and skews your insights.
• Don’t leave your profile empty. Better a little, but regularly.
• Don’t post only graphics with your offer. People want to see the work and the people.
• Don’t post photos of customers without their consent.
• Don’t change the link in your bio every week without writing down which one was active when.

Summary

A business account, a short bio, a UTM link, Story Highlights and 2–3 posts a week are enough for Instagram to support your business. The most important thing is that a customer who visits your profile immediately knows what you do and how to contact you.

Write to me, and I will set up your profile, connect it to your website and measure how many people come from it. I can also set up and configure your social media profiles. The first conversation and the quote are free.