Lesson 2 of 6 · all lessons
Instagram for small business account setup
- 1
Switch to a business account
Open your profile, then the menu, then Settings and activity. Under For professionals, choose Account type and tools and pick Business. Switching is free, and a private account becomes public (Instagram Help).
- 2
Pick the category customers search
Choose the category closest to what customers search for, such as Bakery or Florist. A vague word like Shop tells a new visitor nothing.
- 3
Write the bio in one or two lines
Instagram gives you 150 characters. Say what you do, where you are and what the link does.
- 4
Add your page link
Tap Edit profile and add the link to your bio page. One link that holds hours, bookings and products beats a homepage link.
Four things to post
You do not need ideas every morning. A small business has four subjects that never run out.
The product
The cake coming out of the oven, the bouquet before delivery, the fade from the side. Show it close and in daylight.
The people
The baker at 6:00, the new barber, the yoga teacher setting out mats. Customers buy from faces they know.
The place
Your window, your street, the table by the light. People who have seen the place on a screen find the door faster.
The proof
A real review, a sold-out shelf, a regular who comes back every Friday. Ask before you show a customer.
| Format | What it is good for | Small business example |
|---|---|---|
| Reel | Showing the work as it happens | A barber films a cut from start to finish |
| Carousel | Prices, steps and a menu people save | A café posts this week's lunch menu in five slides |
| Story | Today's news and quick questions | A florist posts the last three bouquets of the day |
| Pinned post | What new visitors see first | A yoga studio pins its beginner class offer |
One action per post
A post that asks for three things gets none of them. End each caption with one action and make sure the link takes people there in one tap.
- 1Reel of a cakeThe caption says order it from the link in bio
- 2Bio linkOpens the bakery's page
- 3Product blockCelebration cake, at the top
- 4Online storeThe customer picks a date and pays
Caption endings to copy
- Bakery
Want this for Saturday? Tap the link in our bio and order the celebration cake.
- Barber
Free chairs this Thursday. Book yours from the link in our bio.
- Yoga studio
New to yoga? Book your first class from the link in our bio.
- Florist
Order this bouquet before 13:00 for delivery today. Link in bio.
- Café
Today's lunch menu and prices are on the link in our bio.
The bio and the page behind it
The bio gets the tap. The page behind it gets the booking. Put the most asked-for action at the top of the page, so the tap from the bio lands on it.
A bio that loses taps
- Welcome to our page
- A link to the homepage
- Hours typed into the bio
- Five links of equal size on the page
A bio that gets taps
- What you do and where, in one line
- A link to a page with the booking button first
- Hours in an opening hours block that shows open now
- One main button, with the rest below it
On your bio page, a booking block opens your booking page and a product block opens the product in your store. Your about text says the same thing as your Instagram bio, in a few more words.
DM replies that lead to a booking
Many customers ask in DMs instead of tapping the link. Answer the question first, then send the exact page. Keep these replies in your phone notes, ready to paste.
DM replies to copy
- Price question
Hi, a cut and beard trim is [price]. You can pick a free time here: [link]
- Are you open?
Yes, we are open until 18:00 today. Our hours for every day are here: [link]
- Custom order
We can make that. Cakes need three days' notice. Order here and add your message: [link]
- Delivery question
We deliver in [area] the same day for orders before 13:00. Order here: [link]
If customers prefer to chat, the free WhatsApp link generator makes a link that opens a chat with you and a ready message.
Instagram mistakes small shops make
MistakeOnly posting the logo and offers
FixPost the product, the people, the place and the proof. Offers work better between them.
MistakeA caption that ends with nothing
FixFinish every caption with one action, such as book, order or visit.
MistakeA link in bio that opens your homepage
FixLink a page that puts the booking or order button first.
MistakeDM replies with no link
FixAnswer the question, then send the exact page where they book or order.
Your task this week
- 1
Switch to a business account, pick your category and rewrite your bio in two lines.
- 2
Plan four posts for next week, one each for product, people, place and proof.
- 3
Save the four DM replies in your phone notes, with your own page link in each.
You are done when four posts are planned, each caption ends with one action, and your bio link opens a page with your main button first.
