Instagram for UK small businesses: a practical starter
For a café, salon, trades business or independent shop, Instagram works best as a shop window that’s always open. This is a practical starter written for UK small businesses.
Set it up properly
- Switch to a business account (free) for Insights, contact buttons and the option to promote posts.
- Name field: include what you do and where, for example “Rosie’s Bakes | Cakes in Bristol”. The name field is searchable.
- Bio: what you sell, who for, and the one thing to do next. See our bio tips.
- Contact options: add your email, phone or a booking link, and your address if customers visit you.
- Highlights: prices, opening hours, reviews you’ve received in person, how to order.
What to post
People follow small businesses for three reasons: to see what’s new, to see the people behind it, and to learn something. Rotate between those.
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| New and available | This week’s specials, new stock, last-minute appointment slots |
| Behind the scenes | Prep at 6am, packing orders, the team |
| Useful | How to care for a product, what to ask a tradesperson |
| Proof | Customer photos (with permission), before-and-afters |
Getting local customers
Tag your location on every post, mention your town or neighbourhood in captions where it reads naturally, and work with nearby businesses on collab posts. Our guide to growing a local account goes deeper.
Rules UK businesses should know
If you pay or gift anything to a creator to post about you, the post is likely to be an advert and must be clearly labelled; see the ASA rules for #ad. Competitions need clear terms. And under UK consumer law you must not post fake reviews or present misleading claims about your popularity. If you ever buy followers or likes to help a new profile look established, don’t then use those numbers as evidence of customer satisfaction.
A routine that fits a busy week
- Monday: plan three posts and batch-take the photos or clips.
- Tuesday and Thursday: post a reel.
- Saturday: a carousel or a “this weekend” post.
- Daily, ten minutes: stories and replies.
Measuring what matters
Followers are nice; enquiries, bookings and footfall are the point. Ask new customers how they found you, and watch link taps and profile visits in Insights. Use the engagement rate calculator for a quick health check.
Need the profile to look established while you build?
See Instagram packages