How to grow a business on Instagram

Treat Instagram as a shop window that leads to a conversation. Use a professional account, make your profile say what you do and where, post reels to reach new people and posts to build trust, and give every post one clear next step. Measure enquiries and bookings, not followers.

Start with the profile, not the posts

Most people who find you will look at your profile for a few seconds before deciding whether to follow, message or leave. Get that page right before you worry about content.

• Switch to a professional account. Instagram's business and creator tools, including insights and scheduling, sit behind it.
• Write a bio that says what you do, where, and for whom. Use the words a customer would search for.
• Add one clear action: a booking link, your website or a message button.
• Pin three posts that show your best work, your prices or process, and a happy customer.

Pick three content pillars

A pillar is a type of post you can make again and again. Three is enough. A café might choose the food, the people and the neighbourhood. A builder might choose finished jobs, work in progress and answers to common questions. Every idea then fits one of three boxes, and planning becomes quick.

Reels for reach, posts for trust

Instagram's own advice for reaching new people is to post original content, keep reels to three minutes or less, put relevant keywords in captions and your bio, and avoid reposting other people's videos or anything with a visible watermark from another app. Reels are how strangers find you. Photos and carousels are where they check you are real: prices, detail, reviews and the finished result.

Turn followers into enquiries

1. 1End every post with one stepBook, message, visit or reply with a word. One action, not three.
2. 2Reply quickly to comments and messagesA question in the comments is a lead. Answer it the same day and offer to continue in a message.
3. 3Collaborate locallyInstagram's collab feature lets two accounts share one post, so a nearby business's followers see you too.
4. 4Move leads somewhere you can follow upNote who asked about what, so a message does not vanish under next week's notifications.

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Measure what matters

Check your insights once a week. Instagram shows how content performs with followers and non-followers, which tells you whether you are reaching new people. Then count the numbers that pay the bills: messages, link taps and bookings that came from Instagram. A smaller account that sends five enquiries a week beats a large one that sends none.

Frequently asked questions