How to Market Your Business on Instagram: A 2026 Guide

Apr 9, 2020 | instagram, Social Media

Instagram can still be a valuable marketing channel for businesses — but the way I recommend using it has changed considerably since I first wrote this article.

Years ago, Instagram marketing advice focused heavily on:

• Perfect-looking grids

• Filters

• Posting at a specific time

• Using large groups of hashtags

• Automatically sharing every post to other social networks

• Trying to gain as many followers as possible

Today, I take a much more practical approach.

Your Instagram account should help potential customers quickly understand:

Who you are.
What your business does.
Who you help.
What makes you different.
What they should do next.

For a local business, it should also reinforce where you operate.

You do not need a perfectly coordinated grid.

You do not need to go viral.

And you definitely do not need millions of followers.

You need an account that reaches the right people, demonstrates what your business is actually like, and gives potential customers a reason to learn more.

Quick Answer: How Should a Business Market Itself on Instagram?

A strong Instagram strategy should include:

• A clearly optimized profile

• Consistent branding

• Useful photos and videos

• Reels

• Carousels

• Stories

• Customer-focused educational content

• Behind-the-scenes content

• Real people

• Local content when appropriate

• Social proof

• Clear calls to action

• Links back to your website

• Regular review of what content actually performs

The goal is not simply to gain followers.

The goal is to build visibility, recognition, trust, and eventually business.

Start With a Professional Instagram Profile

Before worrying about content, make sure the profile itself clearly represents the business.

A visitor should understand what you do within a few seconds.

Your profile should make it obvious:

• Who you are

• What service or product you offer

• Who you help

• Where you are located or serve

• Where someone can learn more

• What action you want them to take

Think of the profile like a miniature landing page.

Someone may discover you through a Reel or shared post without knowing anything about your company.

When they visit the profile, the next question becomes:

“Is this business relevant to me?”

Make the answer easy.

Choose a Username People Can Recognize

Whenever possible, use a username that closely reflects your business or brand.

I use:

@seo.expert.sd

for my own SEO-focused Instagram presence.

The exact business name is ideal when it is available, but sometimes a descriptive variation makes sense.

Avoid usernames that make it difficult for someone to identify the business.

Consistency across your website and other important profiles can also make the brand easier to recognize.

Optimize the Name Field

Do not forget the name field on the profile.

This is another place where you can make the account more descriptive.

For example, instead of simply:

Jen Ruhman

I may use wording that reinforces what I do, such as:

Jen Ruhman | San Diego SEO Expert

That immediately provides more context.

Do not stuff keywords into every available field.

Use natural language that helps people understand the account.

Write a Bio That Explains What You Actually Do

A lot of business bios are too vague.

Something like:

Helping you achieve your dreams ✨

might sound nice.

But what does the company sell?

A strong bio should quickly explain the business.

I like thinking about the bio in four parts:

Who you help

What you do

A benefit or differentiator

A clear next step

For my own business, I want someone to understand that I am an SEO expert in San Diego and that I help businesses improve their visibility in Google, local search, and evolving AI search.

That is much more useful than a generic slogan.

If you want to see how I position those services outside social media, visit my San Diego SEO company website.

Use a Clear Profile Photo

For many businesses, your logo works well.

For a personal brand or owner-led business, a professional photo can sometimes be more memorable.

The most important thing is that the image remains easy to recognize at a small size.

Avoid tiny text, complicated graphics, or images that become impossible to understand in the Instagram interface.

And once people begin recognizing your profile image, do not change it constantly without a reason.

Brand recognition has value.

Give People Somewhere Useful to Go

Instagram should not become the entire digital presence of your business.

Your website is still an asset you control.

Use the links available on your Instagram profile strategically.

Depending on the business, you may send people to:

• Your homepage

• A service page

• A booking page

• Your contact page

• A current offer

• A consultation page

• A useful resource

• A specific Instagram landing page

I usually prefer sending someone to a page that closely matches what I am asking them to do.

If the call to action says:

Get a free SEO analysis

then I want the link to take the visitor somewhere they can actually request that analysis.

Remove unnecessary friction.

What Should a Business Post on Instagram?

This is where many businesses get stuck.

They assume every post needs to advertise a product or service.

That becomes repetitive quickly.

Instead, think about the questions, experiences, people, results, and stories surrounding the business.

Useful content categories might include:

Educational Content

Answer questions customers ask regularly.

Explain misconceptions.

Share tips.

Break down complicated subjects.

For my business, that might mean discussing:

• SEO mistakes

• Google Business Profile tips

• Website problems

• Local SEO

• AI search

• Search rankings

• Common SEO myths

The same principle works in almost every industry.

Behind-the-Scenes Content

Show people what happens inside the business.

Customers often enjoy seeing:

• How something is made

• How a service is performed

• What preparation looks like

• Your workspace

• A project in progress

• Your team

• Your process

This type of content can make a business feel more real.

Customer Experience

Show what it is actually like to work with you.

That might include:

• Testimonials

• Reviews

• Before-and-after examples

• Case studies

• Customer photos

• Results

• Stories about successful projects

Always make sure you have appropriate permission before sharing customer information or imagery.

Personality

If you are part of the brand, show up.

One of the biggest advantages smaller businesses have over large corporations is personality.

Customers may work directly with the owner.

Let people see who that person is.

That is especially useful for professional services where trust matters.

Use Reels to Show, Explain, and Demonstrate

Short-form vertical video remains an important format within Instagram, and Meta continues to actively develop Reels as a major advertising and engagement surface.

But you do not need elaborate video production.

For businesses, simple Reels can work extremely well.

Ideas include:

• Answer one customer question

• Show a before-and-after

• Demonstrate a service

• Explain one mistake

• Show your process

• Give a quick tip

• Take viewers behind the scenes

• Walk through a project

• Explain something people misunderstand

• Share a short customer success story

Think:

one Reel = one useful idea

Do not try to explain your entire industry in 30 seconds.

Use Carousels When the Topic Needs More Explanation

Not every idea needs to become a video.

Carousels work well when you want to teach something visually in a sequence.

For example:

5 Reasons Your Website Isn’t Ranking

Slide 1: Strong hook
Slide 2: Weak service pages
Slide 3: Poor internal linking
Slide 4: Search intent mismatch
Slide 5: Weak authority
Slide 6: Call to action

This gives people information they can move through at their own pace.

It also makes it easy to repurpose educational material from your website.

For example, a detailed blog article about why blogging can help SEO could easily become several Instagram posts, Reels, or carousels.

Use Stories for More Casual, Frequent Updates

Stories do not need to look as polished as your main profile content.

They are useful for:

• Behind-the-scenes moments

• Quick updates

• Questions

• Polls

• Customer reviews

• New posts

• Promotions

• Events

• Day-to-day business activity

• Reminders about your services

Stories can help keep the business visible without requiring every update to become a permanent feed post.

Local Businesses Should Show Their Location

If you serve a geographic market, let people see it.

A San Diego business should not look like it could be located anywhere in the country.

Show your community when it naturally fits.

That could include:

• Local landmarks

• Neighborhoods

• Events

• Customer locations

• Local businesses you collaborate with

• Your office or service area

• Community involvement

• Local organizations

This supports your brand while reinforcing your connection to the area.

It is the same reason geographic relevance matters in local SEO and AI-powered search.

Your website, Google presence, Instagram, and broader digital footprint should tell a consistent story about where your business operates.

Use Location Tags When They Are Relevant

If you are posting from your business, an event, a local landmark, or another meaningful location, adding the appropriate location can provide useful context.

Do not randomly attach locations simply because you hope they will produce more reach.

Use them when they genuinely describe the content.

For local businesses, this is another simple way of making geographic context clearer.

Collaborate With Other Local Businesses

Instagram can be especially useful for building relationships locally.

Look for complementary businesses rather than only competitors.

For example:

A wedding photographer might collaborate with a venue.

A hairstylist might collaborate with a makeup artist.

A personal trainer might collaborate with a healthy restaurant.

A vacation rental company might collaborate with local attractions.

A San Diego SEO consultant might collaborate with web designers, photographers, business organizations, or other professionals serving local companies.

These relationships can introduce both businesses to relevant audiences.

And they can create real-world relationships that extend well beyond Instagram.

Work With Creators Carefully

Influencer and creator partnerships can work well when the audience makes sense.

Do not choose someone only because they have a large follower count.

Look at:

• Audience relevance

• Location

• Engagement

• Content quality

• Brand alignment

• Authenticity

• Whether their audience resembles your customers

A smaller local creator with the right audience may be far more valuable to a neighborhood business than someone with a massive but unrelated following.

Meta also continues to support creator/business partnerships across Instagram, including partnership and branded content tools.

Encourage Customer-Generated Content

Some of the best content about your business may come from customers.

If appropriate for your industry, encourage people to:

• Tag the business

• Share their experience

• Post photos

• Mention your account

• Share results

• Show the product in use

You can then request permission to reshare strong customer content.

This provides something businesses often struggle to create themselves:

authentic social proof.

Do Not Obsess Over a Perfect Grid

This is one of the biggest changes from my older Instagram advice.

Years ago, I spent much more time thinking about checkerboard layouts, columns, filters, and perfectly coordinated profile grids.

Brand consistency still matters.

But I would not sacrifice useful content just to maintain a complicated visual pattern.

Instead, aim for:

• Recognizable branding

• Good photos

• Readable graphics

• Consistent typography

• A coherent palette

• Professional presentation

Your profile should look like the same business.

It does not need to look like every post was designed six months in advance.

Hashtags Are a Supporting Tool, Not the Strategy

I also would not build an entire Instagram strategy around hashtags.

Use relevant hashtags when they genuinely describe the post, audience, industry, or location.

But do not assume adding a giant block of generic hashtags will compensate for weak content.

Your priorities should be:

Useful content.
Strong visuals.
Clear messaging.
Audience relevance.
Consistency.

Hashtags can support those things.

They do not replace them.

Write Captions for People First

Your captions do not need to sound like advertisements.

Write naturally.

A good caption may:

• Explain what is happening

• Tell a story

• Answer a question

• Give useful advice

• Share your perspective

• Explain why something matters

• Invite someone to respond

• Give a clear next step

Avoid stuffing captions with keywords purely for search visibility.

Clarity is more important.

Give Every Post a Purpose

Before publishing, ask:

Why am I posting this?

Possible goals include:

• Educate

• Build trust

• Demonstrate expertise

• Generate engagement

• Show personality

• Drive website traffic

• Promote a service

• Share social proof

• Build local awareness

• Encourage inquiries

Not every post needs to sell.

But the overall account should support the business.

Instagram Should Support Your Website — Not Replace It

This is an important point.

Social platforms change.

Algorithms change.

Features change.

Your website is still the digital property your business controls.

Use Instagram to introduce people to the company and then create opportunities for them to move deeper into your ecosystem.

That might mean:

Instagram → blog article

Instagram → service page

Instagram → consultation

Instagram → free analysis

Instagram → email list

For my own business, Instagram supports the broader visibility I’m building as an SEO expert in San Diego.

My website remains the central place where people can learn about my services, read detailed resources, review case studies, and contact me.

That relationship matters.

Instagram and SEO Can Support Each Other

Instagram itself is not a replacement for your SEO strategy.

Someone searching Google for a service in San Diego may never see your latest Reel.

And someone who discovers your Reel may later search your brand on Google.

Modern customer journeys move across platforms.

A person might:

See you on Instagram.

Search your name.

Read your Google reviews.

Visit your website.

Read one of your articles.

Return three weeks later.

Then contact you.

That is why I look at digital marketing as an ecosystem.

Social media can build awareness and familiarity.

Your website can provide depth.

Your Google Business Profile can reinforce your local presence.

SEO can help people discover you when they are actively searching for a solution.

For businesses that depend on local customers, a strong San Diego SEO company strategy and an active social presence can complement each other very well.

Repurpose Your Website Content

You do not need to invent every Instagram idea from scratch.

Look at the content you already own.

One useful blog article can become:

• A Reel

• A carousel

• Three short tips

• A Story

• A quote graphic

• A FAQ post

• A short video

• A LinkedIn post

• An email

This is one reason I still believe strategic blogging can be valuable.

You are creating a deeper resource first.

Then you can turn that resource into shorter content for other channels.

Plan Content in Simple Categories

You do not need an enormous social media calendar.

Choose a few categories and rotate them.

For example:

Monday: education
Wednesday: behind the scenes
Friday: customer result or proof
Weekend: personality/local content

The exact days are not important.

The categories simply make content planning easier.

You can adjust your mix based on what your audience responds to.

Measure What Actually Works

Do not judge your Instagram strategy only by follower count.

Look at the actions that matter to your business.

That may include:

• Profile visits

• Website clicks

• Shares

• Saves

• Comments

• Direct messages

• Reach

• Video views

• Leads

• Bookings

• Sales

• Branded searches

• Customer inquiries mentioning Instagram

A post with fewer likes may generate more business than a post with lots of superficial engagement.

Pay attention to patterns.

Which topics get saved?

Which videos generate profile visits?

Which posts lead to DMs?

Which content gets shared?

Which posts attract the type of customer you actually want?

Then do more of what works.

A Simple Instagram Strategy for Local Businesses

If you are starting from scratch, I would keep it simple.

Step 1: Optimize the Profile

Clearly explain what you do, who you help, and where you operate.

Step 2: Choose Three to Five Content Categories

Examples:

Education.

Customer results.

Behind the scenes.

Services.

Local/community.

Personality.

Step 3: Create Useful Content Consistently

Do not obsess over a perfect schedule.

Choose something you can realistically maintain.

Step 4: Mix Formats

Use a combination of:

Reels.

Carousels.

Photos.

Stories.

Step 5: Show the People Behind the Business

Faces make businesses easier to connect with.

Step 6: Include Local Context

Show where you operate when location matters.

Step 7: Engage Like a Real Person

Respond to comments.

Answer legitimate messages.

Interact with customers and relevant local accounts.

Step 8: Give People a Next Step

Visit the website.

Book.

Call.

Send a message.

Request a quote.

Read a guide.

Step 9: Measure Results

Look beyond likes.

Identify which content is contributing to real business outcomes.

Common Instagram Marketing Mistakes

I would avoid:

• Posting only advertisements

• Buying followers

• Following random accounts simply hoping for follow-backs

• Copying competitors word for word

• Using irrelevant hashtags

• Ignoring comments and messages

• Obsessing over follower count

• Posting without any clear strategy

• Creating content that has nothing to do with your audience

• Neglecting your website because you are focused entirely on Instagram

Meta’s community rules also prohibit artificial collection of likes, followers, or shares and other spam-like engagement tactics, which is another reason to avoid shortcuts aimed purely at inflating numbers.

Build a real audience instead.

Frequently Asked Questions About Instagram for Business

Is Instagram still worth using for businesses?

It can be, particularly when your customers use Instagram and your business has useful visual, educational, local, or personality-driven content to share. The key is matching the platform to your audience and business goals.

Does every business need Instagram?

No. A business should prioritize the channels its customers actually use. Some companies may receive more value from Google, LinkedIn, YouTube, email, or another platform.

How often should a business post on Instagram?

There is no universal posting frequency. Choose a schedule you can realistically maintain while continuing to produce useful content. Quality and relevance matter more than posting simply to hit a quota.

Should businesses post Reels?

Reels can be a useful way to demonstrate services, answer questions, show personality, and reach people through short-form video. Businesses do not need elaborate production; simple, useful videos can be effective.

Should I use hashtags on Instagram?

Relevant hashtags can provide context, but they should support the content rather than become the entire strategy. Use hashtags that genuinely relate to the post, industry, audience, or location.

Should a local business use location tags?

When the location is genuinely relevant to the content, yes. Location information can provide useful context for local customers.

Should I hire influencers for my local business?

Potentially, but focus on audience relevance rather than follower count. A smaller creator with a strong local following may be more valuable than a large creator whose audience has little connection to your business.

Can Instagram help SEO?

Instagram does not replace traditional SEO, but it can support your broader digital presence by increasing brand awareness, generating branded searches, sending visitors to your website, providing content people may share, and strengthening overall visibility.

Should Instagram replace my website?

No. Instagram is a third-party platform. Your website should remain an important business asset where you control your content, services, conversion paths, and long-term search strategy.

Final Thoughts: Use Instagram to Make Your Business More Human

Instagram does not need to be complicated.

You do not need a perfect grid.

You do not need to chase every trend.

You do not need to become an influencer.

You need to show people:

What you do.
Who you help.
What it is like to work with you.
Why your business is different.
What they should do next.

Use Instagram to make your business visible and human.

Then make sure the rest of your digital presence supports that story.

As a San Diego SEO expert, I look at Instagram as one piece of a much larger customer journey that may also include Google Search, Google Maps, reviews, websites, AI-powered search, referrals, and other channels.

The strongest businesses do not depend on one platform.

They build a digital presence that works together.

If your website and search visibility are not supporting the attention you’re generating through social media, I can help identify where the biggest opportunities are.

GET YOUR FREE SEO ANALYSIS →

Or call/text me at (619) 719-1315.

— Jen Ruhman
SEO Expert & Founder of Jen Ruhman SEO

How to Get Local Instagram Followers

Dec 31, 2019 | instagram, Social Media

How to get local followers on instagram for your business.

Check out my top 5 tips to easily grow your local followers on Instagram.

If you have a small business, you need local Instagram followers.
It’s truly how you can get local instagram users to notice your business and get them started into your sales funnel or marketing goals.

Today I’m sharing a few powerful ways how you can attract, interact, and gain local instagram followers.

This method is not focused on taking better instagram photos… Pshhh. This tutorial shows you how to take action!

It’s quick and easy!

It gets better, 

You can get local followers for free on instagram. 

That’s right. You’re tapping into over 100 million instagram users… there’s defiantly instagram users that are nearby your local business.

It’s time to gain the benefits of instagram for your local business and get local users’  attention to notice your brand!

If you’re like most small businesses you probably can’t afford to hire a social media expert.

That’s OK. If you have ten minutes to spare per day for instagram, I’ll show you how you can get local instagram followers that will help boost your sales.

Having local instagram followers is beneficial for any small business

• It helps you gain trust with your customers or potential customers
• Spreads word of mouth
• Gets foot traffic to your business
• Creates a sense of community and branding

If you have a small business that relies on foot traffic, you need local marketing.

Ready to get started?

Here’s five tips how to get local followers on Instagram

NEW AWESOME Bonus tip: Follow the business’ next door’s instagram followers!

For example. The BBQ restaurant’s instagram I manage. There is a mechanic shop next door with lots of LOCAL customers following their instagram account. We simply gave the mechanic shop a coupon to share with their customers for 10% off their entire meal. (these customers usually wait around while their car gets fixed)

Let’s give them an incentive to get them into our restaurant! Guess what happened? They posted the coupon on their instagram account. Now all their followers see the deal. And I swoop in and follow all the people that liked the post AND I followed all the mechanic shop’s followers. We now have an extra 100 followers. Skimming through the users, they are all based in San Diego. Awesome!

RELATED POST  How to Get Your Business Started on Instagram

1. Leverage Local Hashtags

People love using their local hashtags such as their city or exact location in their instagram posts.

Check out an example, I typed in “#SanDiego” (my city btw I’m using my laptop)

See all the local potential?! Over 13 million posts.

Check out the most recent Instagram posts for this hashtag and interact.

Like their photo AND leave a comment.

2. Interact with the most recent local posts

Keep your comments professional and start a conversation, perhaps ask a question. You can even just leave an emoji.

Why should you interact with the most recent Instagram posts?

I recommend that you interact with the most recent photos because these users are most likely still using instagram or have their phone in their hand. They’re awaiting to see how many likes they will receive or how many comments their photo will earn. (millennials… right?)

You have a better chance interacting with them, making an impression.

You want to interact on photos that have no likes or comments, be the first!

For example:

Let’s click on this photo:

Now let’s follow, like, and leave a comment. Notice other hashtags we can use too? #SanDiegoCA

3. Leave questions as comments

Now, you might want to leave a more creative comment than “congrats” Notice the address above the man’s head? Point that out, say 4750? You’re practically my neighbor. We’re an IT company in San Diego. Congrats BTW! :)”

The best types of comments to leave on Instagram are questions!

You want to “stir the pot” “create buzz”.

Your goal in this process is to get the Instagram user to click on your Instagram username to see who you are.

Time for a fun example….

Let’s peek into an Instagram user’s mind:

The local instagram user’s mind might work like this:

Local Instagram user: “Hey….. who’s liking and leaving me comments on my account?”

(sees five new likes and one new comment from you)

RELATED POST  Top 10 Snapchat Facts Marketers Need to Know

This raises curiosity who you are. 

They will most likely click on your username  to check out your profile and photos before commenting back.

The point is that you succeeded “getting into their head”

They now know there’s an IT company in San Diego nearby that follows them. (you’re an IT company in this example)

Local Instagram user: “I just looked at their profile, they seem ok… I’ll write back.”

Local Instagram user: “I’m gonna return the favor and like some of their photos now because they liked a bunch of mine…”

Fast forward months from now

4. Interact with your Instagram news feed

Now that you’re following a good amount of instagram users in your area, be sure to like their photos!

It’s important to continue to like their photos and comment. Eventually the local instagram users you follow will follow you back and interact with you.

It does take time and you need to be persistent. However, don’t act desperate or be pushy.

5. Leverage the Geo-locate feature:

Let’s leverage the geo-locate feature in this Instagram post. The user here allowed Instagram to use his location and include it below his instagram username as circled in red. (example pictured below)

If this is a nearby business and it has your target market of customers, in this case it’s a car dealership. They attract people with money in the market to purchase a new car. 🙂

This place is already receiving foot traffic and they’re your neighbor.

• Click on their location
• Look for users that recently took photos here
• Follow them! (in this example it’s mostly the car dealership that populates the “most recent”) However, you’ll find some customer posts.

 6. Follow your local competition’s followers!

This is HUGE! This is quick and shameless tip. If there’s a local business that’s a competitor, check out their inastagram account.

Study what they’re posting, see what’s working for them. It doesn’t hurt to follow their ideas, you can perhaps think of even better ideas, brainstorm with your employees.

If your competitors have followers, they might be more likely to follow you back since they already like the same type of business.

Bonus: How to get local business to follow you on Instagram

Depending on your product or business, you may want to only attract local business owners or local businesses on Instagram.

Sometimes, that’s more of a bigger client and can be a bigger sale.

For example, it you’re an IT company, you most likely want small businesses nearby to follow you and hire you for your local IT services. You’ll want to simply search for targeted keywords. Use the city you’re located and add “businessowner” for example, #SanDiegoBusinessOwner.

Bingo, do a quick search in Instagram for “#SanDiegoBusinessOwner” and 62 posts show:

You should follow and interact with the most recent posts. Leave comments and get a conversation started. Connect! Network!

You can also do a google search for any specific businesses nearby.

For example, if you wanted to connect with only dentists in San Diego, do a google search “dentists San Diego” Click on their links and website to find their instagram account.

Thanks for reading “How to Get Local Followers on Instagram.”

Do you have any tips how to get local followers on instagram?

Please share your tips in the comments below.

Still confused about Instagram?

I have lots more Instagram tips for you:

Top Benefits of Using Instagram for Business

10 Instagram Facts Marketers Need to Know

How to get your business started on Instagram

How to Optimize your Instagram for local business

10 Creative ways your business can utilize Instagram

Get more likes on your Instagram photos using this free app

Instagram hashtags for Selling Jewelry