Instagram has over 2 billion monthly users. It’s where people discover brands, research purchases, and connect with businesses they love. For small business owners, it can be a powerful marketing tool.

Or it can be a massive time sink that produces nothing.

The difference comes down to how you use it. Here are the do’s and don’ts that actually matter for small business Instagram.

The Do’s

Do: Define your purpose before posting

Why is your business on Instagram? To drive website traffic? Build brand awareness? Showcase your work? Generate leads?

Your answer shapes everything: what you post, how often, what success looks like. Without a clear purpose, you’ll post randomly and wonder why nothing’s working.

Do: Focus on your target customer

Every piece of content should be created with your ideal customer in mind. What do they want to see? What problems do they have? What questions do they ask?

Stop thinking about what you want to say. Start thinking about what they want to see.

Do: Post consistently

Consistency beats frequency. Posting three times a week, every week, is better than posting daily for a month then disappearing.

Pick a realistic schedule and stick to it. If you can only manage twice a week, that’s fine—just be consistent.

Do: Use Instagram Stories

Stories are where the engagement happens. They feel more personal, more immediate, more authentic than feed posts.

Use Stories to:

Show behind-the-scenes content
Share quick tips
Ask questions and polls
Share customer testimonials
Promote your feed posts

Do: Engage with your community

Instagram is social. That means:

Respond to every comment on your posts
Reply to DMs promptly
Comment on posts from customers and local businesses
Share user-generated content (with permission)

The more you engage, the more the algorithm rewards you.

Do: Use location tags

For local businesses, this is crucial. Tag your location on every post and Story. It helps local users find you.

Do: Create Reels

Instagram is pushing video hard. Reels get significantly more reach than static posts. You don’t need to be a video expert—simple, authentic content often performs best.

Do: Have a clear call-to-action

Every post should have a purpose. What do you want people to do after seeing it? Visit your website? DM you? Comment? Make it clear.

Do: Track what works

Instagram’s built-in analytics (for business accounts) show you what’s performing. Pay attention to:

Which posts get the most engagement
When your audience is most active
What content types perform best

Do more of what works.

The Don’ts

Don’t: Post only promotional content

The quickest way to kill engagement is to make every post about selling. The rough rule: 80% value, 20% promotion.

Value means: educational content, entertainment, inspiration, behind-the-scenes. Promotion means: buy this, hire us, sale happening.

Don’t: Use irrelevant hashtags

#love #instagood #photooftheday might have millions of posts, but they won’t help your business. Your posts will be buried immediately.

Use specific, relevant hashtags. For a Knoxville bakery: #knoxvillebakery #knoxvillefood #knoxvilletn #easttnfood

Don’t: Buy followers

It’s tempting, but fake followers destroy your account. They don’t engage, which tanks your engagement rate, which tells Instagram to show your content to fewer people.

Plus, it’s obvious. An account with 10,000 followers and 15 likes per post looks worse than an account with 500 followers and 50 likes.

Don’t: Ignore DMs

Direct messages are where relationships are built and business happens. Treat DMs like you’d treat a phone call from a potential customer—respond promptly and helpfully.

Don’t: Post poor quality images

Instagram is a visual platform. Blurry photos, bad lighting, and cluttered backgrounds make your business look unprofessional.

You don’t need a professional photographer. A smartphone with decent lighting and a clean background is enough. But take the time to make it look good.

Don’t: Copy exactly what big brands do

National brands have different goals, resources, and audiences than local small businesses. What works for Nike won’t work for a Knoxville boutique.

Focus on what makes you unique: local knowledge, personal relationships, behind-the-scenes access.

Don’t: Neglect your bio

Your bio is often the first thing potential customers see. It should clearly communicate:

What you do
Who you serve
How to contact you or take action

Use that link wisely—send people somewhere that continues the conversation.

Don’t: Post and ghost

Posting and walking away is half the job. The real engagement happens in the comments and DMs after you post. Stick around for at least 15-30 minutes after posting to engage.

Don’t: Expect overnight results

Instagram is a long game. It takes time to build an audience, develop your content style, and see business results. Expect to invest 6+ months before seeing meaningful returns.

Is Instagram Right for Your Business?

Instagram works best for:

Visual businesses (restaurants, retail, salons, contractors with impressive work)
Businesses targeting customers under 45
Businesses that can commit to consistent content

Instagram might not be worth it for:

B2B services with decision-makers over 50
Businesses with nothing visual to show
Businesses that can’t commit to regular posting

Not sure? Read our guide on which social media platform is right for your business or let’s talk about your marketing strategy.

Getting Started

If you’re new to Instagram for business:

Switch to a business account (it’s free)
Optimize your bio
Plan your first 9 posts (they’ll create your initial grid)
Commit to a realistic posting schedule
Engage with your community daily

Start simple, stay consistent, and adjust based on what works. For more social media strategies, check out our social media marketing guide.