Social Media Profile Optimisation: Instagram and Facebook Checklist
The post gets people curious. The profile decides whether they get in touch. A checklist for Instagram and Facebook.
A good post gets someone curious. Then they tap through to your profile, and the profile decides whether they get in touch or leave. Most businesses put their effort into posts and set up the profile once. This guide is a checklist for both Instagram and Facebook, based on what each platform actually lets you do.
What is social media profile optimisation?
Social media profile optimisation means setting up your Instagram and Facebook profiles so a visitor understands in a few seconds what you do and where, and knows how to contact you. It covers everything a visitor sees first, from the bio to the contact buttons, and keeping it consistent with your website and Google Business Profile.
Why the profile matters more than it looks
The profile is where interest turns into action, or does not. Someone who found you through a post, a tag or a search lands there with one question: is this business for me? If the answer takes effort to find, most people will not look for it.
The details also need to match what people find elsewhere. A different phone number on Facebook, Google and your website makes a business look careless, and opening hours that disagree send customers to a closed door. Your Google Business Profile matters most for local searches, and we cover it in our local SEO guide.
Instagram profile checklist
| Element | What Instagram allows | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Name | A display name separate from your username | Add what you do to your business name, for example "Bella, bakery in Faro" |
| Bio | Up to 150 characters | Say what you do and where in the first line, then who it is for or what to do next |
| Links | Up to 5 websites | Point to the pages people ask about most, such as a service or a booking page |
| Profile photo | Shown as a small circle everywhere you post or comment | Use your logo or a clear photo that still reads at a tiny size |
| Highlights | Saved Stories grouped under the bio | Group them by the questions customers ask, and remove old offers |
| Grid | Your most recent posts | Check that the first rows show what you sell today |
The bio: say what you do before who you are
With 150 characters, the bio has room for one clear idea. A bio that states the service and the place, such as "Wedding photography in the Algarve", tells a visitor straight away whether to keep reading. One that describes your passion for helping brands grow could belong to anyone.
Line breaks help. Put what you do on the first line, who it is for or where on the second, and the next step on the third.
The links: send people somewhere specific
Instagram lets you add up to five links to your profile. Use them. A link to the homepage leaves the visitor to find their own way, while a link to the service they just saw in your post takes them straight there. If you only use one, make it the page that leads to most enquiries.
The grid: what a new visitor sees first
The top of your grid is the first impression after the bio. Socialinsider's benchmark of 35 million Instagram posts found higher average engagement for carousels and Reels than for single images, so a grid with a mix of formats usually shows the business better. We look at posting frequency and format in how often to post on social media, and at what makes an image worth posting in our guide to visual content creation.
Facebook Page checklist
| Element | What to check |
|---|---|
| Page name and username | Your business name as customers search for it, and a username that matches your other profiles |
| Details | Phone, website, address and opening hours, identical to your Google Business Profile |
| Intro and category | A short description that says what you do and where, and the category that fits best |
| Action button | The one action you most want visitors to take |
| Cover image | What you do or what is on now, not a generic stock photo |
Pick the action button that matches your goal
Facebook lets you add an action button to your Page. According to Meta's help page, these buttons can help customers contact you, shop, start food orders or book a service. Choose the one that matches how you actually sell. A restaurant that takes bookings should not leave a generic button that sends people to a homepage.
Treat the cover image as a sign above the door
The cover image is the largest picture on the Page. Use it to show what you do or what is happening now, and change it when the offer changes. A cover advertising last season's offer tells visitors nobody is checking.
Keep it current
Profiles go out of date quietly. Set a reminder every three months to open both profiles as a stranger would and check them against your website and your Google Business Profile. Change them straight away when the phone number, hours or address change, without waiting for the reminder.
Both platforms show you how many people visit your profile and tap your links. On Instagram those statistics come with a professional account. If profile visits are healthy but link taps are low, the bio or the links need work. If visits are low, the problem is further up, in your posts or your reach, which we cover in why organic reach on Facebook and Instagram is so low.
Frequently asked questions
How long can an Instagram bio be?
Up to 150 characters, according to Instagram. That is roughly two short sentences, so lead with what you do and where.
How many links can I add to my Instagram profile?
Instagram lets you add up to five. You do not need a separate link-in-bio tool for that any more, although some businesses still use one to add images or track clicks.
Should my Facebook and Instagram profiles say the same thing?
The facts should be identical everywhere, from the phone number to the opening hours. The wording can differ, because an Instagram bio is short and a Facebook Page has room for more detail.
How often should I update my social media profiles?
Check them every three months, and change them immediately when contact details, hours or your main offer change. Cover images and Highlights go stale fastest.
Should I focus on Facebook or Instagram?
It depends on where your customers are. If you can only keep one profile properly up to date, choose the one your customers use and do it well. Two half-finished profiles help nobody. If you want help deciding, our guide to what a social media agency does explains the work involved.
Salty Lavender, a full-service marketing agency in Faro, plans and runs social media for businesses, starting with profiles that make it easy to get in touch. If you would like a second opinion on yours, send us the links or write to hello@saltylavender.com.