The Local Business Instagram Audit
When an account looks fine and brings in nothing, the leak is usually in the profile, the replies or the path to buying. Twelve checks find yours in 10 minutes, and three tools write the fixes.
Built for any local business that customers find nearby: landscapers, junk removal, HVAC, salons, dentists, cafes, boutiques, contractors.
- 12 checks
- 3 fill-in tools
- Free
By Chase and Allison Gianattasio, the founders of Scroll Media, Cincinnati's Instagram agency for local brands.
[X] yards cared for every week
Request a free quote below
- 1The door
- 2The counter
- 3The window
- 4The neighborhood
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Add your first name and email and the whole audit opens right here on the page. We'll also send a few short emails on growing a local business with Instagram.
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- 12 checks
- Your score
- Next three fixes
- Link picker
- Pin planner
- Saved replies
One quick check, then the audit opens.
Our email tool wants to make sure you're a person. Open the check, tick the box, and your signup goes through. The audit opens here as soon as you do.
Open the quick checkYour account is a storefront.
The posts are the window people walk past, the profile is the door, and messages, reviews and booking are the counter. We check the door first.
A great window is wasted on a door nobody comes through.
of consumers use social media to discover local businesses, up from 17% in 2024. Your account is often the first look someone gets.
Source: SOCi 2026 Local Discovery Index, 1,000+ US consumers.
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01 The door
Profile
Your name, photo, bio and link. What someone sees in the few seconds after they tap your name.
Checks 01 to 03 -
02 The counter
Conversion
Pinned posts, highlights, replies and reviews. Where an interested person becomes a customer, or doesn't.
Checks 04 to 06 -
03 The window
Content
Who you post for, how your posts open and what's worth making. The part that brings in the right people nearby.
Checks 07 to 09 -
04 The neighborhood
Local edge
Location, local partners and the numbers that matter. The layer that makes a local account local.
Checks 10 to 12
- Open InstagramPut your own profile next to this page, on your phone or laptop.
- Tick honestlyOnly tick a check your account meets today. Ticks and answers save on this device only.
- Use the toolsAnswer one question about how customers start with you. Three checks carry a tool that writes the fix: your link, your pins and your replies. Your bio has its own builder.
- Get your scoreAt the end, your score out of 12 and the next three fixes, each linked to its tool.
Profile
Someone saw a post and tapped your name. In a few seconds they decide whether you're what they were looking for. Three checks shape that moment.
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You've been open for years and plenty of people nearby still haven't heard of you. Part of that is search. The name field, the bold line under your photo, is what Instagram search reads, so a name field that only says the business name never shows up for someone typing what you do and where. Keep it under 30 characters so it fits, and make sure your photo still reads as you at feed size.
Before[Brand Name]
Found only by people who already know the name.
After[Brand] · Hair color · Oakley
Found by anyone who searches for hair color in Oakley, in 29 characters.
One question first
The three tools on this page write for your answer. It saves on this device only.
Ticked, the replies and review advice follow the privacy and testimonial rules those practices work under.
Write your name field and bio in five minutes. The free Bio Builder writes a name field under 30 characters and a three-line bio under 150, and shows it on a phone the way a stranger sees it. Open the Bio Builder
Your grid is part of the glance
A new visitor takes in your last nine posts before reading a word. The grid shows every post as a 3:4 rectangle, so other shapes get their edges cut, and text near the edges disappears.
NEW FALL MENUSquare postA quarter of the width is cut, edge text included. FALL MENUPortrait 4:5A thin strip is cut, and it fills more feed. How to check yours, with an example
The name field pattern
- Business name first.
- What you do, in the words your customers use.
- Where: your city, your neighborhood or your service area.
- A logo for shops and restaurants, a face where the owner is the draw.
When all three don't fit in 30 characters, shorten what you do to the two or three words a customer types, then abbreviate the place, like NKY for Northern Kentucky. If it still runs over, keep the name and what you do, and put the place in the first line of your bio. The same words belong in your captions and the text on your Reels, because Instagram search reads those too, and public posts from professional accounts can show up in Google results (more in check 10).
Grid basics
- Post photos and carousels in portrait, 4:5 (1080 × 1350).
- Keep text and faces in the middle of each cover, away from the edges.
- Fix a bad crop after posting: open the post, tap the three dots and choose Adjust preview.
- Look like one business: the same few colors, fonts and kinds of shots across your last nine posts.
Try this: search Instagram for what a customer would type, like your service and your neighborhood. If you don't show up near the top, write a new name field with the Bio Builder. Then look at your last nine posts together and fix any preview that cuts off text.
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People land on the profile, read a slogan and leave without knowing what you sell or how to start. You have 150 characters and a few seconds. A good test: could someone, or the AI tool they asked, read your profile and know what you sell, why to trust you and how to book or buy?
When a dozen businesses nearby sell the same thing, the first line has to say what only you do. A med spa might write "every injection by the same nurse, start to finish". A remodeler might write "the owner is on site every day". Say it in plain words a customer would repeat to a friend.
This matters for referrals too. Most people who get your name from a friend look you up before they call, so your profile is the second half of every referral.
Before[Brand Name]
Family owned and operated.
Quality work you can trust. Est. 2015.Says nothing about what you sell, for whom or how to start.
After[Brand] · Pilates · Clintonville
Strength and Pilates for busy parents in Clintonville.
Book
[X]+ five-star reviews on Google
Book your first class belowMission, credibility and one next step, with a Book button under it.
Let the Bio Builder draft it. It writes all three lines from a few short answers, with your one difference in the first. Open the Bio Builder
How to check yours, with an example
Three lines, three jobs
- Mission, the first line: what you do, for whom and where, with what makes you different folded in.
- Credibility, the second: one specific proof, like a review count or a named local award.
- Call to action, the third: the one thing to do next, pointing at your link.
Then add the action button that matches how you make money: Book, Reserve or Order, connected to the booking, reservation or ordering tool you already use. It sits under your bio and gets a customer to the till in one tap.
Try this: read your bio out loud to someone who doesn't know your business. If they can't tell what you sell, why to trust you and how to buy, rewrite it. Then check whether your profile has an action button at all.
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Someone interested taps your link, lands on a homepage or a page of eight buttons, and wanders off. One link, to the page where people book, order or request a quote. Eight choices split every tap eight ways, and a homepage makes people hunt for the button.
BeforeOur storyMenuEventsGift cardsBlogOrderSix choices, and the one that pays is fifth.
AfterOrder pickup
Opens the ordering page
One tap from the profile to an order.
ToolPick your one link
Your answer to the question at check 01 decides what the link is for. Two questions decide where it opens. Paste your page address and it adds the tag that makes Instagram visits show up in your website numbers.
Your next step, from the question at check 01: book online. Change it
1. Is there one page on your site that does only that?2. Do you sell a second way that brings in real money?The page itself, not your homepage.
Point the link atYour booking page, the one that opens straight to open times.
Link titleBook your next appointment
Use it as the title when you add the link in Edit profile, so it shows instead of a bare address.
Tagged linkhttps://yourbusiness.com/book?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=bio
Keep it to this one link.
Second linkTitle it in Edit profile, after the first link.
How to check yours, with an example
One link is the standard. Two or three are an exception, for a business that truly sells two different ways, like a restaurant that takes reservations and books private events. When that's you, the money action goes first and three is the ceiling.
Rent the reach, own the list. Instagram can change what it shows people tomorrow. Put an email or text signup on the page your link opens, so the customers who like you can still hear from you.
Try this: tap your own bio link on your phone right now. If it takes more than two taps to order, book or buy, fix that before your next post.
Conversion
Interest doesn't turn into customers by accident. These three checks catch the people who were ready to buy and slipped away.
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New visitors want to know you're legit before they reach out, and without pins the first thing they see is whatever you posted last. Your three pinned posts sit at the top of the grid for every visitor. Pin them in this order, so the first thing a stranger learns is how to buy.
Pin 1How to work with us Pin 2The founder's story Pin 3ProofHow to buy, then who's behind it, then what customers say. Highlights repeat the job for people who tap in.
ToolPlan your three pinned posts
Three answers become a brief for each pin: the format, the first line, what to show and the last line. Shoot all three in one afternoon.
A result you can show beats an adjective. The brief below says what permission it needs.
Your three pin briefsPin 1 · How to work with us Format: a carousel of five slides. Cover: Your first appointment, start to finish Show: what we do ([your service]), who it's for, what happens at [your first step], what it costs or where to see prices, and how long it takes. Last slide: Book [your first step] with the link in our bio. Pin 2 · The founder's story Format: a 30 to 60 second Reel, you talking to camera at work. First line: What I do differently with [your service], and why. Show: the moment you decided, what you do that others don't, who you do it for. Last line: Book [your first step] with the link in our bio. Pin 3 · Proof Format: a Reel or carousel that opens on the result. First line: [your best proof] Show: where they started, what you did, what changed, and the client's own words, if they've said yes to sharing them. Last line: Book [your first step] with the link in our bio.
How to check yours, with an example
Each pinned slot has a job
- How to work with us: what you offer, prices or where to see them, hours and how to order or book.
- The founder's story: who's behind it and why it exists.
- Proof: a customer's reaction, a finished result, a review or an award.
Highlights do the same job in a lighter way. Keep five to seven, with short names that don't cut off and covers that match your brand. Start with four, in this order: Start here, Services, Proof and Contact, with Contact ending on a link to the same page as your bio link. Fill the rest with the questions you get most, like prices, hours or FAQ. The Bio Builder names them for your business.
Try this: open your profile the way a stranger would. If your pins are empty, out of date or all the same type of post, re-pin in this order: how to work with us, the founder's story, proof. Pin an existing post today and replace it once the new one is shot.
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The same five questions land in your DMs every week, you answer them from scratch between jobs, and some wait until Tuesday. A question that waits goes to the place down the street. Saved replies answer each one in seconds, and every reply ends in one next step.
Thu 9:12 AMHi, do you have anything open Saturday morning?
9:31 AMThanks for reaching out. Every open time is on our booking page, and you can grab one in a minute: [your link]
68%of people expect a brand to reply within 24 hours.
Source: Sprout Social pulse survey, 2,250 consumers, August 2026.
ToolWrite your five saved replies and review request
Fill in your details once and copy each reply into Instagram's saved replies (in your settings, under business tools). Type the shortcut in a DM and the full answer appears.
Google for most local businesses: it's where people nearby compare you.
In your Google Business Profile, choose Ask for reviews to copy it.
1 · "How much is it?"Thanks for asking. It depends on what you need, so we confirm the price with you before anything starts. You can see open times and book here: [your link]
1b · Follow-up, once they answerThanks, that helps. Here’s where to request a quote: [your link]
2 · "Do you have anything open?"Thanks for reaching out. Every open time is on our booking page, and you can grab one in a minute: [your link]
3 · "Do you do this?"Good question. Tell us a little about what you need and we'll tell you straight away if we're the right fit. If we're not, we'll point you to someone who is.
4 · "When are you open, and where?"We're open [your hours], [where you are]. You can book ahead here: [your link]
5 · Reply to a reviewThank you for taking the time to write this. It means a lot to the whole team at [your business]. When you're ready for the next one, you can book here: [your link]
Review request, sent by text after an appointmentHi, thanks for choosing [your business] today. If you have a minute, a short Google review helps people nearby find us: [review link]. Thank you.
Financial advisors: a review you ask for counts as a testimonial under the SEC Marketing Rule and needs your compliance team's sign-off first. Counselors and therapists: don't ask current clients for reviews.
Healthcare, legal and financial practices: never confirm in a public reply that someone is a patient or client. Tick the practice box at check 01 and the review reply above does this for you.
How to check yours, with an example
The habit, in three parts
- Saved replies for your five most common questions, and an away message for after hours.
- Fifteen minutes a day answering DMs and comments, and replying when people tag you. Healthcare, financial or legal practice: reply without confirming anyone is a patient or client.
- Reviews: ask every customer and reply to every review.
Reviews and Instagram work as one. Only 4% of consumers never read reviews of local businesses (BrightLocal, 2025). Before a first visit, 74% of people only consider reviews from the last three months, and 47% won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews (BrightLocal, 2026). Send the review request above after every visit, and link your Instagram on your Google Business Profile so each one points to the other.
Keep reviews honest: never fake, buy or reward one; the rules are in the compliance chapter of the Service Business IG Manual.
Suggested tool: Instagram's own saved replies to start. ManyChat adds keyword replies when you need them, within Meta's rules for automated messages.
Try this: scroll back through your last 20 DMs and comments and count how many waited more than a day. Then save the five replies above, so the next ones take seconds.
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The post did its job and people were interested, then the caption offered four ways to get in touch, or a link that didn't work. One ask per post, as the last line, matched to what the post is for. A post meant to reach new people asks them to send it or save it. A post for people already considering you asks them to book, order or come in.
Before"DM us, or check the link, or call, or stop by."
Four options, and people pick none.
After"Preorders close Friday. Tap the link in our bio."
One ask, one deadline, one place to go.
How to check yours, with an example
The two ways it breaks
- Too many asks: give people four options and they pick none.
- Broken paths: a link that 404s, a price list that won't open on a phone, a DM keyword nobody set up.
Pointing someone at something that doesn't work spends the trust the post just earned.
Try this: look at your last five posts and check that each one ends with one clear ask. Then tap through every link and keyword yourself, on your phone.
Content
These three checks find what's wrong with the window. They diagnose and point you to the fix; what to post every week is the next job, after the storefront.
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You post, a few likes come in, and you can't tell whether any of it reaches people who'd buy. A thousand views from another state don't fill a schedule. Each post needs one clear topic for one nearby customer, and one of three jobs.
How to check yours, with an example
Try this: write one sentence about the customer you want more of: who they are, where they live and what worries them before they buy. Then label your last nine posts by their one job: discovery, trust or conversion, as chapter 01 of the Service Business IG Manual defines them. If one label is missing, that's next week's post.
To plan the posts themselves, use the 90-minute week in the Service Business IG Manual for a service business, or the formats guide for a shop or cafe.
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The views come in and nobody watches past the first shot. People decide in a second or two whether to keep going. The openers that hold them name the problem your customer wants gone, before the fix. A logo, a slow pan or "Happy Monday" spends those seconds on nothing.
BeforeA logo animation, music, then slow shots of a clean car.
Nothing to stop for in the first second.
AfterA hand wipes a clean stripe through a filthy hood: "This is one winter of road salt."
Same footage, and the problem shows up first.
Example: an auto detailer.
How to check yours, with an example
Try this: watch the first two seconds of your last five Reels with the sound off. If you can't tell what problem each one is about, rewrite the opening before you post the next one. For 50 openers sorted by type, use the hooks guide.
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You've tried, spent five hours on one Reel, and stopped. Polish isn't what's missing. Instagram shows fewer people the posts of accounts that mostly repost other people's work, so your own footage of your real work beats anything borrowed.
How to check yours, with an example
Try this: count your last nine posts. How many show a real person from your business, and how many are Reels? Aim for six or more Reels out of nine, and start with whichever number is lower.
To make them in a week that fits around the business, use the Manual's 90-minute week, or the formats guide for Reels you can shoot between customers.
Local edge
The layer that makes a local account local. The local accounts that stand out use their own town: where they are, who's nearby and what's happening this week.
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People nearby search for a business like yours and find the competitor who tags every post. Instagram Map shows posts, Reels and stories by location, and people browse it to decide where to go (Meta, 2025). Since July 2025, Google and Bing can also show public posts from professional accounts in search results, stories excluded (Metricool).
[brandname]Short North, ColumbusThe tag under your name is what puts the post on the Map. A post without one can't appear there.
Five settings that make you findable nearby
- A location tag on every post and story, or your neighborhood if you go to your customers.
- The neighborhood named in captions and on-screen text: "in Oakley", "in the Short North", "across the West Side".
- Search engine results on. In Instagram's settings, search "search engine" and make sure public posts can appear in search results. It's on by default for professional accounts.
- Your address or service area on the profile, so the profile itself says where you are.
- Instagram linked from your Google Business Profile, and your profile linked back.
How to check yours, with an example
Keep it natural. A post that ties you to the neighborhood, or to what's happening in town this week, gets saved and shared because it's useful right now. Nothing extra to produce: the same posts, tied to where people already are.
Try this: check your last nine posts for a location tag. Add one to every post from today, and tie one post this month to something happening near you: a festival, a game day, the season your customers plan around.
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Word of mouth got you this far, and it has stopped growing. Your customers already follow other local businesses and local creators. A Collab post appears on both accounts at once, so it reaches their audience with no ad spend, and the people seeing it already trust someone you work with.
[brandname] and [neighborname]Collab · shown to both accounts' followersHow to check yours, with an example
Three ways to do it
- Collab posts with a business next door, or one your customers also use.
- A local creator with a few thousand engaged followers nearby, over one with a big audience somewhere else. If you pay them or gift the product, they use Instagram's paid partnership label.
- Customer content: ask people to tag you, and share the best with their OK and credit. Healthcare, financial or legal practice: share nothing a patient or client posts until your rules allow it, and lean on staff, process and educational posts instead.
A neighbor's audience already knows where you are.
Example: a quarter for a florist
- Collab Reel: setting up a reception with a wedding planner and a venue.
- Creator gift guide: a local creator's Mother's Day picks, featuring a bouquet, posted as a Collab.
- Weekly story: customers' tagged photos of their arrangements.
Three new audiences nearby, each one already primed to trust the shop.
Try this: list five local businesses or creators your customers also follow. Send one of them an idea for a Collab this week.
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You post and can't tell what any of it does, so followers and likes become the scoreboard. Judge each post by rates, not totals: of the people it reached, how many shared, saved or visited your profile.
Post A: a trending-audio Reel of a funny dog
- Reached
- 9,000
- Watched to the end
- 6%
- Shares per 1,000 reached
- 0.4
- Booking DMs
- 0
Post B: how to trim your dog's nails at home
- Reached
- 1,200
- Watched to the end
- 41%
- Shares per 1,000 reached
- 25
- Booking DMs
- 6
An illustration for a pet groomer. Judged on views, A won. Judged on rates, B is the one to make more of.
How to check yours, with an example
Try this: open your last three posts, tap View insights and copy Reach, Shares, Saves, Profile visits. Divide each by the reach and multiply by 1,000. The post with the highest shares and saves per 1,000 is the one to make more of, whatever its views.
To read this every month in 30 minutes, use the monthly read in the Service Business IG Manual. For a shop or cafe, the ideas guide shows where to find more posts like your best one.
Your score and your next three fixes
Your score
- Door0/3
- Counter0/3
- Window0/3
- Neighborhood0/3
Your next three fixes
The first three checks you left open, door first. Pick your stage and they reorder for it.
Your stage
Pick your follower count. It's the starting point, not the verdict.
What to watch
The trap at this stage
What comes next
Fix those three and your storefront is ready. What to post every week is the next job.
A checklist can't tell you what to post on Tuesday. The next step depends on your business.
See your next stepOnce the storefront is fixed, what to post is next.
Two paths. Take the one that fits your business.
For service businesses where a new client is worth $500 or more.
Get a walkthrough of your account.
Send us your account. If your business is a fit, Chase records a 5-minute video on your profile, grid and recent posts: what's already working and what's missing.
For founder-led service businesses. He does three a week, in the order requests come in.
Request my walkthroughOr run the weekly system yourself: the Service Business IG Manual.
For shops, cafes, restaurants and every other local business.
Make the posts that bring people in.
The formats guide has 43 post formats sorted by stage, each one a post you can make from a normal day at work.
Open the formats guideStuck for what to say? The ideas guide has five places to find it. Then run this audit again in 30 days; your ticks and answers stay saved on this device.
If you would rather talk it through with a person, you can book a 30-minute call instead.
This audit is built from the system we run for Scroll Media clients, updated in October 2026 for how Instagram works now. We've served 30+ local brands since 2023.