Setting Up Your Business Profile: Contact Buttons, Location and Hours

Someone saw you in a story, a location tag or a friend's post, and tapped your profile. They now have a few seconds and three questions in mind: "Where is this?", "Is it open now?", "How do I get in touch?" If your profile doesn't answer those questions quickly, that person will most likely scroll away.

In this lesson we will treat your profile like a shop sign and a front desk. You set it up once, and it works for you every day. Set aside about an hour and follow the steps in order.

Step 1: Switch to a professional account

Running a business on a personal account is like running a shop without a till. A professional account unlocks insights, contact buttons, a category label and ad options. Professional accounts usually offer two options: Business and Creator. If you have a physical location, Business is usually the better fit, because its address and contact options are designed for exactly that.

1. Open settings. Go to settings from the menu at the top right of your profile.
2. Change account type. Find the option to switch to a professional account in a section like "Account type and tools".
3. Choose a category. Pick the one that best describes you, such as "Cafe", "Hair salon", "Clothing store" or "Gym".
4. Choose the business type. If you have a physical shop, continue with Business.
5. Add contact details. Enter phone, email and address now, or later from "Edit profile".

Step 2: A searchable name and username

Instagram has two separate fields: the username (starting with @) and the "Name" field on your profile. The name field is also taken into account in Instagram search. So writing not only your business name but also what you do and where you are can improve the chances that someone nearby searching for "hair salon" or "brunch" finds you.

Step 3: Contact buttons and address

A professional account lets you add phone, email and address; these appear as buttons on your profile. For a local business, the most valuable buttons are call and directions, because they move people who already intend to visit. When you add your address, write it exactly as it appears on Google Maps; consistency is a trust signal for both customers and search engines.

In some regions Instagram also offers action buttons such as "Book", "Order" or "Reserve" through partner services. Which countries and providers are supported varies, so check which options are available on your account in "Edit profile". If none fits, you can point the link in your bio to your booking page or WhatsApp.

Step 4: Opening hours and bio

Instagram profiles may not have a dedicated opening-hours field in every region. So show your hours clearly in at least two places: briefly in your bio and in detail in a highlight called "Hours" or "Visit us". When hours change for holidays or special days, update the story and bio on the same day.

Your bio is roughly 150 characters and has four jobs: say what you do, where you are, when you are open, and ask for one action.

At the time of writing (2026), you could add more than one link in the bio link area; check the current limit in the app. Even so, put your most important link first. Too many choices make deciding harder.

Step 5: Highlights are your profile menu

Highlights are the round covers under your bio, and for a local business they work like a menu. Put the answers to your most frequently asked questions there, and you will stop answering the same message one by one every day.

Final check: look through a stranger's eyes

When you finish, show your profile to a friend or customer and ask: "What did you understand about this place in ten seconds?" If the answer covers what you do, where you are and how to reach you, your profile is ready.

• My account is professional and the category is correct
• The name field has business name, main service and area
• Phone, email and address buttons work
• My bio has hours and one call to action
• At least three highlights (prices/menu, location, reviews) are ready
• My profile photo is readable at small size (logo or storefront)

Your profile is now ready to welcome visitors. But where will those visitors come from? In the next lesson we will cover how people around you discover you: location tags, local hashtags and running your Google Business Profile together with Instagram.