50 Instagram Dos and Don’ts for Business Owners
THE JOURNAL
Updated October 20, 2026
The most useful Instagram dos and don’ts come back to a few decisions: make your account easy to understand, create something relevant for the people you want to reach, and give them a clear next step. Build a routine you have the capacity to maintain.
I first published this checklist in 2015. Instagram has changed considerably since then, so this version replaces the old platform shortcuts with a more practical approach for running a business today.
Use it as a review of your current approach. Pick one section to work on this week and leave the rest for later.
Make your profile easy to understand
Choose a recognizable profile image that still reads clearly at a small size.
Explain who you help in words a potential customer would use.
Give your bio a specific reason for someone to keep exploring.
Link to a relevant next step and check the destination on your phone.
Keep current offers and availability consistent across your profile and website.
Remove expired promotions from prominent profile placements.
Use a name and handle people can connect with your business.
Review the profile as a first-time visitor: is it clear what you actually do?
Give your content a purpose
Start with a question you hear from customers or your community.
Choose a clear point for each post before working on the design.
Show an example when a concept needs more explanation.
Let your offer appear naturally when it helps solve the problem you’re discussing.
Match the opening line to what the rest of the post delivers.
Break up long captions where the reader needs a pause.
Make graphic text readable on a small screen.
Check captions on videos and correct anything that changes your meaning.
Add useful image descriptions or alt text when the publishing tools allow it.
Get permission before publishing someone else’s private message or customer story.
Credit collaborators and confirm you have the rights to the material you use.
Save working drafts so a useful idea survives a busy week.
Create a process that fits your capacity
Set a publishing rhythm you can realistically support.
Keep a place to collect questions and half-formed ideas.
Revisit a strong idea with a fresh example or a clearer explanation.
Capture extra relevant footage while you’re already recording.
Allow enough time to review the post before it goes live.
Test a format because it suits the message and your audience.
Treat a trend as an option and assess whether it fits your business.
Schedule time away from the app as part of your workflow.
Build relationships with care
Reply to questions when you have something useful to add.
Leave specific comments that respond to what someone actually shared.
Ask questions you’re interested in hearing the answer to.
Invite a relevant next step when the post gives people a reason to take it.
Personalize a collaboration invitation and explain why the connection makes sense.
Respect a person’s decision when they decline or don’t respond.
Keep sales messages relevant and welcome; repeated unsolicited pitches can damage a relationship.
Skip follow-and-unfollow routines that treat people as numbers.
Avoid buying followers or paying for artificial engagement.
Tag someone when their involvement adds context and they’re comfortable being included.
Use evidence to guide your decisions
Decide which business outcome a post is meant to support.
Review performance over a useful period before declaring a format a failure.
Notice the posts that lead to relevant conversations or visits to your offers.
Compare posts with similar purposes when evaluating an experiment.
Treat a single viral post as an observation to investigate.
Use relevant words and context to explain the topic, and avoid treating a hashtag formula as a growth guarantee.
Check Instagram’s current guidance before applying advice from an old tutorial.
Protect your community and your energy
Decide which kinds of comments you’ll answer and which cross a boundary.
Pause before replying when a comment makes you angry.
Keep private details about your family, customers, and colleagues off the page unless sharing is appropriate and agreed.
Correct an error clearly when you discover one.
Give yourself permission to adjust your Instagram plans when your business or capacity changes.
A note about Instagram advice
The original version of this article included an 80/20 posting rule and blanket hashtag advice. Those aren’t universal requirements for your business. Choose a content mix you can explain in relation to your audience and goals, then review what happens.
Instagram provides a Best Practices section in the professional dashboard with account-specific guidance. It’s a useful reference when you want to check platform advice at the source.
Instagram’s Best Practices overview
Want help with the part underneath the posting?
The Do Less, Market Better Kit is a place to start when your Instagram decisions need a clearer connection to your overall marketing.
Explore the free kit
If the comment section is taking more energy than you planned, listen to my conversation about responding to trolls and setting boundaries.
Social Media Hate: How I Respond to Trolls and Haters
The Mindful Marketing Lab offers a place to work on the plan behind your content.
Explore the Lab
Andréa Jones is the founder of OnlineDrea and host of the Mindful Marketing Podcast. She helps busy business owners make practical marketing decisions with room for real life.
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