Prepare your channel

The channel is chosen – but hold off on the first post for a moment. Whoever finds you should instantly understand who you are, what you do and why you're worth following. You sort that out before inviting anyone, and half a morning is enough. Done in the right order, the channel gets a flying start instead of a sluggish one.

A business account – not a private one

Create a business account (free, takes a few minutes). It gives you three things a private account doesn't: statistics on which posts work, the ability to schedule posts in advance (e.g. Meta Business Suite for Facebook and Instagram), and the option to sponsor posts later on. If you already run a private account for the business, it can be converted without losing followers.

The profile – your sign by the road

The profile is the first thing the customer sees, and often the only thing. Five things need to be in place:

• The @-handle – the same as your business name, and the same on every platform, so the customer recognises you instantly.
• The profile picture – your logo, or your face if you are the brand. The same image everywhere: recognition beats prettiness.
• The bio – two or three lines using the words customers actually search for: what you do, where you are, what makes you special. "Farm dairy on northern Gotland. Cheese from our own cows' milk. Farm shop open Fri–Sun."
• The call to action and the link – what should the visitor do next? Link there: your website, web shop or your Google profile with directions.
• The practical details visible – opening hours and where to buy should be findable without scrolling: pin a post with the essentials, or put them in a story highlight (stories saved on your profile).

Load the channel before you invite anyone

An empty profile builds no trust – whoever clicks in and finds two posts clicks out again. So load the channel first:

• Put up 6–9 posts before telling the world you exist. Batch them in one go: the place, the products, the people behind it – a small taste of what followers will get.
• Show the range. Let the first posts reflect your coming content pillars, not nine photos of the same cheese.
• Write the way you intend to continue. Same tone, same rhythm – the first posts set the expectation.

Warm it up – the first weeks

Reach starts with relationships, not with the algorithm. This is how a new channel gets moving:

• Follow the neighbourhood. Local accounts, fellow producers, visitor attractions, food profiles in your region – many follow back, and their followers see you.
• Invite your nearest. Friends, family, regulars, the newsletter, a sign with a QR code by the till. Ask them honestly for help: follow, like, spread the word. The first hundred followers are the hardest – and the most important.
• Be active outwards. Comment on and like other posts in your area – as your business. That's how new accounts get discovered.
• Connect everything. Put the channel link in your Google profile, on your website and in your email signature – and the other way around.

Patience with the numbers. A hundred engaged followers nearby are worth more than a thousand random ones. You're building regulars and ambassadors – not statistics.