Pure Gallus Social - Educational Centre
The Gallus Content Club
Mini-Course
Set Up Your Instagram Profile for Success
Before you even think about content strategy, your profile needs to be clear, searchable, and set up to convert. Let's go through every element from top to bottom.
⚡ Quick win
🔍 Profile + SEO
👥 All business types
🌸
puregallussocial
Roo | Social Media Strategist
712Posts
62.2kFollowers
851Following
✨ Practical Instagram Strategy for people ready to take it to the next level
🚫 No gimmicks, no hacks, no nonsense.
👇 Work with me HERE
🚫 No gimmicks, no hacks, no nonsense.
👇 Work with me HERE
🏆
Results📚
Strategy📞
1-1 Calls⭐
ReviewsYour handle is the first place Instagram looks for keywords when someone searches. It needs to be simple, unique, and immediately clear about what your page is about. Think about what your audience would actually type into the search bar - not what sounds clever or branded.
✕ Bad example
@sssolar__eclypse1111
- Doesn't make the page purpose clear
- Irregular spelling - hard to search
- Unnecessary numbers - looks unprofessional
- Multiple underscores - easy to miss
✓ Good example
@YogaNYCbyTrish
- Matches what people actually search
- Clear page purpose at a glance
- Includes location for local discoverability
- Easy to type, easy to find
1
Does it make it immediately clear what my page is about?
2
Is it something people are likely to actually search for?
3
Are there obvious ways it could be mistyped?
Pro Tip
Location-based business? Include your location in your handle. It's one of the easiest SEO wins on Instagram - and it costs you nothing.
Your name field sits just above your bio and is indexed by Instagram's search engine. It's not just your name - it's a searchable keyword field. The format that works best depends on your business type:
🛍 E-Commerce
Eidi's Wardrobe | Cottagecore Clothing
✂️ Service Provider
Nails by Sammy | Nail Artist, Colorado
🪡 Handmade Products
Annies Amethysts | Handmade Crystal Jewellery
🎓 Coach / Educator
Coach Cait | International Sales Coach
🎬 Creator / Influencer
Connie Creator | Easy Vegan Recipes
The Formula
Brand name or your name → vertical line or dash → your keywords (and location if relevant). That's it. Simple is what works.
Your bio needs to be succinct, informative, and searchable. A potential follower should know within 3 seconds whether your page is for them. Don't try to be clever - clarity wins every time.
For E-Commerce, Service Providers, Coaches and Educators
1
What you do
Describe your business or service clearly
→
2
Mission
Your WHY or the value you bring
→
3
CTA
Tell them where to go next
Example
"Cottage core clothing for the cutest of cuties. Sustainable fashion doesn't need to be dull! Shop here."
For Creators and Influencers
1
Your value
What does your audience get from following you?
→
2
About you
A little personality - you are the brand
→
3
CTA
Linktree, agent, collabs link
Example
"Grab the BEST vegan recipes here! Animal activist and mum to 2 happy vegan kiddies. Contact for collaborations here."
Story highlights are one of the most overlooked parts of a profile - and one of the most important. Think of them like the navigation tabs on your own bespoke website. Every single one should earn its place.
Relevant
100% business-related. Creators can add personal life but keep the majority on-niche.
Useful
Would a potential follower find genuine value in browsing this? If not, cut it.
Up to Date
If an event or offer has passed, delete it. Outdated highlights make your page look neglected.
Think of it like this
Imagine the navigation tabs of your own bespoke website. What tabs would you have? Those are your ideal story highlights.
Your link in bio has one job - direct your audience to your most important non-Instagram links. Less is always more. Here's what works for each business type:
🎓 Coaches and Service Providers
3-5
Multi-link page (Linktree). Products, services, booking, and mailing list only.
🛍 E-Commerce and Handmade
1
Link directly to your store. Add a mailing list pop-up on the store page instead.
🎬 Creators and Influencers
5-7
Multi-link page. Affiliates, income platforms, media appearances, collab contact.
When you set up your Instagram page, you choose between three account types. The one you pick determines which features you can access - some of which are critical for running a business effectively.
Personal
Best for: nobody with a business
Full music library but no analytics, no scheduling, no ads. Not recommended for businesses.
Creator
Best for: most small businesses
Analytics, scheduling, full music library, monetisation tools. The sweet spot for most people.
Business
Best for: running ads or Meta store
Everything Creator has, plus saved replies and ad tools. Missing full music library by default.
| Feature | Personal | Creator | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analytics and Insights | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto-publish via schedulers | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Full music library | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ * |
| Run ads / boost posts | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Saved replies in DMs | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Monetisation tools | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Pro Tip
On a Business account and missing the full music library? Go to Edit Profile → Category and select "Entrepreneur" to unlock it. You're welcome. 🎵
Your Profile Setup To-Do List ✅
Check your handle - clear, searchable, and easy to type?
Update your name field using the formula for your business type
Rewrite your bio using the right formula above
Audit your story highlights - delete, refresh, or replace anything outdated
Simplify your link in bio - remove anything that isn't earning its place
Confirm you're on the right page type for your needs
If on Business, check your music library is unlocked
Ready to go further?
Revive Your Dead Instagram Account
This mini-course covers the profile basics - but if your account is struggling, the full Revive guide takes you through diagnosing the problem and a complete three-phase strategy to fix it.