How to Start A Business Course – Planning Your Business: Creating And Optimizing Social Media Platforms – Part 2/27

Creating and Optimising Your Social Media Business Profiles

Before customers can buy from you, they need to find you. And in today's digital-first world, that discovery almost always begins on social media. Whether someone stumbles across your brand through a hashtag, a friend's share, or a Google search, your social media profiles are often the very first impression you make. Getting them right from the start isn't just smart — it's essential.

In this instalment of our How to Start a Business series, we walk you through the process of setting up and optimising your social media business profiles across the major platforms, so your brand can be found, trusted, and followed.

What Is Social Media Optimisation?

Social media optimisation (SMO) is the process of strategically creating, building, and refining your social media presence to maximise visibility and impact. Think of it as the social equivalent of SEO — done well, it ensures your profiles show up where your audience is already looking.

Here's what effective SMO can do for your business:

• Strengthen your brand: The higher your profiles rank in search results, the more credible and trustworthy your business appears to potential customers.
• Generate high-quality leads: Users who discover you through targeted searches are already looking for what you offer — making them far more likely to convert.
• Increase discoverability: Social media profiles frequently appear in Google search results, giving you an additional way to be found beyond your website.
• Connect with your audience: When people can find you easily, you create more opportunities to engage, build relationships, and turn followers into loyal customers.

Setting Up Your Social Media Business Profiles

Each platform serves a different purpose and reaches a different audience. Below is a practical guide to setting up and optimising your presence on the most important networks for freelancers and small business owners.

Facebook

Fun fact: 58% of people in the United States say they've become more interested in a brand after seeing it on Facebook Stories. — Hootsuite

With billions of active users, Facebook remains one of the most powerful platforms for building brand awareness and community.

How to set up your Facebook Business Page:

1. Log in to your personal Facebook account
2. Click the toolbar menu and select Create
3. Choose Page and select your page category
4. Enter your business information
5. Upload your profile picture and cover photo
6. Invite friends to like your page
7. Begin optimising

Optimisation checklist:

• Upload a professional profile image and cover photo
• Choose a unique, memorable page name
• Set a custom vanity URL
• Complete every section of your profile
• Verify your page for added credibility
• Incorporate relevant keywords throughout your profile
• Add two or more page admins
• Select an appropriate page template
• Customise your page tabs
• Enable reviews and messaging

YouTube

Fun fact: 80% of people who watched a YouTube video as part of their buyer journey did so early in the process. — Hootsuite

YouTube is the world's second-largest search engine. If your business lends itself to video content, a well-optimised channel can drive significant organic traffic.

How to set up your YouTube Business Channel:

1. Go to the YouTube homepage
2. Click your avatar icon and select Create a Channel
3. Choose Use a Business or Other Name
4. Enter your business name and click Create

Optimisation checklist:

• Upload branded profile image and channel art
• Choose a unique channel name
• Set a custom vanity URL (once eligible)
• Complete the About section with keywords
• Verify your channel
• Add channel keywords in the settings tab
• Create a compelling channel trailer
• Organise your content into playlists

Instagram

Fun fact: 92% of Instagram users say they've followed a brand, visited their website, or made a purchase after seeing a product or service on the platform. — Hootsuite

Instagram is a visual-first platform perfect for showcasing your products, personality, and behind-the-scenes content. It's especially powerful for lifestyle, fashion, food, and creative businesses.

How to set up your Instagram Business Profile:

1. Open Instagram on your mobile device (switching to a business account must be done on mobile)
2. Go to your profile page and tap Settings
3. Select Switch to Professional Account
4. Choose Business and connect to your Facebook Business Page

Optimisation checklist:

• Use a clear, on-brand profile image
• Choose a unique username
• Set a vanity URL
• Complete your profile fully
• Verify your account
• Use relevant keywords in your name and bio
• Include your website link in the bio
• Highlight features, reviews, and achievements in your bio
• Consider a cohesive multi-grid visual system for your feed

Twitter (X)

Fun fact: Tweets with hashtags get 100% more engagement than those without. — Hootsuite

Twitter is ideal for real-time conversations, industry news, and building a public-facing brand voice. It's a great platform for engaging directly with your audience and staying relevant in your niche.

How to set up your Twitter Business Profile:

1. Go to Twitter.com and click Sign Up
2. Enter your name, email address, password, and username
3. Click Create Account and follow the prompts to build your timeline

Optimisation checklist:

• Upload a professional profile image and cover photo
• Choose a unique, recognisable username
• Set a custom vanity URL
• Complete your profile
• Verify your account
• Use keywords throughout your bio
• Include your website link in the bio
• Add a location
• Enable direct messaging
• Post 4–5 images as part of your initial setup to populate the grid

Additional Platforms Worth Considering

Depending on your industry and target audience, the following platforms may also be valuable additions to your social media strategy.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the go-to professional networking platform — ideal for B2B businesses, consultants, and anyone looking to connect with industry peers, collaborate with experts, or recruit talent.

Fun fact: Employees are 14 times more likely to share content from their employer than other types of content on LinkedIn. — Hootsuite

How to create a LinkedIn Business Page: LinkedIn homepage → Work → Create Company Page → Select Page Type → Enter Details → Tick the Verification Box → Create Page

Optimisation checklist:

• Complete your About Us section
• Incorporate keywords throughout
• Add a compelling tagline
• Set a clear call-to-action button
• Add relevant hashtags
• Create Showcase Pages for products or services
• Verify your account

Facebook Messenger

Messenger operates independently from Facebook and is particularly effective for customer support, community management, and nurturing relationships one-on-one. With over 20 billion messages exchanged between people and businesses every month, it's a channel you shouldn't overlook.

Pinterest

Pinterest is a visual discovery platform that users turn to when planning purchases or seeking inspiration. It's especially powerful for product-based businesses, interior design, fashion, food, and lifestyle brands.

Fun fact: 75% of Pinterest users are actively interested in new products, compared to 55% on other platforms. — Hootsuite

How to create a Pinterest Business Page: Visit pinterest.com/business/create/ → Complete your email, password, and business name → Click Create Page

Optimisation checklist:

• Complete your profile fully
• Include keywords in your name, board titles, pin descriptions, and captions
• Verify your account
• Create visually consistent board covers
• Arrange boards by popularity to showcase your best content first

Snapchat

Snapchat is an image and video-based platform built around ephemeral content — posts that disappear after being viewed. With filters, lenses, and interactive effects, it's a fun, creative space particularly suited to brands targeting a younger audience.

Fun fact: Snapchat users are 60% more likely to make an impulse purchase. — Hootsuite

How to create a Snapchat Business Account: Visit forbusiness.snapchat.com → Log in with your Snapchat account or create a new one → Complete the required business account information

Key Takeaways

• Social media optimisation increases your brand's visibility both on social platforms and in search engine results — don't skip it.
• A complete, keyword-rich profile builds credibility and makes it easier for the right customers to find you.
• Each platform serves a different purpose — choose the ones that align with your audience and business goals rather than trying to be everywhere at once.
• Vanity URLs, verified accounts, and consistent branding across platforms all contribute to a more professional and trustworthy online presence.
• Visual content — on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Snapchat — drives higher engagement and can significantly influence purchasing decisions.
• Setting up your profiles correctly from the beginning saves time and builds a strong foundation for your future content and marketing efforts.

Your Action Steps

1. Audit your current social media presence. List every platform where your business has (or should have) a profile, and identify which ones are incomplete, unoptimised, or missing entirely.
2. Choose your primary platform and set it up in full today. Use the relevant setup guide and optimisation checklist above — complete every field, upload branded visuals, and set your vanity URL.
3. Research and write a keyword-rich bio. Think about what your ideal customer would type into Google or a social search bar to find a business like yours, then weave those phrases naturally into your profile descriptions.
4. Verify your accounts. Start the verification process on whichever platforms you're active on — it boosts credibility and can improve your search ranking.
5. Create and publish your first piece of content on each active platform. Even a simple introduction post signals to the algorithm — and to visitors — that your account is active and open for business.