5 ways to get local business from TikTok & Instagram

A recent study found that almost 40% of people aged 18-24 use TikTok and Instagram search over Google when looking for a place to eat lunch. This monumental shift in online behaviour proves that TikTok and Instagram aren’t just for going viral and amassing followers all over the world; they can be used to bring in local business. If young people are looking for new lunch spots on social media, it begs the question: what else are young people searching for on TikTok and Instagram that they no longer look to Google for?

Recently, I was sat in the hot-seat at my local hairdressing salon. The hairdresser owned the establishment and, as chatty hairdressing appointments go, we got talking about my work. She lamented about posting on social media and didn’t see the point in creating a TikTok account because she owned a local business and was only looking to connect with people in the local area. 

Do not fall into the trap of thinking TikTok and Instagram can't drive local business, especially if you’re looking to bring in fresh people who could turn into life-long loyal customers. The behavioural change we’re witnessing now is probably only the start. As more young people grow up with the world at their fingertips, it’s not unreasonable to assume that the percentage of local businesses found through social media will continue to rise.

Now that you know the value of putting your local business on TikTok and Instagram, here are 5 things you can do to help get more customers through the door…

1. Add your business address to your profile

The simplest way to get started is to add your business address to your social media profiles. Your business address appears near the top of your social media profiles. This ensures that when your content gets discovered, viewers who venture onto your profile can know exactly where your business is physically located.

Adding your business address also unlocks some powerful in-built features. When you add your business address on Instagram, it is added to an interactive map which is an incredible tool for discovering businesses in and around specific locations. 

On TikTok, the Places tab links business locations with reviews, posts and other nearby locations.

To add your business address on Instagram:

1. Head to your profile and hit the ‘Edit profile’ button.
2. Scroll down and choose ‘Contact options’ which is located under ‘Public business information’.
3. Fill in your business address.
4. Tap ‘Done’ in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
5. Hit ‘Save’ in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

Note: On Instagram, make sure you have a professional business account. The option to add an address may not appear if you have a professional creator account.

To add your business address on TikTok:

1. Head to your profile and hit the ‘Edit’ button next to your profile’s name.
2. Scroll down and choose ‘Action buttons’ which is located under ‘Business information'.
3. Tap ‘Add your address’ next to ‘Address’.
4. Use the search bar to find and choose your address.

2. Use location tags

Locations tags help content show up in more places on social media platforms such as: location-based search results, Instagram’s interactive map and TikTok’s Places feature. It’s really simple to add location tags when uploading content. Location tags can be added to TikTok videos and various Instagram content types such as photo posts, carousels, reels and stories.

To add location tags to Instagram photo posts, carousels and reels:

1. On the final screen before publishing a piece of content, hit ‘Add location’.
2. Search for and choose a location.

A location tag can be added as a sticker on an Instagram Stories post.

To add location tags to TikTok content:

1. On the final screen before publishing a piece of content, hit ‘Location’.
2. Search for and choose a location.

3. Include location-specific hashtags

Hashtags are a key way to get discovered through search on social media. Users can head to the Tags tab on Instagram and the Hashtags tab on TikTok when searching for a location-based hashtag. Here they can also discover related hashtags.

Add hashtags when writing the description for your content. When typing a hashtag for your content description, Instagram and TikTok suggest related hashtags that might be worth exploring.

See which hashtags are working best for your brand by using Minter.io and viewing the Top Hashtags by Interactions and Most Effective Hashtags graphs.

4. Create content that references your location

When creating new content, it’s worthwhile referencing your location in the content itself as well as in the written description. Algorithms are getting increasingly sophisticated and social media platforms can pick up words, such as your location, through audio and visual elements in your content. Users that have location services turned on are likely to be served up local content, so give social media platforms as many ways to know where your business is located as possible.

5. Collaborate & interact with other local businesses

Build community within your community by interacting with social media accounts owned by other businesses in your area. By commenting on content, organising collaborations and celebrating your neighbours, you can get your business known among other local businesses and their customers. 

I particularly like this example by @brooklyncandlestudio on Instagram. This candles and fragrance company created a reel where it took its Brooklyn candle on a tour of places in the city. The accounts of the locations were added to the post description to shine a light on local areas and businesses, and get its company on the local radar.

Head to Minter.io next to see what other steps you can take to connect with an audience that makes a difference to your business. With in-depth analytics, optimisation tools and competitor insights, you can harness the power of social media to take your business to the next level. Find out more here.