Let's be honest: a lot of Vancouver businesses are posting on Instagram and wondering why nothing is happening. The likes trickle in, the followers barely move, and the phone stays quiet. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. We hear it from new clients almost every week.
The good news is that Instagram still works really well for local businesses. But the approach that worked two or three years ago doesn't cut it anymore. Here's what's actually moving the needle right now.
Instagram has been pushing video hard, and the algorithm rewards it. A well-made Reel from a small Kitsilano café will often outperform a polished photo from a national brand. The platform wants to compete with TikTok, and that works in your favour as a local business — you can create real, behind-the-scenes content that big companies simply can't replicate.
You don't need fancy equipment. Your iPhone and decent lighting will take you further than most businesses get. What you do need is consistency and a clear point of view.
When you post, Instagram watches what happens in the first 30 to 60 minutes. If people are saving, sharing, and commenting, the algorithm pushes your content to more people. If it sits quiet, it gets buried.
This means posting time actually matters. For most Vancouver businesses, Tuesday through Thursday between 11am and 1pm, or 6pm to 8pm, tends to perform well. But the best way to know your specific audience is to check your own Instagram Insights and see when your followers are most active.
People here are a bit skeptical of overly polished, corporate-feeling content. What works well in Metro Vancouver:
We've seen businesses with beautiful feeds that post once a month, and scrappy accounts that post three times a week and are absolutely crushing it. Showing up regularly tells the algorithm you're active, and it tells your followers you're a real, operating business.
A realistic goal for most small businesses is three to four posts per week. That could be two Reels and two Stories, or whatever combination works for your capacity. The key is building a rhythm and sticking to it.
If you take nothing else from this article, do this: film a 30-second video showing something from behind the scenes of your business. It doesn't need to be scripted. Just show what you do. Post it as a Reel with a caption that speaks directly to your ideal client. See what happens.
That's how most of our best-performing client content starts. Not with a big strategy session, but with one real, honest video.
We work with Vancouver businesses to create content that actually brings in clients. Let's talk about what that looks like for you.
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