Instagram for cafés and snacks: an Instagram and TikTok guide

Instagram for cafés: a complete profile before the first video

A customer who finds one of your videos goes to your profile first. Within five seconds they need to know where you are, when you are open and what you serve. Otherwise they scroll on.

• Switch to a professional account. The Instagram Help Center says you need a professional account to edit business information: category and contact details, which you can show or hide on your profile.
• The bio: Instagram limits it to 150 characters and anyone can see it. Put the type of place, your specialty, the neighbourhood and your hours. Example to adapt: “Café and snack, homemade msemen, 7am to 11pm, closed Mondays”.
• The address: according to Instagram, you add the address on your Facebook Page and connect your Instagram account to it. Within 48 hours the place shows on the Instagram Map and can be tagged in posts and stories.
• The link: pick the one most useful to customers, for example your Google Maps listing for directions or your WhatsApp Business number for questions.
• On TikTok, the same logic: the shop name, one line on what you serve, hours and neighbourhood in the bio.

What to film with a simple phone

No equipment needed. A phone with a wiped lens, daylight near the window and shots of 3 to 5 seconds are enough. What works for a café or snack is the real thing: hands, steam, sound.

• Preparation: milk being frothed, msemen puffing up on the griddle, a panini being pressed, juice squeezed in front of the customer.
• New items: a new sandwich or a seasonal drink, filmed on launch day, with the price written on screen.
• The counter rush: ten seconds of the lunch peak show the place is alive. Film the team and hands, not customers' faces without their consent.
• Behind the scenes: opening in the morning, the bread delivery, the evening clean. It reassures people about hygiene.

Posting rhythm, Reels and short videos

Consistency beats perfection. Here is a rhythm one busy owner can keep. It is a suggestion, not a platform rule:

• Three short vertical videos a week, posted as a Reel on Instagram and on TikTok.
• One story on opening days: the dish of the day, an item sold out, special hours.
• The first seconds decide whether people keep watching: open with the most appetising moment, not your logo.
• Add on-screen text with the item name and price, because many people watch with the sound off.

Working with local creators, honestly

Inviting a local food creator can bring people in, as long as the relationship is transparent. Both platforms require it in writing.

In practice, make a simple written agreement (a WhatsApp message is enough) saying what is given or paid, what will be posted, and that the creator stays free to give their own opinion. Never ask for a guaranteed positive review.

• Instagram: Meta's Branded Content Policies define branded content as content influenced by a business partner for an exchange of value, such as payment or free gifts. It must be posted with the branded content tool (the “Paid partnership” label), tagging the business partner with their prior permission. So a free meal counts.
• On the café's side: the Instagram Help Center explains how to let a specific creator tag your business, from your profile's business tools, under Branded content.
• TikTok: its help page says you must turn on the content disclosure setting whenever a post promotes a brand, product or service. A video made for another business is labelled “Paid partnership”. TikTok's Branded Content Policy also covers gifted products. Without proper disclosure, TikTok may remove or restrict the post.
• Your own videos too: TikTok says promoting your own business is included. The video is then labelled “Promotional content”, and according to TikTok the setting does not affect its distribution in feeds.
• These rules do not replace the law: Meta and TikTok both remind you to comply with applicable laws as well.

Answering comments and messages

Every comment is a conversation other people read. A quick, polite reply is free advertising.

• Reply the same day, in the customer's language: Darija, French or Arabic.
• Practical questions (prices, hours, delivery): answer in public, it helps the next person. If a question keeps coming back, add the answer to your bio.
• Criticism: say thank you, do not argue at length in public, offer to continue in a private message.
• Private messages: keep four or five ready answers (hours, address, menu, large orders) in a note on your phone.

Measuring results with the built-in statistics

No need to buy a tool. According to its Help Center, Instagram shows for each Reel the views, watch time, average watch time and how many accounts followed you after seeing it. You need a public account, and the data stays available for two years after posting.

On TikTok, the help page on TikTok Studio says these tools are available for both Personal and Business accounts: total views, net followers, likes and per-post details.

• Every Monday, write down the three videos with the most views and the ones that brought followers.
• Compare with the till: does the item you filmed sell better the following week? That is the number that counts.

Turning followers into regulars

A video brings a first visit. Coming back is decided at the counter: welcome, speed and a reason to return. Show in your videos what customers gain by coming back, with no vague promises, and greet the follower who visits for the first time.

A tool like Stampylo can help at this step, with no app to install. After paying, the customer scans the counter QR code, gets an order number and a digital stamp loyalty card, saved with a single WhatsApp message. A stamp is added only when the order is marked Ready. An automatic WhatsApp reminder reaches customers who stopped coming, and offers go only to customers who accepted them, at most one a week.

Its limits: Stampylo does not post anything on Instagram or TikTok, takes no online orders, and the card cannot be added to Apple Wallet yet. Free trial of 14 days with no card, then MAD 149 per month.

Questions