You have 1,200 followers, your last few photos sit at around 12 likes and the phone rings no more than before you set up the account. Meanwhile someone searches "hairdresser in San Pedro" on Google, opens the listing of a business with 40 reviews and books without opening Instagram. The problem is not how you post: it is the order. This guide is about what to actually post when your business lives off the people in your own neighbourhood.
The map first, the feed second
Social media does not replace Google Maps: it complements it. And the order matters, because time is scarce. If you have four hours a month, almost all of them belong to your listing: on Google the person already knows what they want; on Instagram they are still browsing.
- Your Google Maps listing catches buying intent. Someone searching "physiotherapist in Estepona" is one tap from calling. That is the work in our local SEO service.
- Your website carries the trust. It is where they confirm prices and hours; if it is eight years old, interest cools.
- Social media builds discovery and familiarity. It makes the person who saw you on the map recognise you later.
Nobody can guarantee you the top spot on the map: Google ranks the local pack by relevance, distance and prominence. The detail is in our local SEO guide.
Google, Instagram and Facebook: what each one is for
What changes is the intent of the person looking:
| What we compare | Google Maps | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| User intent | Looking to buy or book now | Exploring and getting ideas | Checking news and sharing |
| What they see first | Listing, rating and reviews | The photo that stopped them | The post and its comments |
| Weekly effort | 1-2 hours once set up | 2-3 hours filming | 1 hour reusing pieces |
| What content works | Premises, hours, reviews | Process reels and stories | Offers, notices, events |
| How it is measured | Calls and direction requests | Saves and messages | Messages and shares |
Each channel has its own scoreboard: judge Instagram by phone calls and it will look like it is failing.
A typical week for a local business
This is a plan you can keep up for months, not two weeks:
1 product or service post
One topic per post: cram price, service and offer together and nobody remembers any of them.
1 short reel of the process or shop
What is shown beats what is said; 15 seconds shot on your phone is enough.
3-4 stories from the day
Stories are conversation, not shop window: the replies you get are your best gauge.
The same piece on your Google listing
Double the mileage, not the effort: the listing needs fresh content, not different content.
Reply to every message of the day
Someone who asks and gets no answer does not come back: the message ignored at 9pm is often the booking made across the street ten minutes later.
What to post (and what bores people)
What works is what cannot be copied: your premises, your people, your neighbourhood.
- Before and after. A refurbishment, a haircut, a garden brought back to life: a result, without promising anything.
- Behind the counter. How the order arrives or who opens at seven builds trust a catalogue never will.
- The team, with permission. People trust people, not logos.
- The neighbourhood in the frame. The feria, the market, roadworks on your street: it puts you on your neighbour's mental map.
- Frequently asked questions in 20 seconds. "Do I need an appointment?" or "Are you open in August?" in a single story.
And what bores:
- Generic motivational quotes. Anyone could post them and they say nothing about you.
- Stock photos. They show you have never set foot in your own premises.
- Giveaways to win followers. They bring accounts chasing the prize, not customers.
- Only posting when there is an offer. The customer learns to wait for the discount.
Keeping social media, website and listing consistent
The most common mistake and the cheapest to fix: Instagram says you close at 9pm, the listing says 8pm and the website says nothing about August. The customer does not pick a version: they lose trust.
- The same hours in all three places. Including high season, which on the Costa del Sol starts in July.
- The same phone and address. An old number on one network is a lost enquiry you never hear about.
- The same photos, at the same quality. Do not mix a professional shoot with blurry images from four years ago.
- A link to your website in the bio and WhatsApp one tap away. Booking should cost one tap.
A fast website finishes the job when someone arrives from your profile: see web design in Marbella.
What it costs and when to hand it over
If posting costs two hours a week, the real cost is the empty counter.
Doing it yourself
It makes sense if the content is you. You need consistency, not talent: one good piece a week for months beats four in one afternoon.
Handing it to an agency
It makes sense with several locations or a dead feed. Delegating is not switching off: you are still needed for the photos.
At Solaris the published prices are for local SEO, with no minimum term: Local Pack €150/month + VAT (Google Maps listing only) and Content Pack €250/month + VAT (listing plus SEO articles). Social media management has no fixed price: get in touch, tell us what you post and we will give you a figure with no obligation.
An honest benchmark: a Professional website at €350 + VAT pays for itself with one or two new sales. Social media has no line that direct; judge it on the conversations it brings.
Why Solaris
- We start where the intent is. Listing, reviews and website; social media after that.
- Fixed, published prices. €150 or €250 a month + VAT, with no surprises.
- No minimum term. You stay because it works.
- Specialists in local Costa del Sol businesses. San Pedro centre is not Puerto Banús.