Free beginner guide
Set up your social accounts, step by step.
Plenty of smart, capable people have never made a Facebook Page or an Instagram account, and feel a little embarrassed asking how. Do not be. Nobody is born knowing this, the apps change their buttons constantly, and it has nothing to do with how good your product is. Below is every major platform, in plain language, one numbered step at a time. Each account takes about five to ten minutes. And no, you never have to be on camera.
Gather these four things first
Ten minutes of prep makes every signup below a fill-in-the-blank exercise.
Your business name, spelled the way you want it
You will type it into every one of these accounts. Decide the exact spelling and capitalization once, then use it everywhere so people always recognize you.
Your logo, saved on your phone or computer
Every account asks for a profile picture, and your logo is the answer every time. No logo yet? Design one free at /logo and download the square PNG.
Make a logo →One sentence about what you sell
The bio formula: who you help, plus what you sell, plus where to buy. Example: Handmade soy candles for cozy homes. Shop the link in my bio. Write it once, paste it into every account.
An email address you actually check
Every platform emails you a verification code during signup. Use one email for all your business accounts and keep the passwords written down somewhere safe.
Facebook Page
A Facebook Page is the business version of Facebook. It is separate from a personal profile, anyone can follow it, and it is where a lot of local customers will look for you first.
- 1Go to facebook.com in your web browser, or open the Facebook app on your phone.
- 2If you do not have a personal Facebook account yet, tap Create new account. Enter your real name, your email address, a password you write down, and your birthday. Facebook sends a code to your email; type it in to confirm. (A personal account is required first; your business Page hangs off of it, but customers never see your personal profile through the Page.)
- 3Once you are signed in, find Pages: on the website, click the menu (the grid of dots or your profile picture, top right) and choose Pages, then Create new Page. In the app, tap Menu, then Pages, then Create.
- 4Page name: type your business name exactly as you decided it. This is what customers see.
- 5Category: start typing what you do (candles, cleaning, bakery, coaching) and pick the closest match Facebook suggests.
- 6Bio: paste your one sentence. Tap Create.
- 7Add your logo as the profile picture when it asks (it is the square image). If it asks for a cover photo and you do not have one, skip it; you can add one later.
- 8Done. Your Page has its own web address like facebook.com/yourbusinessname.
Instagram business account
Instagram is where product photos and short posts live. A free business account adds contact buttons and lets tools post for you.
- 1Download the Instagram app from the App Store or Google Play and open it (Instagram is built for phones; start there).
- 2Tap Create new account. Sign up with your business email.
- 3Username: your business name with no spaces. If it is taken, add something short and clean like a dot or your city (candlesbydee, candles.by.dee, deescandlesatl). Avoid long number strings.
- 4Instagram emails you a code; type it in.
- 5Tap your profile (bottom right), then Edit profile. Upload your logo as the profile photo and paste your one-sentence bio.
- 6Now switch it to a business account, which is free: on your profile, tap the menu (three lines, top right), then Settings, then Account type and tools (on some phones it says Account), then Switch to professional account. Choose Business, pick your category, and skip anything optional.
- 7Done. You have an Instagram business account.
TikTok
TikTok is not only dancing videos. Text posts, photo slideshows, and simple graphics do real business there, and none of them need your face.
- 1Download the TikTok app and open it.
- 2Tap Profile (bottom right), then Sign up. Choose Use phone or email, then flip to the Email tab and sign up with your business email and a password.
- 3TikTok sends a code to your email; type it in.
- 4It will suggest a username. Change it to your business name: tap Profile, then Edit profile, then Username.
- 5On Edit profile, add your logo as the photo and paste your one-sentence bio.
- 6Optional but useful: switch to a free Business account. Tap the menu (three lines, top right), then Settings and privacy, then Account, then Switch to Business Account, and pick your category.
- 7Done. You never have to point the camera at yourself to use it.
YouTube channel
A YouTube channel can hold faceless videos: slideshows, screen recordings, voice over pictures. It also helps people find you through search.
- 1YouTube runs on a Google account. If you do not have one, go to accounts.google.com, choose Create account, and follow the steps with your business email or a new Gmail address. Write the password down.
- 2Go to youtube.com and click Sign in (top right) with that Google account.
- 3Click your profile circle (top right), then Create a channel.
- 4It offers your personal name first. Change the name to your business name before confirming.
- 5Upload your logo as the channel picture.
- 6Click Customize channel (or your profile circle, then YouTube Studio, then Customization) and paste your one-sentence bio into the Description.
- 7Done. You have a channel, even if you never film yourself once.
LinkedIn page
LinkedIn matters most if businesses or professionals buy from you. A company page makes you look established when someone checks you out.
- 1Go to linkedin.com. If you do not have a personal account, click Join now and sign up with your business email, then confirm the emailed code. (Like Facebook, the personal account comes first and the business page hangs off of it.)
- 2Fill in the basics it asks for about you; simple and honest is fine.
- 3Once signed in, look at the top right of the page for the For Business icon (a grid of squares; on some screens it says Work). Click it.
- 4Scroll the panel that opens and click Create a Company Page.
- 5Choose Company. Enter your business name, pick the closest industry, and choose your company size (it is fine to pick the smallest).
- 6Website: if you have published a landing page here, paste its address (your /p/your-page link or your own domain). No page yet? Leave it blank and add it later.
- 7Upload your logo, paste your one-sentence bio as the tagline, tick the confirmation box, and click Create page.
Pinterest business account
Pinterest is a search engine made of pictures, and people go there specifically to find things to buy. Product photos and graphics work for months after you post them. No face needed, ever.
- 1Go to pinterest.com/business/create in your web browser (this creates the free business version directly).
- 2Sign up with your business email and a password, and set your age when asked.
- 3Profile name: your business name. Website: your landing page or domain if you have one; skip it if not.
- 4Pick what describes you (a brand or a business is fine) and choose a few interest areas close to what you sell.
- 5Skip the ads questions if it asks; you do not need ads to start.
- 6Go to your profile, tap Edit profile, upload your logo, and paste your one-sentence bio.
- 7Done. Every image you post can link straight to your page where people buy.
The last step: connect them, so the platform posts for you
This is the whole reason to set the accounts up. Once they exist, you connect each one inside the Brand Studio and the platform publishes your scheduled posts automatically. You approve the content; the posting happens on its own.
- 1Sign in and open the Brand Studio at /studio (create your brand there first if you have not; adding your website fills in colors and voice automatically).
- 2Open your brand and click the Connections tab.
- 3Tap Connect next to each account you just created and approve the permission screen that platform shows you.
- 4In the Social Media Studio at /social, generate posts, schedule them on the calendar, and tick Auto-publish. That is it: they go out on time without you.
Questions people are embarrassed to ask (do not be)
Do I really need all six?
No. Two or three where YOUR customers actually spend time beats six half-empty accounts. If you sell a physical product, Instagram and Pinterest are strong starters. If businesses buy from you, LinkedIn and Facebook. Not sure? Kenny helps you pick once you are inside.
Do I have to show my face or be on camera?
No. Every one of these accounts works with text posts, product photos, and graphics, and the Social Media Studio generates that content for you. Cameras are optional, forever.
What if my business name is taken as a username?
Keep the display name as your business name (that is usually allowed even when the username is taken) and pick the closest clean username: add a dot, your city, or a short word like shop or hq. Use the same one everywhere you can.
How does the platform post for me after this?
Inside the Brand Studio, open your brand and go to the Connections tab. Tap Connect next to each account and approve it. From then on, posts you schedule in the Social Media Studio publish on their own at the time you set.
The platforms move their buttons around from time to time. If a menu is not exactly where we said, look for the same words nearby; the steps and the order stay the same.
Accounts made? Now let the platform fill them.
Inside, the Social Media Studio writes and designs the posts, the calendar schedules them, and auto-posting publishes them, so the accounts you just made work for your business while you make the product. Start with a free account.