Key takeaways
- Use updates for news, offers for deals with dates and a coupon code, and events for anything with a start and an end.
- Give every post one clear next step with an action button, such as Book, Order or Call, instead of a phone number in the text.
- Attach a real, well-lit photo of at least 720 by 720 pixels.
- Post regularly and answer reviews promptly. Both show customers that the business is active.
Why posts on your Business Profile matter
When someone searches for your business, or for a service near them, your Business Profile shows your hours, photos, reviews and directions in Google Search and Maps. Posts add a timely layer on top: this week's special, a new service, an event on Saturday.
They help in two ways. They answer "is this place still open and active?" before anyone has to ask. And they give people a reason to act now, which hours and a map pin alone cannot do.
The three post types and when to use each
| Type | What it includes | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Update | Text, a photo or video, and an optional action button with a link | News, new products or services, tips, behind the scenes |
| Offer | A title and start and end dates and times, with room for a coupon code, terms and a link. Google adds a "View offer" button. | Discounts, bundles and limited-time deals |
| Event | A title and start and end dates and times | Workshops, tastings, open days, launches and live music |
Postocial supports all three, including coupon codes on offers and call-to-action buttons, so you can plan them on the same calendar as the rest of your social posts.
How to write an update people act on
Updates are the everyday workhorse. Good ones follow a simple shape:
- Lead with the news. The first line should make sense on its own, for example "Saturday hours are back: open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from this week."
- Add one or two useful details: what, when, for whom, and the price if it matters.
- End with one action. Choose the button that matches the next step (Book, Order, Shop, Learn more, Sign up or Call) and link it to the page where that step happens.
Third-party guides put the text limit at 1,500 characters, though Google's help pages do not give a number. Either way, a short update reads better on a phone, so keep the point in the first two sentences.
Two things to avoid. First, phone numbers in the text: Google may reject a post when it cannot verify that the number belongs to the business, so use the Call button instead. Second, hashtags: Google's posting guidance does not use them, so they add clutter without helping anyone find you.
Here is an example update for a neighborhood bike shop:
Spring tune-up slots are open. Drop your bike off by 10 a.m. and pick it up the same afternoon. We check brakes, gears, tires and chain, and we call you before doing any extra work.
Button: Book
How to write an offer that gets redeemed
An offer needs a title and start and end dates and times. The rest is up to you, but the best offers make redeeming easy:
- Put the deal in the title. Titles are short (third-party guides put the limit at 58 characters), so lead with the benefit.
- Use a coupon code that staff recognize at the counter. A different code for each channel tells you where redemptions came from.
- Write short, honest terms. One location or all of them? A minimum spend? Can it be combined with other deals?
- Set real dates. An offer that runs forever is not an offer. One or two weeks is easy to promote and gives people a reason to come in soon.
- Link to where the offer can be used, such as a booking or product page.
The same bike shop's offer could look like this:
Title: 20% off spring tune-ups
Dates: Monday 9 a.m. to Sunday 6 p.m.
Coupon code: SPRING20
Terms: Labor only. One code per bike. Cannot be combined with other offers.
How to post events that fill seats
Events need a title and start and end dates and times. They suit anything people can show up for: a workshop, a tasting, a sale weekend, a talk or a kids' morning.
- Post a week or two ahead, so people can plan around it.
- Say what people get, not only what happens. "Learn to fix a flat in 20 minutes" says more than "Repair workshop".
- Follow up on the day with an update and a photo from the setup, for anyone who missed the first post.
- Be clear about spaces. If places are limited, say so and tell people how to reserve one.
Photos and video that pass review
Google's guidance is simple: photos should be in focus, well lit and free of heavy filters. The specs to work to:
- Photos: JPG or PNG between 10 KB and 5 MB. 720 by 720 pixels is recommended, and 250 by 250 is the minimum.
- Video: up to 30 seconds and 75 MB, at 720p or higher.
Real photos of your space, your products and your team show customers what they will actually find, which a stock image cannot. Resize images with the free Google Business Profile image resizer, and check text length with the Google Business Profile character counter.
A month of posts for a local business
A weekly rhythm is easy to keep up and keeps the profile current. Here is a sample month for the bike shop:
| Week | Post | Next step for the customer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Update: spring tune-up slots are open | Book a slot |
| 2 | Offer: 20% off tune-ups for one week, code SPRING20 | Use the code in store |
| 3 | Event: Saturday flat-fix workshop, 10 to 11 a.m. | Come along on Saturday |
| 4 | Update: meet the mechanic and see what we check on every service | Learn more on the website |
In Postocial you can write the Facebook Pages and Instagram versions of the same news in one composer, each with its own text and media, and schedule them together. Our guide to planning a month of posts in one afternoon shows how to batch the whole month.
Reviews: the other half of your profile
Posts show what is new. Reviews show what it is like to be your customer, and your replies are public too.
- Reply to every review, good or bad, and do it promptly.
- Keep replies professional. Thank people, respond to the specific point they made, and offer a direct way to sort out a complaint.
- Never argue in public, even when a review feels unfair.
On Premium and higher plans, Postocial's unified inbox brings Google Business Profile reviews together with comments and messages from your other channels. Saved replies cover the questions you answer every week, and once you connect your own AI key, AI-suggested replies give you a starting point to edit.
Common mistakes to avoid
- A phone number in the post text instead of the Call button.
- Offers without real dates or clear terms.
- Dark, blurry or heavily filtered photos.
- Posting only when there is a sale. Mix in useful updates so the profile is worth checking.
- Promotions in the business description. The description (up to 750 characters, without URLs or HTML) should describe the business. Offers belong in posts.
Sources
Network rules, limits and specs in this article come from these pages, checked on November 1, 2026. Networks change them from time to time.
- support.google.com/
business/ answer/ 7342169 - support.google.com/
business/ answer/ 6103862 - support.google.com/
business/ answer/ 3039617 - support.google.com/
business/ answer/ 3038177 - developers.google.com/
my-business/ reference/ rest/ v4/ accounts.locations.localPosts - developers.google.com/
my-business/ reference/ rest/ v4/ accounts.locations.reviews - developers.google.com/
my-business/ reference/ businessinformation/ rest/ v1/ accounts.locations - lettercounter.org/
blog/ google-business-profile-character-limit