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- Account setup: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
- Timeline: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
- Launch posts: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
- First-month check: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
In Google Sheets: File, Import, Upload, then pick the CSV.
What's inside
- An account setup checklist: platform, handle, bio, profile photo, link and two-step sign-in for each account
- A week-by-week timeline from six weeks before opening to four weeks after, with owners
- A launch posts sheet for the run-up, opening day and the weeks after
- A first-month check with the questions to answer once you've been open a month
- A filled example for Hollow Oak Barbers, a fictional barber shop (every name is made up), and a blank CSV of each sheet
How to use it
- Choose your platforms first. Two or three you can keep up are better than six you can't.
- Claim the same handle everywhere early, before you announce the name widely.
- Set up a Google Business Profile as soon as you can. Local customers often find a new business there first.
- Show the business being built: fit-out, people, products. A launch is a story with a few weeks of build-up.
- Announce the opening date and any opening offer two weeks before, and repeat it.
- On opening day, post photos and short videos as it happens, with permission from anyone shown.
- After the first month, answer the first-month check and set your everyday posting rhythm.
Preview: Account setup
A filled example for a made-up small business.
| Platform | Handle | Bio (first draft) | Profile photo | Link | Two-step sign-in | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| @hollowoakbarbers | Barbers in the old bank on Market Street. Opening Sat 5 Dec. Walk-ins and bookings. | Logo on a dark background | Booking page | On | Yes | |
| Hollow Oak Barbers | Same as Instagram, plus opening hours and phone number | Same logo | Booking page | On | Yes | |
| TikTok | @hollowoakbarbers | Cuts, fades and the occasional disaster. Market Street, from Sat 5 Dec. | Same logo | Booking page | On | Yes |
| Google Business Profile | Hollow Oak Barbers | Category, address, hours, services, photos | Shop front and logo | Booking page | On (Google account) | Verification in progress |
| Note | Every name and handle is made up for this example |
Preview: Timeline
A filled example for a made-up small business, first 8 of 10 rows.
| Week | Dates | Task | Platforms | Owner | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 weeks before | Mon 26 Oct | Claim handles; create the Google Business Profile | All | Callum (owner) | Yes |
| 5 weeks before | Mon 2 Nov | Write bios, add logos and links; first post: 'Something's happening at the old bank' | Instagram, Facebook | Callum | Yes |
| 4 weeks before | Mon 9 Nov | Fit-out progress: before photos and a short video | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Callum | Yes |
| 3 weeks before | Mon 16 Nov | Meet the barbers: one post per person | Instagram, Facebook | Jess | No |
| 2 weeks before | Mon 23 Nov | Announce opening day and the opening offer; open bookings | All | Callum | No |
| 1 week before | Mon 30 Nov | Countdown posts; opening day event on Facebook and Google Business Profile | All | Jess | No |
| Opening day | Sat 5 Dec | Stories and photos through the day; thank-you post in the evening | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Jess | No |
| 1 week after | Mon 7 Dec | Thank-you post; ask first customers for a Google review (no incentive) | Instagram, Facebook, Google Business | Callum | No |
Preview: Launch posts
A filled example for a made-up small business.
| Date | Platform | Format | Post | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2 Nov | Instagram, Facebook | Single image | Something's happening at the old bank on Market Street. More soon. | Posted |
| Wed 11 Nov | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Reel | Week two of the fit-out: the chairs have arrived | Posted |
| Tue 17 Nov | Instagram, Facebook | Single image | Meet Jess: twelve years cutting hair, and she'll be running the shop floor | Scheduled |
| Mon 23 Nov | All | Single image | We open on Sat 5 Dec. Bookings are open now, and walk-ins are always welcome. | Scheduled |
| Thu 3 Dec | Instagram, Facebook | Reel | Two days to go: a look round the finished shop | Draft |
| Sat 5 Dec | Instagram, TikTok | Stories and Reel | Opening day, as it happens | Idea |
| Mon 7 Dec | Instagram, Facebook | Single image | Thank you to everyone who came in on Saturday | Idea |
Preview: First-month check
A filled example for a made-up small business.
| Question | Answer | What we'll change |
|---|---|---|
| Where did our first customers hear about us? | Example: walk-past, Instagram, Google Maps, friends | |
| Which posts brought bookings? | ||
| How many Google reviews do we have, and have we replied to all of them? | ||
| Which platform takes the most time for the least return? | ||
| What do customers ask that we could answer in a post? | ||
| What posting rhythm can we keep up from now on? |
Tips
- Hollow Oak Barbers, its staff and every handle in the example are made up. Check that your own handle is free on each platform before you print it anywhere.
- Use the same name and handle on every platform so people can find you, and keep the logins in the business's name, not one person's.
- Turn on two-step sign-in for every account on the day you create it.
- When you ask for Google reviews, ask everyone and offer nothing in return. Google's help page says offering incentives for reviews is prohibited (checked on 15 October 2026).
- Don't announce an opening date until you're sure of it. Moving it once is fine; moving it twice costs trust.
- Zolyp, which makes this template, builds its Brand Brain from your website, then plans and writes posts for your first month across the platforms it supports, for you to approve.
Common questions
How do I promote a new business on social media?
Set up your accounts and Google Business Profile early, show the business being built in the weeks before, introduce the people, announce the opening date with a clear reason to visit, post on opening day, and ask your first customers for reviews.
How far before opening should I start posting?
The example starts six weeks before, which gives time to claim accounts and build some interest. Even two weeks of posts before opening is better than starting on the day.
Which social media platforms should a new business use?
The ones your customers use and that you can keep up. For most local businesses that means a Google Business Profile plus one or two others, such as Instagram and Facebook.
Is the barber shop real?
No. Hollow Oak Barbers, its staff and its handles are made up to show how a filled plan reads.
Related
- Google Business Profile setup
- How to create a Facebook business Page
- Instagram business account
- Product launch checklist
- Social media strategy template
- Small business social media statistics
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