01 / LIKES ARE ONLY PART OF THE PICTURE
Why am I getting Instagram likes but no bookings?
It’s frustrating to put time into Instagram, see people liking your posts, and still have spaces in your appointment book. You might be wondering whether you need to post more, change what you’re saying or try something else altogether.
A like gives you one piece of information: someone reacted to the post. They might enjoy your skincare tips without living nearby, needing a facial or being ready to book. Let’s look at what happens between seeing your content and choosing an appointment.
We’ll work through three questions together: Are you speaking to potential clients? Are you helping them choose? Is it easy to book? These give you a way to look for a specific obstacle before adding more work to your week.
Start with the part of the journey where people seem to get stuck. It might be a missing service detail, a confusing booking option or appointment times that are hard to find. Working through those questions gives you something practical to improve.
02 / START WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING
What should I check first?
People react, but don’t ask about treatments.
Take a look at your last five posts as though you’re a potential client. Would the wording help you understand a treatment, or would you need to be an esthetician to follow it?
Try this: Answer a question clients ask in the treatment room. Mention the service and your city where it fits.
People visit your profile, but don’t take the next step.
Imagine someone has just discovered you. Can they find your speciality, location and a sensible place to start as a new client, without having to piece the information together?
Try this: Add a clear first-visit option to your bio and booking menu. Use our esthetician Instagram profile guide.
People enquire, but don’t book.
This is where the actual messages can help. Read what people ask before the conversation stops. Are they looking for a price, a particular time or help choosing a service?
Try this: answer their question first, then send a link to the relevant service. Check that there are appointments available, so you know the next step you’re offering can be completed.
These checks give you somewhere to begin. Your Instagram Insights and booking records each show part of the journey, so use them together where you can.
03 / GIVE EACH POST A JOB
What should an esthetician post to help clients book?
Think about the questions you help someone through before a first visit. They need to recognise something they want help with, be guided through the options, feel reassured about the visit and know how to respond to an invitation. Those are the four jobs we use in the SCC calendar.
Let’s look at three SCC examples and how you could use them to help a potential client take the next step.
Start with a concern they recognise.
What works: “Your Routine Is Overworking” speaks to the person using the products. They don’t need industry knowledge to understand the subject.
What to add: tell the reader how you help someone review their routine in a consultation. That connects the useful information they’ve just read with what they could ask you about.
“Not sure what to bring to your skin consultation? Bring a list or photos of the products you use, so we can talk through your routine together.”
Show what visiting you is like.
What works: Treatment footage gives people something concrete to look at while you explain the appointment.
What to add: let someone hear your voice or see your treatment room while you explain a first visit. If you’d rather stay off camera, footage of your hands working gives you something to talk over.
“New here? We start by talking about your skin and what you’d like help with. Then we explain the options before you decide.”
Tell them exactly how to start.
What works: This adapted post names the studio, explains the consultation and says “Book via our bio.” It connects useful information to an appointment.
Make it clearer: tell them which option to select when they arrive. If your menu has ten treatments, “Book now” can still leave a new client wondering where to start.
“New to Marlow? Tap the link in our bio and choose ‘Skin consultation’ to see available appointments.”
As you adapt these ideas, use details that reflect your own services. If you share a result, use your client’s photos with permission and explain the treatment and time between them. Keep the story specific to that person’s experience.
04 / FORMAT ISN’T THE SAME AS PURPOSE
Do Reels, carousels and Stories reach different people?
They can. Instagram uses different ranking systems across Feed, Stories, Explore and Reels. It predicts what each person may find interesting using signals such as their past activity. Meta explains its ranking systems here.
| Format | Who can see it? | A useful job for your business |
|---|---|---|
| Reels | Followers and people discovering you through recommendations. | Show a treatment, introduce yourself or answer one client question. |
| Photos & carousels | Followers, plus non-followers through recommendations such as suggested Feed posts. | Explain a service, show results or break an answer into slides. |
| Stories | A useful place to speak to people already following you. Public Stories can also be viewed by non-followers visiting your profile. | Answer a question, share a studio update or point to available appointments. |
Instagram’s Feed includes followed accounts and suggested posts. Its Trial Reels feature specifically shows a Reel to non-followers first.
Show how people interacted. A saved tip may be useful without creating an appointment.
Show movement towards your service. Record these alongside engagement.
You can use a carousel to introduce a service or a Reel to explain it. Choose the format around what you want to show. Include your location so new viewers can see whether a visit would fit their plans.
05 / MAKE THE NEXT STEP EASY
Can a new client book from your Instagram profile?
Now try the next step yourself. Open your profile on your phone and follow the booking link as though you’ve never visited before. Can you find the service mentioned in your post, its price and an available time?
of consumers said contact information and opening hours matter when researching a local business.
BrightLocal, Consumer Search Behavior 2025 · Survey of 1,000 US consumers.- Show your city and service. A visitor should know whether you’re right for them.
- Match the names. If the post says “Skin consultation,” the booking page should too.
- Check the details. Price, duration, location and availability should be easy to find.
- Try the route on mobile. Fix broken links and confusing steps before making more posts.
If the same question keeps appearing in your DMs, it’s worth answering in a post or Highlight too. You’ll have a useful explanation to refer people to, and the next visitor may find it before they need to ask.
06 / YOUR NEXT STEP
What can I do this week?
- 1Choose one real client question.
Think back to a recent conversation. “Which facial should I book first?” is enough to work with; you don’t need to find a completely new topic.
- 2Make one post that answers it.
Talk through the first visit, show your space or treatment, and give the reader one clear next step. Use details you’d be comfortable explaining in person.
- 3Check that next step yourself.
Follow the link and look for the exact service you named. If you can, ask someone unfamiliar with your business to try it too; they may notice a step you’ve stopped seeing.
- 4Write down what happens.
Keep a simple record of service enquiries and completed bookings, and ask new clients how they found you. Give yourself several weeks of observations to review rather than judging the change by one quiet day.
You can keep sharing helpful posts that don’t ask for a booking. Alongside those, make sure someone can understand what you offer, picture a visit and find their way to an appointment. Start with the missing detail you found today, then see what the next few weeks tell you.
Build these different types of posts into a monthly content plan →
