The logic: one question per post
Most Dubai business accounts post what is easy to shoot: the dish, the interior, the sunset. Clients scroll past because none of it answers what they want to know before they book. The plan below starts from questions instead. Every client asks some version of the same ten: how much, how long, who does it, what does it look like after, is it for someone like me, where are you, can I park, how do I book, what if I do not like it, why you and not the place next door.
Each feed post in the month answers one of these. Stories fill the gaps with what is happening today.
How often to post? Instagram has never published a required number. Its head, Adam Mosseri, says some accounts do well with one post a month and others with five reels a day, that posting more generally helps reach, and that burnout is the real risk. In a November 2025 Q&A he added that posting often does not reduce reach. We plan about three feed posts a week because a small business can keep that up for a year.
Two shoot days, one month
| Shoot day | What we film | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1: people and process | Founder or manager on camera answering 4 client questions; staff at work; a client's visit from arrival to result (with consent) | 5 reels, 6 photos, story clips |
| Day 2: product and place | Products or dishes in use, not on white; the space at its best light; details: packaging, tools, the view; the route from the car park | 3 reels, 9 photos, story clips |
| Total | 8 reels, 15 photos, about 20 story clips |
The 15 photos become 4 carousels of 3–5 images. Stories on the remaining days come from your phone: today's special, a slot that freed up, a client's thank-you message with permission.
The 30-day template
| Day | Format | Answers | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reel | Who are you and what do you do, in 20 seconds | Day 1 |
| 2 | Stories | Today at work | Phone |
| 3 | Carousel | What it looks like: the space or the product | Day 2 |
| 5 | Reel | How much does it cost, with a real example | Day 1 |
| 7 | Stories + poll | Which option would you choose? | Phone |
| 8 | Reel | The process, start to finish | Day 1 |
| 10 | Carousel | Before and after, or the result | Day 2 |
| 12 | Reel | Who does the work: one team member | Day 1 |
| 14 | Stories | Client question of the week, answered | Phone |
| 15 | Reel | How to find us: from the car park to the door | Day 2 |
| 17 | Carousel | Details people notice only in person | Day 2 |
| 19 | Reel | Myth or mistake clients make, and the fix | Day 1 |
| 21 | Stories | Free slot or offer this week | Phone |
| 22 | Reel | Product or dish in use, with sound | Day 2 |
| 24 | Carousel | What is included, what is not | Day 2 |
| 26 | Reel | A client's visit (with written consent) | Day 1 |
| 28 | Stories | Behind the scenes of next month's shoot | Phone |
| 29 | Reel | Why us and not the place next door, in your own words | Day 2 |
| 30 | Stories | Recap and how to book | Phone |
Stories run on most other days as well. Swap rows for your calendar: Ramadan, National Day, Diwali, DSF or a launch. Our events calendar has the dates.
Dubai rules that touch a normal content month
- Filming outside your premises. A commercial shoot in a public place needs the city filming permit, AED 520 per application, plus the location owner's approval. Our filming permit guide has the process. Shoot inside your own space when you can.
- People in frame. Clients and passers-by who can be recognised need to agree. Get written consent; see our guide on photographing people in the UAE.
- Creators and collaborations. A creator who posts for you, paid or gifted, needs an Advertiser Permit, and the post needs #ad or #paid_ad at the start.
- Music. Trending tracks in business reels and ads can need a licence. Read music in reels.
- Giveaways. A "comment to win" draw in Dubai needs a DET permit: see our promotions guide.
- Sector rules. Clinics, real estate, alcohol and food have their own approvals: see the clinic and real estate guides.
What nobody tells you
- The plan dies on day 9 without a shot list. If the shoot day is improvised, you come home with 200 photos of the same angle and no answer to "how much". Write the 8 reel scripts before anyone holds a camera.
- The founder on camera beats any model. In Dubai's service businesses, clients buy the person. One honest minute from you outperforms a polished brand film for most small accounts.
- Light decides your shoot times. Interiors are easy at any hour; exteriors look best in the first and last hour of daylight. In summer, outdoor work between 12:30 and 15:00 is also banned for employees; see our summer shoot guide.
- Length matters for reach. Instagram recommends Reels to non-followers only up to 3 minutes. Most of ours run 15–40 seconds.
What a produced reel costs on the market is in our reels cost guide. If you are just opening, start with the first 90 days plan and use this month template from week three.
Vladimir Chernyshev, GM: A month of content is not 30 ideas, it is 10 answers filmed well and posted on a schedule you can keep. Clients in Dubai forgive a simple video. They do not forgive an account that looks abandoned.
