Setting up your service profile

Logo, bio, attributes, service area, social links — the fields that decide whether buyers tap to message or scroll on.

The page buyers decide from

When a buyer is looking for a service, they look at the directory, tap a row that catches their eye, and land on your profile. They spend maybe 8 seconds there before deciding to message you or scroll back to the list.

This guide walks through every field on the Edit Profile screen and explains what each one does for those 8 seconds.

Where to edit

Service Hub → Edit tab. Sections save individually — you can do this in stages.

The pieces

1. Logo

The little square image next to your service name. Aim for 200×200 pixels, square crop.

What works:

• Your face, looking at camera, smiling. People hire people.
• Your workplace, in good light. Buyers want to see you take your craft seriously.
• A simple icon on a clean colour background, if you have a branded look.

What doesn't:

• Blurry, distant, or grainy photos.
• Group shots where buyers don't know who you are.
• Generic stock images.
• Memes or random images.

2. Cover photo (optional)

The wide banner at the top of your profile. 1200×400 px, 3:1 landscape ratio.

For services, the best cover photos show:

• You doing the work — a salon shot of you mid-braid, a mechanic shot with you under a bike.
• The result of the work — a finished hair photo, a polished car, a beautifully plated meal.
• The workspace — your shop interior, your van, your kitchen.

If you don't add a cover photo, the app uses a colour gradient as a fallback — usable but not as inviting.

3. Bio

Up to 160 characters. Your elevator pitch.

Strong service bios cover:

• What exactly you do — "Mobile braider specializing in protective styles."
• Where — "Kampala + Wakiso."
• One thing that makes you specific — "Trained at AnatomyBeauty Salon" / "10 years on Boxer 100s."

Examples:

• "Mobile salon serving Kampala. Braids, twists, and locs. Same-day availability."
• "Boda repair from your driveway. Specialize in Boxer + Bajaj. 24-hour callout."
• "Wedding photographer, 6 years experience. Kampala + national travel."

Bios to avoid:

• "Best service in Uganda" (everyone says this).
• "Quality services at affordable prices" (vague, generic).
• Long hashtag lists.

4. Category and sub-category

Already set during opening — but you can refine it here. The more specific the sub-category, the better targeted your traffic.

Important: if you change your primary category significantly, you essentially restart your category placement. Don't change unless your service has actually changed.

5. Attributes

Attributes are short tags that help buyers filter. Examples:

The available attributes depend on your category. Pick the ones that genuinely apply to your service — buyers filter by them in the directory.

Don't tick every attribute. Buyers spot when you're claiming things you don't actually offer, and reviews will call it out.

6. Location and service area

For fixed-location services (salon at one address, workshop at one address):

• Primary location: the district / town. Already set.
• Specific address: street name, landmark. Helps buyers plan to visit.
• Opening hours: when you're open. Buyers see this on the profile.

For mobile services (you go to the buyer):

• Primary location: your base.
• Service radius: how far you'll travel from base (in km).
• Travel fee: optional — a fee for trips beyond a certain distance.

Set the radius honestly. A radius of 50km when you really only travel 10km wastes everyone's time when buyers from 30km away message you.

7. Phone (for WhatsApp)

Default is your account phone number. Keep it unless you have a business-specific WhatsApp.

If you do want a separate business number:

• Set up the second number on WhatsApp first.
• Edit → Phone → change to the new number.
• Verify with a code.

Either way, make sure the number is on WhatsApp before you publish. Without it, the contact CTA is a dead link.

8. Pricing / rate (optional)

You can set a public starting rate so buyers know roughly what to expect. Two formats:

• Hourly rate: "5,000 UGX / hour"
• Starting from: "Service starts at 30,000 UGX"

Setting a rate helps:

• Filters out budget-mismatched buyers (no wasted WhatsApp chat).
• Builds confidence ("they know their pricing").
• Shows up in directory filters (price tier).

If your service is heavily negotiable per job (custom work), leave this blank and put a line in your bio: "Pricing depends on the project — message me for a quote."

9. Social links (optional)

Add your:

• Instagram if you post your work there.
• TikTok if you have a following.

These show up as small icons on your profile. Useful if you already built audience on those platforms.

10. Languages spoken

Pick the languages you speak with clients. Helps buyers who prefer a specific language pick you. Common options: English, Luganda, Runyankole, Lusoga.

Save and preview

After filling sections, tap Save at the bottom of each.

Then tap Preview in the Service Hub. This shows what a buyer sees when they tap onto your profile. Look at it as a stranger:

• Does the logo look professional?
• Does the bio explain what you do?
• Is the location / radius right?
• Does the WhatsApp button work? (It's disabled for unverified profiles — preview shows what verified buyers would see.)

Profile completeness — does it matter?

Yes. The algorithm slightly prefers profiles that have:

• A logo (not the placeholder).
• A bio.
• A category set.
• A location set.
• At least one video.

Empty profiles get less visibility. Completing all the fields above takes 15-20 minutes and lifts your discoverability immediately.

What NOT to put on your profile

• Your home address in detail if you live alone. Use district + landmark only, or a public meeting point.
• Other service providers' names in your bio (looks unprofessional).
• Pricing claims you can't deliver ("free first visit") unless you mean them.
• Excessive religious / political content. Some buyers will skip you over it; KampalaSnap doesn't ban it but it narrows your audience.

A 10-minute profile makeover

For a quick refresh of an existing profile:

1. Replace the placeholder logo with a real photo.
2. Rewrite the bio in 25 words max.
3. Update the cover photo with a recent work shot.
4. Check the service radius still makes sense.
5. Pick 3-5 attributes that genuinely apply.
6. Tap the WhatsApp button in preview to verify it works.

Most service profiles never do this and miss out on bookings as a result.

Common questions

My profile shows "Not verified" — buyers can't message me. What can I do?

That's the unverified state. The contact CTA is disabled until you verify. Read The path to verification for the trade-off.

Some workarounds for the unverified state:

• Add your Instagram or TikTok handle in the social links field; some buyers will reach you there.
• Mention WhatsApp in your bio: "Find me on Instagram @handle to chat." (Don't put the number directly — that's against policy.)

But fundamentally, the verified state is what generates bookings. Operate unverified for a brief evaluation period, then commit.

My category is too narrow / too broad.

Use the dropdown to refine. If "Salon" feels too broad and "Braiding" fits better, switch. If "Wedding Photographer" feels too narrow and "Photographer" gets you broader reach, switch back.

You can re-pick once per month without it affecting your placement significantly. More frequent switches confuse the algorithm.

Can I update my location if I move?

Yes — Edit → Location. Save. Your profile re-indexes within a few hours.

If you move districts, you'll start fresh in the new district's listings. Past reviews and followers stay with you.

My profile photos are getting blurry.

Upload at higher resolution. Square photos at least 500×500 pixels; cover photos at least 1200×400. The app resizes for display but can't upscale poor source images.

Can I have two languages displayed on my profile?

Languages spoken is a multi-select field — pick all that apply. The bio itself is a single text field, but you can write it bilingually:

"Mobile salon serving Kampala. Braids and twists — same-day bookings. Endi Olugandala: Sasula akubigereka eyo, tukuwe braids ezirungi."

Mix what works for your audience.

What's next

• Your first video — start filling in the visual side of your profile.
• When buyers message you — what to do when contact comes in.