Direct answer: Vive Gostoso is the online guide to São Miguel do Gostoso, and appearing in it is free. Any business in town can create an account, set up its profile and go live without paying anything. There is no plan to appear, no paid position and no ad disguised as a recommendation. Anyone who contributes to the project helps keep the site running, and that does not change anyone's order or reach.
This text explains the project from the inside: what it is, how your business gets in, how the Instagram promotion works, what happens to supporters' money, how we decide who is featured and what we do not do. If you have a restaurant, a guesthouse, a tour or a service in Gostoso and you are deciding where to advertise, this is for you.
What Vive Gostoso is
Vive Gostoso is a digital guide to the town of São Miguel do Gostoso, in Rio Grande do Norte. It puts in one place where to eat, where to stay, what to do, who offers services, what is happening and how to get here. The first business was listed in April 2026, and today there are 180 published businesses across 16 categories, plus a blog with guides about the town.
The idea came from a simple problem for people who live here and people who visit. Visitors search on their phones and run into old information: a phone number that changed, outdated opening hours, a photo from years ago, a business that does not show up at all. People who work here have neither the time nor the structure to keep a digital presence in five different places. The guide exists to solve both sides at once, with the town's information organized and up to date at a single address.
Appearing on Vive Gostoso is free
This is the part that raises the most questions, so it is worth saying plainly: you do not pay to appear on Vive Gostoso. There is no mandatory monthly fee, no sign-up fee, no featured package for sale and no date after which the free access ends.
This applies to the site and to Instagram. On the site, registration is open to any business operating in São Miguel do Gostoso. On Instagram, just tag the profile in a post or story and we share it, with no charge per post, per tag or per repost.
The rule behind this is simple and is written on the transparency page: no business can pay to be rated higher or to get around the rules for public featuring.
How to list your business in São Miguel do Gostoso
You register yourself, on the site, and it takes a few minutes. Here is how:
1. Create your account. Go to the registration page and log in. One account can manage more than one business, which helps anyone who owns a guesthouse and a restaurant, for example.
2. Fill in the business details. Name, category, address, contact and opening hours. These are the fields that help most for someone looking for you right now.
3. Upload photos. A cover photo and interior photos. It is worth taking care here, because this decides whether people click or scroll past. A well-lit phone photo showing the place as it is works better than a generic stock image.
4. Publish. The profile goes live and starts appearing in its category, in search and on the town map.
After that, the profile is yours to edit whenever you want. If the hours change, the phone number changes or a new dish goes on the menu, you change it yourself, right away, without asking anyone.
How the Instagram promotion works
The @vivegostoso profile works as an extension of the guide. We post about beaches, events, businesses in town, tips for those who serve tourists and platform news.
If you want to appear there, tag us. Posted a photo of your restaurant, your tour, your guesthouse? Tag the profile. There is no charge for this and no priority queue for those who paid, because there is nothing to pay.
What we do not do
This part matters as much as the previous one, because it explains why the guide can stay neutral.
We do not sell tours. Vive Gostoso is not an agency and does not operate tourism. When you find a tour here, the tour owner sells it, directly to you.
We do not sell accommodation. We are not a booking platform and we do not mediate nightly stays.
We do not take commission. Nothing listed here generates commission for the project. If you book a stay, a tour or a dinner because of the guide, the full amount stays with the business.
In practice, the guide does not compete with the businesses in it. A guide that sells what it lists has an interest in who appears first. This one does not.
How the project is funded
A site costs money. Server, domain, database, maintenance, the time of whoever writes and updates. Since no advertising or commission money comes in, the numbers work out another way: with voluntary support from anyone who wants to help.
Supporters are not buying visibility, they are paying the project's electricity bill. And how the money is split is public: 80% goes to the town's Fund, 20% covers technical costs and 0% becomes profit. The amounts and how it works are on the support page and detailed on the transparency page.
Anyone who contributes gets a thank-you badge on their profile. It does not change the order of the listing, does not increase reach and gives no advantage over those who do not contribute. It is a visible thank you, and nothing more.
Who is featured, and why
Some businesses appear featured on the home page. That choice is editorial, made by the people running the project, and is never sold. The criteria are usefulness for people arriving in town: a complete profile, up-to-date information, a photo that represents the place, and rotation so the showcase is not always the same.
If your business has not been featured yet, the most effective thing you can do is complete the profile and keep hours and contact up to date. That really counts, and it costs nothing.
What the verified badge means
Some of the businesses in the guide have a verified badge. It is not decoration and it is not bought. Before marking a profile as verified, we check three things: that the business exists and operates in São Miguel do Gostoso, that we spoke with the person in charge by WhatsApp or in person, and that the minimum data is filled in, that is, name, category, address, contact and hours.
A business without the badge is not a bad business. It is a business that has not gone through this check yet.
What you find on the site
The guide is organized by what the person is trying to solve:
Coma (Eat) brings together restaurants, bars, cafés and food delivery. Fique (Stay) brings together guesthouses, houses and accommodation in general. Passeie (Explore) brings together tours, kitesurf schools, transfers and things to do in town. Contrate (Hire) is where services and job openings are, and Participe (Take part) is the entry point for anyone who wants to collaborate with the project. There is also the map, the Conheça (Get to know) page with the town's beaches and history, and the blog, with guides on where to eat, the best time to visit, kitesurf for beginners and the local events calendar.
Who makes Vive Gostoso
The project is run by Balaio Digital, a digital studio that works on websites, content and mentoring, and that chose to keep the town guide as an open and free project. The technical work, the content and the maintenance come from there. The support money does not become the studio's revenue, it follows the split of 80% to the Fund and 20% to technical costs described above.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay to appear on Vive Gostoso?
No. Registration is free, with no time limit and no hidden charges. No plan is needed to appear in the guide.
How long does it take for my business to go live?
Registration takes a few minutes and the profile goes live as soon as you publish. The verified badge check is done afterwards, separately.
Can I edit my profile later?
Yes. The profile is yours. Hours, phone number, photos, description and Instagram link can be changed by you at any time.
Does contributing make my business appear better?
No. Contributions are voluntary and serve to keep the site online. They give a thank-you badge and do not change the order, size or reach of any profile.
Does Vive Gostoso sell tours or accommodation?
No. The guide does not sell anything it lists and does not take commission. The deal is always directly between you and the business.
Is my business left out if I am not on Instagram?
No. Registration on the site is independent of social media. The Instagram field is optional.
How to get started
If you have a business in São Miguel do Gostoso and you are not in the guide yet, the next step is to create your account and register the business. It takes a few minutes, it is free, and it stays free afterwards.