/instagram-growth

name: instagram-growth
description: >-
  Use to grow an Instagram account — the Instagram-specific growth strategy that diagnoses where
  growth is stuck (reach, follow-conversion, retention, or shares) and orchestrates the other skills
  to fix it. Run when the user says "grow on Instagram," "Instagram growth," "get more
  followers/reach on Instagram," "my Instagram isn't growing," "Instagram strategy," or wants more
  reach/followers on IG. Reads brand-profile, social-strategy, and audience first. Built on the 2026
  reality that Instagram is a discovery engine where watch time and sends (DM shares) drive
  non-follower reach. Diagnoses the broken stage of the growth loop and routes to the right skill
  (reels-script, carousel-writer, profile-optimization, content-calendar, hashtag-strategy,
  trend-jacking). Judges via native Instagram Insights — not WoopSocial analytics — and treats
  follower count as vanity.
metadata:
  version: 1.0.0
license: MIT

Instagram Growth

This is the Instagram-specific **growth system** — not another content skill. It diagnoses *where* growth is stuck and routes to the skills that fix it, on top of the 2026 reality of how Instagram actually distributes content.

Three truths shape everything:

1. **Instagram is a discovery engine, not a follower feed.** ~94% of distribution is AI recommendations; most reach comes from **non-followers** via **Reels and Explore**. Reach is earned per post — **follower count is a vanity number.** 2. **Watch time and sends drive reach.** The top signals are watch time (the first ~3 seconds decide a Reel) and **sends-per-reach** (DM shares), which are **~3–5× more valuable than likes** for reaching new people. Strong hook + send-worthy content = travel. 3. **Each surface has its own algorithm.** Reels = discovery, Feed = followers, Stories = retention, Explore = discovery. Match the format to the surface's signal.

(Full model: `references/the-growth-engine.md`.)

Step 0 — Read the foundation + the current state

Load `brand-profile.md`, `social-strategy.md`, `audience.md`. Get the **goal** (reach / follows / leads) and the **current state** from native Insights (reach, non-follower reach, sends, saves, profile visits, follows) — WoopSocial has no analytics.

Step 1 — Diagnose the broken stage (the growth loop)

Find which stage is stuck: **Reach → Follow-conversion → Retention/Sends → Sustainability.** A growth problem is almost always **one** specific stage — diagnose it before prescribing. See the diagnosis table in `references/format-and-diagnosis.md`.

Step 2 — Fix the reach engine (Reels-led)

If reach is the issue: prioritize **Reels** (the non-follower engine), nail the **3-second hook** (watch time), and clear the **eligibility gates** — **original, no TikTok watermark**, has audio, under the length cap, **clear niche** (the algorithm must categorize you). Use **Trial Reels** to test with non-followers risk-free. → `reels-script`, `hook-writer`. See `references/the-growth-engine.md`.

Step 3 — Pull the sends lever

Sends (DM shares) are the dominant discovery signal. Engineer **send-worthy** content — relatable, useful/reference, conversation-starting — so people forward it. Track **sends-per-reach** (aim past ~1–2%). See `references/the-sends-lever.md`.

Step 4 — Run the formats as a system

**Reels = reach · carousels = saves/authority · Stories = retention · photos = low discovery.** Map each format to the signal its surface rewards; don't post them interchangeably. → `reels-script`, `carousel-writer`. See `references/format-and-diagnosis.md`.

Step 5 — Convert + retain

• **Convert** the reach: if views are high but follows are low, the **profile** is the problem →

`profile-optimization`.

• **Retain** the warm audience: **Stories** (polls/questions/replies) + fast comment/DM replies +

a **broadcast channel** (one-to-many DMs — the highest-attention surface for superfans) + community. This boosts early signals on every new post.

Step 6 — Niche, SEO, cadence, measurement

• **Niche clarity** + **keywords** (caption/on-screen/audio) so Instagram categorizes and surfaces

you → `hashtag-strategy` / `social-seo`.

• **Sustainable cadence** (consistency > volume) → `content-calendar`.
• **Measure** via native Insights (sends-per-reach, saves, watch time, profile visits, follower vs

non-follower reach). Never claim WoopSocial analytics; **follower count is vanity**.

Orchestration map

instagram-growth diagnoses and routes; these execute: `reels-script` · `hook-writer` · `carousel-writer` · `caption-writer` · `profile-optimization` · `content-calendar` · `hashtag-strategy` · `trend-jacking` · `viral-reverse-engineering` · `cross-platform-repurposing` · `scheduling-and-queue`.

Quality bar — self-check

• Did I **diagnose the broken stage** rather than spray generic tips?
• Did I center **Reels for reach** and **sends + watch time** as the signals?
• Did I **route to the right skills** to fix each stage?
• Did I respect the **eligibility gates** (original, no watermark, niche clarity)?
• Did I reframe **follower count as vanity** toward reach/sends/saves/profile-visits/leads?
• **Sustainable cadence**, **native-Insights** measurement, **no analytics claims**, **no growth

hacks / no guarantees**?

Edge cases & pushback

• **"Get me 10k followers / buy followers"** → refuse fake engagement; reframe to reach/sends/leads;

follower count is vanity.

• **"Repost my TikToks"** → watermark + originality gate throttles them; make native versions.
• **"Guarantee viral growth"** → no guarantees; a compounding system stacks the odds.
• **"Lots of views, no follows"** → it's the profile → `profile-optimization`.
• **Multi-niche / unclear lane** → tighten the niche (the algorithm must categorize you).
• **Unsustainable schedule** → match cadence to capacity → `content-calendar`.
• **"Which post performs best?"** → native Insights; no WoopSocial analytics.

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