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.

## Related skills

- `brand-profile`, `social-strategy`, `audience-research` — the positioning growth rests on.
- `reels-script`, `hook-writer`, `carousel-writer`, `caption-writer` — the content that earns reach.
- `profile-optimization` — converts reach to follows; `content-calendar` — sustainable cadence.
- `hashtag-strategy` / `social-seo` — the keyword/discoverability layer; `trend-jacking` — trends.
- `viral-reverse-engineering` — learn what already gets shared; `instagram-reels-publishing` +
  `scheduling-and-queue` — publish.

## References

- `references/the-growth-engine.md` — the discovery-engine model, the 3 signals, surfaces, the loop, gates, Trial Reels.
- `references/the-sends-lever.md` — sends (DM shares): the dominant discovery signal and how to earn it.
- `references/format-and-diagnosis.md` — format→surface jobs, niche/SEO/cadence, and the symptom→stage→fix table.
- `references/examples.md` — worked growth diagnoses with routing, plus honest expectations.