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Instagram · desire, proof, relationship

Make the product impossible to mistake for the category.

Instagram can introduce a product, let somebody inspect it, deepen a launch and resolve the question that blocks purchase. The work starts with deciding which of those jobs matters now, then building the surface, the proof and the carrier around it.

Reels · Feed · Stories · DMs·Creators + community·Your account, your rights register
Opening questionCan the viewer judge the product before the caption asks for trust?Demonstration beats another adjective.
Community input"Will this pill under sunscreen?"That is tomorrow's Reel brief.
01 · Reels, Feed, Stories, DMs

Four surfaces. Four different jobs.

One source idea can travel across Instagram, but it should never ask Reels, the Feed, Stories and DMs to do the same job. Each surface gets a brief, a carrier and a read of its own.

Reels · introduce
Vertical Reel frame of a creator demonstrating serum
ReelsFriends
A closer look
at the texture
beauty.routineOriginal audio

Before the rest of the routine, see it in use.

beauty.routine · Original audio
Illustrative Instagram interface · fictional account

Earn the next second.

Motion, tension, process or demonstration make the product legible fast. The opening needs context before polish.

We track: hold · completion · sends · profile action
Carousels · prove
Posts
beauty.routine
beauty.routine The close-ups behind the routine. Swipe through, then save for later.View comments2 hours ago
Illustrative Instagram interface · fictional account

Make proof saveable.

Comparisons, steps, ingredients, fit and trade-offs in a sequence a buyer returns to when the decision becomes real.

We track: progression · saves · shares · close-ups
Stories · deepen
Creator recording a skincare product explanation
beauty.routine2h
TODAY AT THE DESKWhat should we
show you next?
Your next close-up?TextureLayering
Send message
Illustrative Instagram interface · fictional account

Show up in real time.

Launches, polls, objections and behind-the-scenes context work when the audience already has a relationship with the brand.

We track: replies · taps · exits · link action
DMs · resolve
Beauty Routinebeauty.routine
Today 10:42 AMReplied to your story
DAILYSERUM30 MLA closer look

Where can I see the full routine?

It's saved in our Routine highlight. Would you like the application close-up too?

Yes, that would help. Thank you!

Of course. Here's the step-by-step post.

Seen
Illustrative Instagram interface · fictional account

Finish what the post began.

The most commercially useful question is often too specific for the Feed. DMs are product language, objection data and a routing surface.

We track: questions · resolution · next action · purchase path
02 · Objectives · organic and paid on one map

Meta's six campaign objectives, and the organic surface that earns each one.

The same brief should work whether it is boosted or not. We plan organic around the objective a paid campaign would be bought for, so proof travels between the two.

ObjectiveWhat Meta optimises forOrganic surface we runWhat we read AwarenessReach and recall among people likely to remember the brandReels with a proof-first opening · Collabs with carriers the buyer already followsNon-follower reach · 3-second hold TrafficLink clicks and landing-page viewsStories with link sticker after a poll · profile link routingLink taps · profile → site EngagementSaves, shares, comments, messages, video viewsCarousels built to be saved · Reels built to be sentSaves · sends · slide progression LeadsInstant forms, calls, sign-ups, conversationsDM prompts on Stories · Broadcast channel for launchesDM questions · qualified conversations App promotionInstalls and in-app actionsDemonstration Reels of the in-app momentCompletion · profile action SalesPurchases and catalogue salesProduct-tagged carousels · Reels answering the purchase-blocking questionProduct taps · DM → purchase
03 · The cue sheet on Instagram

Production begins after six choices are clear.

The cue sheet keeps everyone from asking "what should we post?" before they know what the post has to do. This is the sheet for one Reel about one serum.

01MomentMorning layer before SPFA woman deciding whether another serum makes the routine harder.Not "women 25-40". One person, one decision, this week.
02HookHour four, on skinThe product visible by 1.5 seconds, under sunscreen, before any claim.Cold open. No logo card. The question on screen.
03ProofTexture, wait, overlayTexture, wait time, sunscreen layered on top. No beauty lighting during the proof section.Demonstration the viewer can repeat at home.
04CarrierA creator with limitsSomeone who can say who this is not for. Fit builds trust faster than universal claims.Rights: organic plus whitelisted reuse, logged at review.
05ActionSave, send, askSave the routine. Send it to the friend who asked. DM the dosing question.Last frame answers the most-asked DM.
06LearningOne variableDoes the proof-first opening hold longer than the claim-first opening among non-followers?Friday: review viewing time and recurring questions before choosing the next brief.
04 · Native feed lab

Judge the work on the screen where people will see it.

Creative is designed inside the surface it has to survive. The review frame beside it shows what changed and what we read, so the hook, proof and response can be changed without screenshot theatre.

Reel structure0:18
Original audioReel · 0:18
Creative review · available platform measures

Check the opening, demonstration and next step.

The review goes past "this Reel did well." It asks whether showing the proof first made the people we care about more likely to take the next step.

Hold · openingReview where viewers stay or leaveCompare the source, period and baseline
Saves · returnWhich explanations viewers return toCompare the source, period and baseline
Sends · social proofWhich ideas viewers shareCompare the source, period and baseline
ReadProof-led opening
WatchProduct questions in DMs
NextUse recurring product questions for the next brief
Reel anatomy · demonstration, captions and next step
Contextual content production example
05 · Creator proof

Put a human in frame when the human makes the claim easier to believe.

A creator is a carrier, chosen for context. We pick someone whose lived situation makes the product more legible, secure the rights, and make the brief specific enough to protect that credibility.

Creator brief · working example

Show the routine. Keep the limitation in.

MomentMorning layer before SPF. The viewer is deciding whether another serum makes the routine harder.
Proof beatTexture, wait time, sunscreen layered on top. No beauty lighting during the proof section.
PermissionCreator can say who this is not for. Fit builds trust faster than universal claims.
RightsOrganic plus whitelisted reuse, logged separately. Creator fees, rights and paid amplification stay visible.
06 · Portfolio horizons

A healthy account needs response and memory.

If every post chases this week, the feed becomes forgettable. If everything is evergreen, the brand stops feeling alive. We programme four horizons at once and read each on its own shelf life.

Now

Response

Launches, questions, news in your category, objections and timely product context.

Shelf life: hours to days
Expected

Series

A repeatable promise with one fresh variable. The audience learns what to expect without getting the same post.

Shelf life: weeks
Memorable

Flagship

Strong proof, an original experiment or a view on the category worth sending to someone else.

Shelf life: months
Durable

Library

Guides, comparisons, routines, FAQs and demonstrations that keep resolving intent long after launch day.

Shelf life: ongoing
07 · What comments tell us

Comments and DMs are market research with names attached.

Useful response gets coded, sensitive issues get routed, recurring questions become next week's brief. Community work happens before the brief, not after the post.

Incoming · this weekcoded by theme
Product fit question

Which product-fit questions need a factual response from the product team?

Product fit · record the question and source
Routine question

Which routine questions need review by the product team or a relevant specialist?

Routine question · specialist review required
Presentation question

Does the post show the texture and product use clearly?

Presentation · use the question in the next brief
Usage question

Which usage or packaging questions should be referred to the product team?

Usage friction · route to product
Next brief bank
BuildSunscreen compatibility Reel. Two common SPF textures after ten minutes.
RouteRetinol routine answer. Needs approved specialist language before publishing.
KeepUnfiltered texture proof. The language people repeat is often better than the language in the brief.
ProductDosing clarity. Recurring confusion belongs in packaging and onboarding too.
08 · The evidence ladder

Platform response, relationship and business evidence stay separate until the decision is made.

Instagram gives useful behavioural signals. Commercial evidence usually lives somewhere else. We join them carefully instead of turning everything into a last-click claim.

Rung 1 · AttentionHold · progression · completion

Change the opening, sequence or amount of proof.

Rung 2 · RecommendationNon-follower reach · saves · sends

Change audience cues, who is on screen or format.

Rung 3 · RelationshipReplies · questions · people who come back

Change the proof, our replies or what we plan for the community.

Rung 4 · Path to purchaseProfile · site · sample · waitlist · DM

Change the next step we ask for, and tie it to sales data.

Official reference: Meta Transparency Centre · Instagram Feed and Reels recommendations · checked 2 Sep 2026 · ranking weights are not published and this page does not claim them
09 · Weekly rhythm

Enough repetition to recognise a pattern, never enough to become a content mill.

Monday · readHow the work performed, what people are asking, product facts and business context.
Tue-Thu · buildGathering source material, making the posts, approval, publishing, Stories, comments and DMs. Each brief tests one question.
Friday · re-briefEarly results, sorted objections, missing proof and the next version. The desk lands in your inbox.
First 90 days

Install the system before asking it to scale.

Days 1-15Map the account

Audience moments, current Feed, Stories, DMs, creators, claims, permissions, baseline.

Days 16-30Ship controlled work

Test opening families, proof forms and creator roles, one variable at a time.

Days 31-60Expand the pattern

Build series, strengthen community response, connect proof to product paths.

Days 61-90Build the library

Turn high-conviction proof into flagships, durable guides and recurring franchises.

10 · Instagram Mastery

Make Instagram the priority channel, not the place finished assets get resized.

Core and Studio give the channel a dedicated lead, native production at volume and a rights register you own. Enterprise adds markets, governance and custom capacity.

Core
$1,799 / month
20 static or carousel posts
8 simple Reel edits
Planning for Reels, Feed, Stories and DMs
Creator brief and proof standards
Comment and DM monitoring, five days a week
Friday desk with next-brief decisions
Client-owned creator and rights register
Start Core
Enterprise
Custom
Several markets or several brands
Cultural review in each market
Product facts and claims library
Custom production capacity
Creator rules and rights terms
Custom measurement studies
Executive escalation routes
Talk about Enterprise
Just the essentials?Plug & Play covers Instagram as one of three channels, 22 posts and 3 edits a month across them, $1,449.Compare the two →
Creator fees, complex motion and paid media approved separately · prices switch to your currency from the header
Instagram questions

Questions to clarify in your brief

  • Do you manage comments and DMs, and what routes back to us?
  • Can you work with our in-house designer?
  • How do you measure Instagram without a vanity score?
Bring these to your brief
Do you guarantee reach or follower growth?

No. We control the brief, the proof, the format, how often we post and how we respond. How far a post travels depends on Instagram and its audience.

Do you source creators, and who holds the rights?

We write the brief, set what counts as acceptable work, track the rights and can coordinate approved creators. Creator fees and paid promotion stay outside the plan fee. You do. The account, data, source files, creator rights records and final assets stay in accounts and storage you own.