And it told me everything.

This is not a theory post. This is a direct conversation with an AI built by Meta, trained on the same foundational principles their algorithms use.…

Read more

Here is the direct link: https://transparency.meta.com/features/explaining-ranking/

I am analyzing and digesting all of this and will do another post with what all of this means for you - reading between the lines - if you want success on Instagram!

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Here are all the settings that you can access by clicking “Settings and activity” from your profile (“Settings and activity” is the 3 line “hamburger” menu at the top right of your Instagram profile in the phone app):

Settings and activity > creator tools and controls:

Settings and activity (main menu):

Semi-secret settings (these are only accessible from when you are posting a reel, but some of these settings govern all content, such as translations and closed captions). Translations and closed captions are some of the MOST important settings for reach!

Secret setting ONLY ACCESSIBLE VIA DESKTOP / BROWSER:

These are all the settings, but there are some smart strategic hacks you can take advantage of, too! These are available only to my paid subscribers (its only $8) to join.

FREE Resources to Help You Grow

1. Free Instagram Growth Guide - Fix your profile, content strategy, and conversions in under an hour.

2. FREE How to Make Money Online - Want to make money online but don’t know where to start or what business models make sense for you and are actually profitable? Grab this FREE starter kit!

3. Viral Carousel Creator - Create custom, viral Instagram carousels in SECONDS.

4. Autoviral - Daily, custom Instagram reels done-for-you

5. Instagram EDGE - My viral Instagram growth & sales course

6. Monetize U (Signature Program)
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   Deep dives, strategies, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes breakdowns.

You can still publish with up to 30 hashtags.

What’s really happening

The rule applies to new drafts.
It does not retroactively apply to existing ones.

When you duplicate a legacy draft, you inherit its metadata instead of triggering the new constraint.

That’s the loophole.

How to use it

1. Open an old draft created before the cap.

2. Confirm it already has more than 5 hashtags.

3. Duplicate it.

4. Swap the video or images.

5. Edit the caption.

6. Post.

Do not delete the hashtags. Edit around them.

Why this matters

Hashtags are not about vanity reach. They’re classification signals.

Five hashtags forces broad buckets.
Twenty to thirty lets you stack:

• niche

• topic

• intent

• buyer awareness

That’s how content gets shown to the right people.

Two non-negotiables

• This only works with legacy drafts.

• If you delete them, you lose the advantage.

The smart move

Create a small vault of old drafts with:

• 20–30 tightly targeted hashtags

• Neutral captions you can rewrite fast

• No dates or trend language

Duplicate from those going forward.

This will get patched, so use it while it’s live before it’s too late!

FREE Resources to Help You Grow

1. Free Instagram Growth Guide - Fix your profile, content strategy, and conversions in under an hour.

2. FREE How to Make Money Online - Want to make money online but don’t know where to start or what business models make sense for you and are actually profitable? Grab this FREE starter kit!

3. Viral Carousel Creator - Create custom, viral Instagram carousels in SECONDS.

4. Autoviral - Daily, custom Instagram reels done-for-you

5. Instagram EDGE - My viral Instagram growth & sales course

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Here’s how I create valuable carousels at the very top of my content funnel.

It all comes down to sequence control.

A carousel fails when:

• a slide feels complete on its own

• the reader gets closure too early

• curiosity stops propagating

A carousel works when every single slide creates pressure to see the next one.

This article breaks down the exact structure I use to write carousels that:

• stop the scroll immediately

• feel urgent, important, or secret-adjacent

• stay factual and credible

• and create a continuous curiosity chain from slide 1 to the final reveal

You can use this structure manually, or you can use it inside any LLM to generate carousels that actually work.

The Exact Slide Format I Use

Every slide has a shape and a purpose.

From slide 2 onward, almost every slide follows the same internal structure:

• Headline – grabs attention or advances the idea

• Subheader – explains why this matters or adds clarity

• Leading curiosity text – intentionally unfinished and designed to push the reader to the next slide

The content changes.
The structure stays consistent.

Slide 1: Headline-Only Hook

Slide 1 is just a headline.

No subheader.
No explanation.

This headline must stop the scroll immediately.

It should feel:

• new

• important

• urgent

• or like it is pointing at something most people have not noticed yet

Example slide 1 headlines:

• “Instagram quietly unlocked a new way to grow.”

• “This is the Instagram update nobody is talking about.”

• “A secret to going viral that most creators are missing completely.”

If someone understands the takeaway on slide 1, you revealed too much.

Slide 2: Headline + Subheader (Why This Matters)

Slide 2 is still a hook, but it adds context.

This slide includes:

• a headline that keeps momentum (I usually repeat or slightly reword the slide 1 headline)

• a subheader that explains why this matters right now

• a leading line that creates strong curiosity for what comes next

Still no instructions.
Still no reveal.

Example slide 2:

Headline:
“Instagram quietly unlocked a new way to grow.”

Subheader:
“It changes what happens before your content is ever tested.”

Leading text:
“Here’s the one thing you need to understand first…”

At this point, the reader should think:
“Okay, this actually impacts me.”

Slides 3 Through the Penultimate Slide: Intentional Buildup

From slide 3 onward, every slide has three parts:

• Headline – advances the idea

• Subheader – explains one piece in simple, beginner-friendly language

• Leading text – opens a new question that the next slide answers

These slides are not teaching yet.
They are guiding attention.

Each slide should feel slightly unfinished.

How Slides Lead Into Each Other (With Examples)

This is what intentional flow looks like in practice.

Example slide 3

Headline:
“Instagram doesn’t distribute randomly.”

Subheader:
“It matches people to content based on signals.”

Leading text:
“Those signals don’t come from one post. They come from…”

This naturally pulls the reader forward.

Example slide 4

Headline:
“Signals come from patterns.”

Subheader:
“Patterns help Instagram understand who an account is for.”

Leading text:
“And this is where most creators get it wrong…”

Now the reader wants to know what the mistake is.

Example slide 5

Headline:
“Inference is imperfect.”

Subheader:
“When Instagram has to guess, matching takes longer and is less accurate.”

Leading text:
“There is a way to reduce that guessing…”

Now the reader senses something new is coming.

Example slide 6

Headline:
“A new reinforcement layer exists.”

Subheader:
“It gives creators more influence over that understanding.”

Leading text:
“And almost no one is using it yet…”

This is peak curiosity.
Still no reveal.

What You Hold Until the Final Slide

Until the very last slide, you do not:

• give steps

• name the feature

• explain where to click

• show examples of execution

Even if the reader could guess.
Especially if they could guess.

The power comes from pacing.

Final Slide: Clear Reveal + CTA

The last slide resolves everything.

This slide includes:

• a clear headline

• a simple, direct explanation of the action or insight (this can be step-by-step or screenshottable)

• the CTA

No mystery.
No hype.

Example final slide:

Headline:
“Here’s the new move.”

Reveal text:
“Instagram now allows limited manual input that reinforces how your account is categorized inside its systems. Here’s exactly what to do next…”

CTA:
FREE! Comment “LIZ26” for pdf guides, step-by-steps, AI prompts, and EXCLUSIVE secrets, hacks and more!

Why This Works

This structure:

• respects attention

• prevents early closure

• builds trust before instruction

• and makes the final reveal feel earned

It works across:

• platform updates

• AI education

• strategy content

• and beginner explanations

If You Want This Done Faster

I use an app called socialslides.app to take what ChatGPT generates and instantly format it into clean, on-brand, ready-to-post carousel slides.

I hate visual editing and graphic design in Canva.
This removes that entire step.

The ChatGPT Prompt That Recreates This Style

You can paste the prompt below into any LLM.

SYSTEM PROMPT: LIZ-STYLE CAROUSELS (HEADLINE + SUBHEADER + LEADING TEXT)

Copy this ChatGPT Prompt:

“You are writing Instagram carousel text in Liz on the Web’s voice.
The tone is confident, clear, educational, and beginner-friendly.

Your goal is to guide the reader slide by slide using intentional curiosity.

Required structure

• Carousel length can vary

• Slide 1: headline only (hook)

• Slide 2: headline + subheader + leading curiosity text

• Slides 3 through the penultimate slide:

  • headline

  • subheader

  • leading curiosity text that pushes to the next slide

• Final slide: headline + clear reveal + CTA

• Do not reveal the action or insight until the final slide

• Every slide must intentionally lead into the next

Hooks

• Bold, scroll-stopping headlines

• Sensational is allowed

• No instructions

• No explanations of how

Middle slides

• One idea per slide

• Simple language

• No steps

• No execution details

• End each slide with an open loop leading into the next slide

Final slide

• Clear explanation

• Calm tone

• End with the CTA exactly as written

Inputs

Topic: [insert topic]
Audience: [insert audience]
CTA (use verbatim): [insert the CTA you want to use]

Now write the carousel.”

And then I just paste the slides into socialslides.app and I’m ready to go!

📌 FREE Resources to Help You Grow

1. Free Instagram Growth Guide - Fix your profile, content strategy, and conversions in under an hour.

2. FREE How to Make Money Online - Want to make money online but don’t know where to start or what business models make sense for you and are actually profitable? Grab this FREE starter kit!

3. Viral Carousel Creator - Create custom, viral Instagram carousels in SECONDS.

4. Autoviral - Daily, custom Instagram reels done-for-you

5. Instagram EDGE - My viral Instagram growth & sales course

6. Monetize U (Signature Program)
   Master the Web of Monetization system and build real online income.
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That world is gone.

Starting in 2025, Google and other search engines began indexing public Instagram content from creator and business accounts. That includes posts, Reels, carousels, captions, hashtags, locations, alt text, and even public comments. At the same time, Instagram’s own search became more like a true search engine. People can now search by keyword and see results across accounts, content, audio, hashtags, and places. Instagram also reduced the power of hashtags and now relies much more on the actual words in your content.

This shift means one thing. SEO is not optional. It is the growth system. If Instagram cannot understand your content clearly, it won’t push you in search, on Explore, or on Google. If it does understand you, your reach scales faster and stays consistent.

Your words now decide your discoverability.

Why this matters so much

Strong Instagram SEO leads to real results for creators, brands, coaches, and small businesses:
• More reach because Instagram can match your content to searches
• More right-fit followers who already want your topic
• More profile visits and website clicks
• More authority in your niche as your account shows up repeatedly
• Extra traffic from Google
• Longer content life because search keeps resurfacing old posts
• Better lead quality and easier sales

SEO is how Instagram decides whether your content stays stuck or starts traveling.

What your audience is searching for

Think in simple words. Think like your customer.

Ask yourself:

1. What problem are they trying to fix?

2. What simple words describe what I offer?

3. Who do I help and what do I help them do?

These become your core keywords. Use them often so Instagram sees a clear pattern. Consistency creates trust. Trust builds authority. Authority drives reach.

How to find strong keywords

Use real search data, not guesses.

Inside Instagram

• Instagram search bar
Type your topic and look at the auto-suggestions. These are real searches.

• Blue topic label on viral posts
Instagram shows a small blue keyword on top-performing posts. This is how Instagram categorizes that content.

• Keyword-based search results
Instagram shows top content, accounts, audio, hashtags, and places for a keyword. If you never appear, your SEO isn’t strong enough.

Outside Instagram

• TikTok Creator Search Insights
Shows rising search terms and content gaps.

• Pinterest search bubbles
Reveals pain-point keywords and long-tail phrases.

• AnswerThePublic
Shows real questions people ask.

• Semrush and SEO tools
Great for finding strong keywords that now overlap with Instagram SEO.

• Threads search and trends
Shows topics people want explained right now.

Build a list of:
• 5–10 core keywords
• 10–20 long-tail phrases

This becomes your Instagram SEO word bank.

Where Instagram SEO actually lives

Instagram reads your entire account. Every part teaches it who you are and what you talk about.

1. Name field and username

Your Name field is searchable. Add one clear keyword so Instagram knows your category.

2. Bio

Your bio should say:
• Who you help
• What you help them do
• How you do it

Avoid vague language. Be direct and specific.

3. Captions

Instagram now favors keywords in captions over big hashtag blocks. Put your main keyword in the first sentence and add a few related phrases in the body.

4. On-screen text

Instagram and Google can read text in images and videos. Put your main keyword in your hook text.

5. Alt text

Alt text helps Instagram and Google understand your post. Write one or two sentences that describe the content and include a keyword.

6. Comments and replies

Instagram uses comment language to refine its understanding of your post. Leave 1–3 comments using your keyword after posting.

Why this system works

When all parts of your content use the same keyword structure:
• Instagram trusts your niche
• You get grouped with similar topics
• You appear for keyword searches
• You gain reach even outside your follower bubble
• You show up on Google
• Your posts last longer
• You build strong authority

This creates stable, predictable growth instead of random luck.

Your 2026 Instagram SEO checklist

Use this on every post:

1. Pick one main keyword.

2. Pick one supporting keyword.

3. Say the main keyword in the video.

4. Put it in your on-screen hook.

5. Put it in the first line of your caption.

6. Add 2–3 long-tail phrases in the caption.

7. Add one or two comments using the keyword.

8. Write simple alt text with your keyword.

9. Use 3–5 focused hashtags that match the content.

Weekly:
• Check Instagram search suggestions
• Update your bio if needed
• Note which keywords bring you saves, shares, and profile taps

The payoff

Instagram is now a search engine. It reads. It listens. It indexes. If your language is clear and consistent, both Instagram and Google will send you more views, more followers, more engagement, and more leads.

SEO is the new engine of growth. When you get the words right, everything else becomes easier. It’s almost like it now works the way it should have all along!

📌 FREE Resources to Help You Grow

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3. Viral Carousel Creator - Create custom, viral Instagram carousels in SECONDS.

4. Autoviral - Daily, custom Instagram reels done-for-you

5. Instagram EDGE - My viral Instagram growth & sales course

6. Monetize U (Signature Program)
   Master the Web of Monetization system and build real online income.
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This new auto-DM feature taps directly into that shift. Instead of letting followers drift into the algorithm and forget you exist, you can greet them instantly, learn who they are, and help them right away. You’re entering the conversation at the exact moment they’re most interested in you. When you do that, your trust, engagement, and income grow—fast.

Let’s walk through how this works, why DMs are becoming the most important place on Instagram, and clear examples of how any kind of business can use this smarter than everyone else.

What This New Feature Actually Is

Even though it feels like a brand-new Instagram toggle, this isn’t a setting inside the app. Here’s what’s actually happening:

• Instagram (through Meta) added a new “new follower” trigger to its official Messaging API.

• Approved tools—like ManyChat—can now send a DM instantly when someone follows you.

• It’s fully allowed under Instagram’s rules.

Before:

1. Someone follows

2. Nothing happens

3. They forget your content within 48 hours

Now:

1. Someone follows

2. They get a warm welcome

3. You learn what they need

4. You guide them to a helpful resource

This transforms a casual follow into a real relationship.

Why Instagram Is Shifting Into a DM-First App

Instagram has shared that users spend more time in DMs than anywhere else on the platform. That’s why they’re:

• putting DMs front and center

• releasing new DM tools

• encouraging private sharing

• leaning into Reels → DM behavior

• rewarding accounts that spark real conversations

DMs feel personal. People ask real questions there. They share posts privately. They make buying decisions. Instagram is following the behavior, and smart business owners need to follow it too.

How to Set It Up (Simple Version)

Here’s the quickest explanation:

1. Sign up or log into ManyChat.

2. Connect your Instagram Business/Creator account.

3. Turn on the “new follower → DM” automation.

4. Write a short, friendly welcome message.

5. Ask one simple question or offer one helpful choice.

6. Route each answer to a small, helpful resource.

You can set this up in under 20 minutes.

Five Smart Ways to Use This (With Universal Examples)

These strategies work for any business. I’ll show you broad examples plus specific niche ones so you can see how flexible this is.

1. The “Pick Your Path” Welcome

Goal: Learn what each follower actually needs.

Ask a simple question that helps you tag people by interest.

Examples:

Online physical therapist:
“What’s hurting most right now?
A) Back pain
B) Knee pain
C) Shoulder pain”

Social media manager:
“What do you need help with first?
A) Getting clients
B) Content ideas
C) Consistency”

Etsy candle shop:
“What scents do you love?
A) Clean
B) Warm
C) Seasonal”

Each answer helps you guide them to the right next step.

2. The “Launch Radar” Filter

Goal: Identify followers who are warm leads.

During a launch, adjust your welcome question:

Examples:

Business coach:
“When are you trying to hit your next income milestone?
A) 3 months
B) 6 months
C) Someday”

Physical therapist selling mobility programs:
“How soon do you want to solve your pain?
A) ASAP
B) This month
C) Browsing”

People tell you exactly how warm they are.

3. The “Starter Pack” Guide

Goal: Help new followers know where to start.

Most followers don’t know what to do first. This fixes that.

Examples:

Online physical therapist:
“What do you want first?
A) Quick mobility routine
B) Pain-free desk setup
C) Tight hips warmup”

Local salon:
“What are you curious about?
A) Skincare basics
B) Anti-aging
C) Acne help”

Food creator:
“What should I send you?
A) Beginner baking
B) Healthy treats
C) Air fryer favorites”

Instant clarity, instant trust.

4. The “Audience Brain Scan”

Goal: Extract real insights from real users.

Ask one universal question:

“If you could fix one thing next month, what would it be? Just type it here.”

Followers will tell you—clearly—what they’re struggling with.

This becomes:

• content topics

• product ideas

• launch angles

• sales copy

• email subjects

• hook language

Real people → real language → better marketing.

5. The “DM → Email Bridge”

Goal: Move warm conversations into email.

DMs start trust. Email deepens it.

Examples:

Physical therapist:
“Want my full pain-recovery plan? Drop your email so you can save it.”

Creator educator:
“Want my content system? I’ll send the full walkthrough to your email.”

Photographer:
“Want my posing guide? I can email it to you.”

DMs and email should work together.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are the traps to avoid:

• Pitching too fast
People need connection first.

• Writing too much
The first DM must be short.

• Sounding robotic
Talk like a human, not a bot.

• Setting and forgetting
Review every few weeks.
Improve the question, the wording, the resources.

The Bottom Line

Instagram is becoming a DM-first platform. When you shift your strategy to match the platform, you grow faster with less effort.

This new auto-DM feature is one of the easiest ways to:

• connect

• segment

• help

• nurture

• convert

your followers, automatically.

The opportunity is new. The advantage goes to the early movers.

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Get personalized, done-for-you content every week that actually grows your account.
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Deep dives, strategies, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes breakdowns.