threads-growth-skill

# Threads Growth Skill > Skill by [ara.so](https://ara.so) — Marketing Skills collection. Data-driven Threads content optimization that learns from your actual post performance. Uses browser automation to scrape Insights, identifies winning patterns, and drafts algorithm-compliant posts with AI-tone detection. ## What this does - **Performance tracking**: Scrapes your real Threads Insights (views, likes, replies, shares) - **Pattern detection**: Identifies what works for YOUR account (not generic advice) - **Smart drafting**: Creates posts using your patterns + algorithm red-line checks + AI-tone detection - **Automated updates**: Bi-weekly cron keeps your performance database current - **Share optimization**: Prioritizes DM forwardability (3-5x weight vs likes per Mosseri 2025) ## Installation ```bash # Clone into Hermes skills directory git clone https://github.com/krumjahn/threads-growth-skill ~/.hermes/skills/social-media/threads-growth # OR create directory structure manually mkdir -p ~/.hermes/skills/social-media/threads-growth/{references,scripts} ``` ## First-time setup ### 1. Export Threads cookies Required for authentication (cookies last ~60 days): ```bash # Install Cookie-Editor browser extension # Navigate to threads.net (logged in) # Export cookies as JSON # Save to ~/.hermes/skills/social-media/threads-growth/cookies.json ``` ### 2. Run setup script ```bash cd ~/.hermes/skills/social-media/threads-growth bash scripts/setup.sh ``` This will: - Validate cookie format - Test authentication - Run first Insights scrape (~5 min) - Create `references/winning-formats.md` - Set up bi-weekly cron job ### 3. Configure environment ```bash # Set your Threads username export THREADS_USERNAME="your_username" # Optional: Custom data path export THREADS_DATA_PATH="$HOME/.hermes/skills/social-media/threads-growth" ``` ## Key files ``` threads-growth/ ├── SKILL.md # This file ├── cookies.json # Your session cookies (gitignored) ├── references/ │ └── winning-formats.md # Performance database (auto-updated) └── scripts/ ├── setup.sh # One-time setup └── scrape_insights.sh # Insights scraper ``` ## Core workflows ### Draft a new post ```bash # User says: "draft a threads post about [topic]" # Skill loads winning-formats.md # Generates draft following your patterns # Runs algorithm + AI-tone checks # Returns scored draft ``` **Example pattern matching:** ```markdown # From winning-formats.md (auto-generated) Top format: Anti-Demo Hook + Problem/Solution + Proof Avg engagement: 2,340 views, 186 likes, 23 replies, 12 shares Structure: 1. Failure state (specific) 2. What you discovered 3. How to implement (3-5 steps) 4. Proof/result (concrete metric) Best performing: Posts with DM-forwardable utility (how-to, tool lists, templates) ``` ### Algorithm red-line check 12 hard suppression rules from Meta's 2025 guidelines: ```bash # Automatically checked in every draft: # 1. No external links in first post (only replies OK) # 2. No bare URLs (use "link in bio" instead) # 3. No follower begging ("follow me", "help me hit X followers") # 4. No engagement bait ("comment if you agree", "double tap") # 5. No fake news/misinformation signals # 6. No sensationalized language (all caps, excessive punctuation) # 7. No violent/graphic imagery # 8. No sexual content # 9. No hate speech # 10. No spam patterns (repetitive, copy-paste) # 11. No impersonation # 12. No coordinated manipulation ``` ### AI-tone detection Flags and fixes 15 common AI tells before posting: ```bash # Sentence-level tells: - "Delve", "utilize", "leverage" → Replace with plain language - "It's worth noting that" → Cut - "In today's digital landscape" → Cut or rephrase - "Game-changer", "unlock" → Use concrete verbs - Passive voice → Convert to active # Structure-level tells: - Lists starting "1. First..." → Vary openings - Three parallel paragraphs → Break rhythm - Summary ending "In conclusion..." → Cut - Overly balanced pros/cons → Take a stance - Academic hedging ("perhaps", "somewhat") → Be direct ``` ### Score a draft ```bash # Before publishing, get predictive score: # - DM forwardability (0-10) # - Repost likelihood (0-10) # - Algorithm compliance (pass/fail) # - AI-tone flags (count) # - Estimated reach multiplier (vs your baseline) ``` ## Insights scraper ### Manual run ```bash cd ~/.hermes/skills/social-media/threads-growth bash scripts/scrape_insights.sh ``` ### What it collects ```bash # For each post (last 50): - Post ID - Publish timestamp - Text content - Views (reach) - Likes - Replies (total + depth) - Shares (DM forwards + reposts) - Save count ``` ### Auto-update cron ```bash # Installed during setup: # Runs every 2 weeks (Sunday 2 AM) 0 2 * * 0 [ $(($(date +\%s) / 604800 \% 2)) -eq 0 ] && bash ~/.hermes/skills/social-media/threads-growth/scripts/scrape_insights.sh ``` ## Hook framework Built-in post structures ranked by performance: | Hook Type | Use Case | Avg. Multiplier | |-----------|----------|-----------------| | Anti-Demo | You hit failure → found fix | 1.5x | | Secret Knowledge | Insider info + steps | 1.4x | | Truth/Comparison | A vs B, clear winner | 1.2x | | Builder Journey | Workflow switch + results | 1.1x | | Link Drop | Just a link | 0.2x (avoid) | ### Anti-Demo example structure ```markdown I wasted 6 weeks posting at "optimal times" (my reach actually dropped 40%) Then I found this: Threads doesn't care about your timezone. It cares about YOUR audience's active hours. How to find them: 1. Export your Insights (this skill does it) 2. Map reply times (not post times) 3. Post 1 hour before peak reply window 4. Track for 2 weeks My reach jumped 2.3x in 10 days. Same content. Better timing. ``` ## Signal weighting Based on Mosseri 2025 algorithm updates: ```bash # DM forwards: 3-5x weight of likes # Deep replies (3+ back-and-forth): 2x weight of top-level # Saves: 2x weight of likes # Reposts: 1.5x weight of likes # Likes: 1x baseline # Views: Outcome, not signal ``` **Optimization priority:** 1. DM forwardability (utility, tools, templates) 2. Conversation depth (ask questions, provide incomplete info) 3. Save-worthiness (reference value) 4. Repost-ability (identity signal for sharer) 5. Likability (lowest priority) ## Multi-part Threads For posts >500 chars: ```bash # Skill automatically chains parts # Each part: 450-500 chars (leaves buffer) # Structure: # Part 1: Hook + problem # Part 2-N: Steps/details # Final part: Proof/CTA # Algorithm treats as one post if: # - Published within 60 seconds # - No external engagement between parts # - Same thread chain ``` ## Configuration options ```bash # Environment variables (optional) export THREADS_USERNAME="your_username" # Required export THREADS_DATA_PATH="$HOME/.hermes/..." # Default shown export THREADS_SCRAPE_LIMIT=50 # Posts to fetch (default 50) export THREADS_MIN_PERFORMANCE_SAMPLE=10 # Min posts for pattern detection export THREADS_COOKIE_WARNING_DAYS=7 # Days before expiry to warn ``` ## Troubleshooting ### Cookie expiry ```bash # Symptoms: Scraper fails with 401/403 # Fix: Re-export cookies from browser # 1. Login to threads.net # 2. Export cookies (Cookie-Editor) # 3. Save to cookies.json # 4. Run: bash scripts/scrape_insights.sh ``` ### Missing Insights data ```bash # Threads only shows Insights for posts with 100+ views # For new accounts: Wait until you have 10+ qualifying posts # Check: references/winning-formats.md for sample size # If sample size < 10: # - Patterns unreliable # - Skill uses general best practices until enough data ``` ### Scraper hanging ```bash # Usually: Slow network or Threads rate limiting # Fix 1: Kill process, wait 5 min, retry # Fix 2: Reduce THREADS_SCRAPE_LIMIT to 25 pkill -f scrape_insights sleep 300 bash scripts/scrape_insights.sh ``` ### Pattern detection not working ```bash # Need minimum viable sample: # - 10+ posts with Insights # - At least 5 with 500+ views # - Published over 2+ weeks # Check your data: cat references/winning-formats.md | grep "Sample size" ``` ## Algorithm knowledge base Adapted from [AK-Threads-Booster](https://github.com/akseolabs-seo/AK-Threads-booster): ### Boost signals - Original thinking (not reposted content) - Conversation starters (questions, incomplete info) - DM-forwardable utility - Identity-signal repostability - Consistent posting (3-5x/week better than daily) ### Suppression signals - External links in main post - Engagement bait - Follower begging - Repetitive content - Low reply rate (<2%) ### Timing myths - "Post at 9 AM" → Wrong. Post 1hr before YOUR audience's active window - "Post daily" → Wrong. 3-5x/week with high quality beats daily low quality - "First hour decides reach" → Partially true. First 3 hours matter most. ## Example: Complete workflow ```bash # 1. User requests "Draft a threads post about my new AI coding workflow" # 2. Skill loads patterns cat references/winning-formats.md # Identifies: Anti-Demo hook + 3-step process performs best for you # 3. Generates draft I tried using ChatGPT for code review. It missed 3 critical bugs in production code. Switched to Claude + this prompt structure: 1. Show the code 2. Ask "what breaks first?" 3. Request refactor with error handling Caught 12 issues ChatGPT missed. Same AI. Better questions. # 4. Runs checks ✓ Algorithm compliance (no red-line violations) ✓ AI-tone scan (0 flags) ✓ DM forwardability: 8/10 (actionable steps) ✓ Estimated reach: 1.4x your baseline # 5. User approves and posts ``` ## Data privacy - All data stored locally (`~/.hermes/skills/social-media/threads-growth`) - Cookies never transmitted (used only for Threads authentication) - Insights data never shared - No tracking, no analytics ## Performance baseline Typical results after 6 weeks: - 1.5-2.5x reach improvement - 2-3x engagement rate increase - 40-60% reduction in low-performing posts - Better pattern recognition every 2-week cycle ## Updates ```bash # Pull latest version cd ~/.hermes/skills/social-media/threads-growth git pull origin main # Refresh patterns (optional) bash scripts/scrape_insights.sh ``` --- **Built by [@krumjahn](https://www.threads.com/@krumjahn)** — Running live since April 2026. MIT License.