| name | instagram-carousel-skill |
| description | Produce and prepare publishing packets for African Data Layer Instagram carousels and LinkedIn document/image carousel cross-posts from docs/marketing — slide plan, bilingual captions (EN/FR), LinkedIn post copy, asset checklist, upload order, URLs/status, hashtags, story crosspost, claim audit against CLAUDE.md content guidelines. |
Instagram Carousel Skill (ADL)
When to use
User asks to create, draft, plan, schedule, post, publish, or cross-post an Instagram carousel for African Data Layer. Applies to feed carousels (2–10 slides, 1080×1350) and LinkedIn native document/image carousel adaptations generated from the same source brief. Not for single-image posts, Reels-first, or non-ADL brands.
Required reads before producing a post
docs/marketing/social-media-launch-plan.md — content calendar, claim rules, hashtag strategy, posting schedule.docs/marketing/social-publishing-workflow.md — cross-platform publish packet, status, and URL capture rules.CLAUDE.md — brand palette (navy/terra/forest/gold), anti-references, voice..claude/skills/instagram-carousel-skill/reference/color-systems.md.claude/skills/instagram-carousel-skill/reference/typography-pairings.md.claude/skills/instagram-carousel-skill/reference/components-library.md.claude/skills/instagram-carousel-skill/examples/carousel-captions.txt
Output contract
Write one markdown brief to docs/marketing/instagram-week{N}-post{M}.md containing:
- Header: date, slot (day + time WAT), format, series, companion cross-post references.
- Concept paragraph — why carousel fits the message.
- Slide plan table: slide number, background color, headline, supporting detail.
- Typography + dimensions (1080×1350, Inter weights).
- Caption EN (hook first 125 chars).
- Caption FR mirror (no accents that break IG search — use plain ASCII for tags).
- Hashtags — 10–15, mixed tier per
social-media-launch-plan.md.
- Story crosspost (3 frames).
- LinkedIn crosspost — native document/image carousel title, post copy, first-comment link copy, 3–5 hashtags, and upload notes.
- Publish packet — Instagram fields, LinkedIn fields, asset paths, upload order, account/status fields, and post URL placeholders.
- Optional Reels cutdown.
- Success signals table — saves, shares, DM CTA hits, profile visits.
- Claim audit — each claim mapped to accuracy per CLAUDE.md rules.
- Asset checklist.
Also emit a publishing manifest: write docs/marketing/assets/<slug>/publish.json conforming to the schema at .claude/skills/social-publisher-skill/reference/manifest-schema.md. The manifest must include:
- An
instagram / carousel target with account: "adl_main", assets[] matching the rendered PNG filenames, the caption object (EN + FR), captionLang, hashtags, and altText.
- A
linkedin / document-carousel target with account: "adl_org", same assets[], a title, and a commentary (long-form LinkedIn copy — distinct from IG caption).
claimAudit: "passed" ONLY after the claim audit step succeeds.createdBy: "instagram-carousel-skill@<today>".schedule: { mode: "now", at: null, timezone: "Africa/Douala" } by default. If the user requested a specific slot time, set mode: "at" and at to the ISO time.
Rules
- Claim discipline: only "verified", "ground truth", "fraud-resistant" — never "fraud-proof", never exact numbers, never accuracy %. See
docs/marketing/social-media-launch-plan.md claim rules.
- Anti-references hard stop: no stock African imagery, no pin-drop heroes, no gradient fades, no NGO aesthetics, no SaaS dashboard clichés.
- Bilingual parity: every caption EN must have FR mirror. Keep DM CTA keyword short ("MAP" / "CARTE").
- First-125-char hook: IG feed truncates there. Hook must stand alone.
- Accessibility: alt text per slide. Min 44×44 touch CTA equivalents in visuals.
- Slot conflict check: read existing week's plan before assigning day — don't double-book Fri if already taken.
- LinkedIn adaptation: do not paste the IG caption directly. Rewrite for a professional reader with one clear point of view, shorter hashtag stack (3–5), and no external link in the body; put any link in first comment.
- Posting truth: if no authenticated publishing tool, browser session, or user-provided platform access is available, create a ready-to-post packet and say it is not posted yet. Only mark
Posted when a platform/API returns a live URL.
- Save, don't dump: write brief to
docs/marketing/, don't paste full brief in chat — summarize path + slot + hook.
Workflow
- Identify week (from current date vs plan start) and which IG slots are free.
- Pick theme aligned with that week's plan row (Teaser / BTS / Recruit / Launch).
- Draft slide plan — 5 slides default, 3 min, 7 max.
- Write EN caption, mirror to FR.
- Pull 10–15 hashtags from tier list.
- Story + Reels extensions.
- Claim audit.
- Add LinkedIn crosspost + publish packet.
- Save to
docs/marketing/instagram-week{N}-post{M}.md.
- Write
docs/marketing/assets/<slug>/publish.json with both IG carousel + LinkedIn document-carousel targets.
- Tell the user the manifest path and remind them to publish via the
social-publisher-skill (do NOT publish from this skill).
- Report path + slot + hook in chat (≤80 words).
Publishing workflow
When user asks to post or publish an existing generated carousel:
- Locate the source brief in
docs/marketing/ and the asset directory in docs/marketing/assets/{slug}/.
- Confirm required assets exist:
slide-01.png through final slide, optional FR variants, alt text, and any PDF export for LinkedIn native document upload.
- Update or create the brief's
Publish Packet section with:
- Instagram feed: account, date/time WAT, slide upload order, caption EN/FR, hashtags, location, alt text, DM keyword, status, post URL.
- LinkedIn: account/page, document title, post text, first-comment link copy, hashtags, upload asset path, status, post URL.
- If a publishing tool/session is available and user requested posting, publish Instagram first, then LinkedIn. Capture live URLs immediately.
- If publishing cannot be done from the current environment, leave status as
Ready to post, keep all upload fields complete, and report the missing access/tool.
Reference
Original Agency agent: .claude/agents/marketing/marketing-instagram-curator.md.
Carousel growth engine agent: .claude/agents/marketing/marketing-carousel-growth-engine.md.
