Asking Claude for "a 7-day content calendar" usually gives you seven generic ideas. The prompt below fixes that by giving Claude your niche, your audience and how Reels actually get reach, so you get a week of specific reels with hooks, short scripts and calls to action. There is also a follow-up prompt to turn any idea into a full script.
What you need
Claude at claude.ai or in the Claude app. The free plan works for this. Paid plans give you more usage and longer chats.
Ten minutes to fill in the details about your page. The better your inputs, the better the plan.
Optional: a list of your 5 best-performing reels (topic and views). Claude can use them as a pattern.
Step by step
Open a new chat in Claude. If you plan to do this every week, create a Claude Project, paste your page details into the project instructions once, and reuse it.
Copy the prompt below, fill in the brackets, and send it.
You are a short-form video strategist who plans Instagram Reels for small creators.
About my page:
- Niche: [e.g. budget skincare for Indian college students]
- Who watches: [age, city type, language, what they struggle with]
- My goal this week: [e.g. more followers / more DMs for my course / more saves]
- Language for reels: [English / Hinglish / Hindi]
- What I can film: [e.g. only face-to-camera at home, phone only, 30 minutes a day]
- Reels that worked before: [paste 3-5 topics with rough views, or write "none yet"]
- Things to avoid: [e.g. no medical claims, no brand names]
Plan 7 Reels for the next 7 days. Rules:
1. Mix formats across the week: at least one tutorial, one myth vs fact, one story, one list, one reaction or opinion, one behind-the-scenes, one that answers a common question.
2. Each reel must give one clear, specific takeaway. No vague ideas like "share tips".
3. Optimise for people sending the reel to a friend and watching till the end. For each reel, say in one line why someone would send it.
4. Keep every reel between 20 and 60 seconds.
5. All ideas must be original to my page. Do not suggest reposting or copying other creators' videos.
For each day give:
- Day and working title
- Format
- Hook: the first spoken line (under 12 words) and the on-screen text
- 3-beat outline (what I say in order)
- CTA (one line, matched to my goal)
- Caption (2 lines) and 3 to 5 relevant hashtags
- Shot list (what to film, in plain words)
- Why it will be shared (one line)
Show the plan first as a table with columns: Day | Title | Format | Hook | CTA.
Then give the full details for each day below the table.
Finally, list 3 backup ideas in case one day's idea does not suit me.
Before you start, if any detail about my page is missing or unclear, ask me up to 3 short questions. Otherwise go ahead.Turn any day into a full script. Paste this follow-up:
Write the full script for Day [number]. Spoken English, short sentences, 45 seconds max (about 110 words). Structure: hook (first 3 seconds), the problem in one line, 3 clear points, one-line CTA. Add on-screen text for each line and mark where I should cut to a new shot. Give me 3 alternative hooks too.Get a posting checklist. Paste:
Turn this week's plan into a simple checklist I can tick off: what to film on which day, what to edit, the caption to paste, and the time I plan to post. Keep it to one screen.Review, then film. Change anything that does not sound like you. Check any facts, prices or claims before you post.
Next week, feed the results back:
Here are this week's results: [Day, views, sends/shares, saves, follows]. Tell me which two formats worked best and why, then plan next week with more of those formats while keeping at least two new experiments.Good to know
Claude does not see your Instagram data. It only knows what you paste. It cannot predict views. Treat the plan as a starting draft.
Shares matter. Instagram head Adam Mosseri has named watch time, likes per reach and sends per reach as key Reels signals. That is why the prompt asks for a "why it will be shared" line.
Stay original. Since April 2026, Instagram has been reducing reach for accounts that mostly repost other people's content. Use AI for planning and scripting, then film your own reels.
Use Trial Reels to test. Public accounts with 1,000+ followers can post a Trial Reel that is shown to non-followers first. It is a low-risk way to test a hook.
Check facts. Claude can get dates, prices and statistics wrong. Verify anything factual before you say it on camera.
Sources
SocialPilot: Instagram Reels algorithm, what changed in 2026
Social Media Today: Instagram updates algorithm to benefit original creators
SocialSamosa: Instagram introduces wider access to Trial Reels
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