1Monday
Fix the profile 40 min
- Run the audit linked at the start of this manual.
- Make the top three fixes it gives you, today.
A free guide from Scroll Media
The Service Business IG Manual
About 90 minutes to make the week, plus 15 minutes a day in the inbox: what to post, how to make it, how to read it.
For owners of high-ticket, founder-led service businesses: med spas and dental practices, remodelers, builders and designers, advisors and law firms, agents, lenders, commercial trades and home services from lawn care to HVAC. Nine tools on the page hand you finished work: an idea bank for your trade, Reel scripts, a 4-week plan, DM replies and a number for what Instagram is worth to you.
Run a shop or cafe? The formats guide is built for you.
12-minute read, plus the tools
By Chase Gianattasio, Co-Founder & COO
Updated October 2026
37%
of small businesses say coming up with post ideas is hard, and 33% say they don't have the time. This manual is built for both.
Source: GoDaddy survey, 2025, via Marketing Dive
[brandname]
BN
postsfollowersfollowing
[Brand] · Kitchens · Columbus
Kitchens and baths for Columbus homes [X] five-star Google reviews · licensed in OH and KY Book a free design consult ↓
[brandname].com/consult
FollowMessage
ProcessResultsFAQReviews
Work with us
Our story
Proof
Discovery
Trust
Discovery
What's inside
Nine chapters, nine tools, one weekly rhythm you can keep.
- The 90-minute weekAbout 90 minutes to make the week, 15 a day in the inbox, and a 4-week plan with a job and a format for every post.
- Your buyers' questions are the contentTwelve buyer questions for your trade, each already turned into a post.
- A Reel script in ten minutesHook, problem, proof, one ask, timed to the second, with warnings when the hook drifts.
- The expert's version, camera optionalFour formats for camera-shy owners and what to post instead of trends.
- From DM to consultThe path from a DM to a booked first meeting: qualify, hand off, follow up, with your name and link in every reply.
- Posting in a regulated fieldWhat health, financial, legal and real estate businesses can post, with the rule behind each line.
- What Instagram is worth to youAn honest range of clients and revenue, with the method shown.
- The monthly readThirty minutes, four numbers against your own last three months, one decision.
- The 7-day kickstartOne tool a day for a week, so the system is running by Sunday.
Read the full manual
Add your first name and email, and the rest opens on this page, tools included.
One quick check, then the manual opens.
Our email tool wants to make sure you're a person. Open the check, tick the box, and your signup goes through. The manual opens here as soon as you do.
Open the quick checkYou're in. The manual stays open on this page for the rest of your visit, and your answers in the tools stay on this device.
Before chapter 01
Fix the profile before you post more
A stranger who taps through from a post decides in a few seconds whether to follow, message or leave, and the name field, bio, link and pinned posts make that call for you. A weak profile wastes every post this manual helps you make.
The Local Business Instagram Audit checks all of it in about 10 minutes and writes the fixes with you. Run the audit on your profile, then come back for the week.
Chapter 01
Make a week of Instagram in 90 minutes
Accounts go quiet when Instagram has no fixed slot in the week. Give it three blocks and it survives a busy one.
You tried. One Reel took an afternoon, the next week got busy, and the account went quiet for a month. The fix is a rhythm small enough to keep: one 45-minute shoot inside real work, one writing block, and 15 minutes a day in the inbox. Before the plan, one rule decides what goes in it.
Every post gets one job
Discovery
Reach people who don't know you yet
Stop the right stranger and earn the follow: a question people search before they need you, the season, the neighborhood.
Read it by sends, and follows from the right part of town.
Trust
Earn the call
Show the work, the team and how you think, for people comparing you with two other names.
Read it by saves, watch time and profile visits.
Conversion
Offer one next step
Answer the last worry a client has before booking, then give them one easy thing to do.
Read it by DMs started and link taps.
40%Discovery
35%Trust
25%Conversion
40/35/25 is where we start, and it moves per account. Under 1,000 followers, skip conversion posts and let the bio do the asking. There aren't enough warm people yet, and a post that asks a stranger to book could have reached someone new.
Reels come first: at least two of every three feed posts, ideally four of five. The mix is each post's job; the Reels share is its format. Two to four feed posts a week you can hold beats seven you can't.
2.25x
Reels reach 2.25 times as many people as single-image posts, and 1.36 times as many as carousels.
Source: Buffer, more than 4 million posts sent from January 2022 to October 2024
Tool 1
Build your 90-minute week
Answer five questions. You get a weekly time budget, about 90 minutes to make the week plus 15 minutes a day in the inbox, and a 4-week plan with a job, a format and an idea for every post.
Your week appears here.
Chapter 02
Your buyers' questions are the content
Every question a client asks before booking is a post. Pick your trade and start with twelve, each already given a job.
Fillings, permits, fee schedules. It's easy to decide your business isn't a social business. Your buyers disagree: they ask the same questions before every consult, and the business that answers them in public is the one they call. You don't need clever ideas. You need the questions, written down, with the problem first.
- Your sales and consult callsEvery question asked before someone books, and the worry they only mention once they trust you. Their exact words are your first line.
- Reddit and local forumsSearch your service with your city. Copy how people describe the problem.
- Top accounts in and next to your nicheNote the posts that got far more views than that account usually does, and read the comments: they're questions nobody answered well. The ideas guide covers all five sources.
Tool 2
The idea bank for your trade
Twelve buyer questions per trade, each tagged with its job and turned into a post title that leads with the problem.
Built from consult questions at a practice we work with and from med spa accounts we've reviewed.
"Will I look done?"
TrustHow we keep a result looking like you, not like a procedure
"What do I actually need: lines, volume or texture?"
DiscoveryLines, volume or texture: the first thing we sort out before anyone treats your face
"Will Botox make me look frozen?"
DiscoveryWhy a frozen look comes from dose and placement, not from Botox itself
"Is there downtime?"
DiscoveryThe real downtime for the three treatments people ask us about most
"Am I a good candidate?"
TrustWhen we tell someone a treatment isn't right for them yet
"Who will actually treat me?"
TrustMeet the person who treats you, before you ever book
"Aren't all med spas the same?"
DiscoveryThree questions to ask any injector before they touch your face
"Why does it cost more here than down the street?"
TrustWhat you're paying for when two prices for the same treatment differ
"Is that skincare myth true?"
DiscoveryThree skincare myths we hear in consults every week
"What happens at the first visit?"
ConversionYour first visit, step by step, so nothing is a surprise
"I think I want Botox, but I'm not sure."
ConversionNot sure what you want yet is exactly what a consult is for
"Are you taking new patients?"
ConversionHow to get on the books this month, and what to bring
Built from what practice owners told us on calls and from dental and orthodontic accounts we've reviewed.
"Do I need a crown or just a filling?"
DiscoveryCrown or filling: the one thing that decides which you need
"How often do I really need a cleaning?"
DiscoveryHow often you need a cleaning, and who needs one more often
"Is my child ready for an orthodontist?"
DiscoveryWhy the first orthodontic check comes around age 7, before the adult teeth are in
"Will braces hurt?"
DiscoveryWhat the first week in braces feels like, and what helps
"A wire is poking me. What can I do at home?"
DiscoveryA poking wire at 9 p.m.: the fix you can do at home before you call us
"I'm nervous about the dentist."
TrustWhat our office looks and sounds like, for anyone who dreads the dentist
"What does a full-mouth makeover involve?"
TrustOne full-mouth case from first visit to final smile, with the patient's written permission
"Which doctor will I see?"
TrustThe people you'll see at every visit, by name
"Is whitening safe for my teeth?"
TrustWhat whitening does to enamel, explained from the chair
"What will it cost?"
ConversionWhat changes the price of treatment, so the quote makes sense before you sit down
"Can visits fit around school and work?"
ConversionHow we fit appointments around a busy family week
"Do you take my insurance?"
ConversionHow to check your coverage with us in two minutes
Built from common buyer questions in this field and from remodeler and builder accounts we've reviewed. Written for remodels. Building new? Swap in your site questions: a hillside lot, your lot or ours, when to break ground.
"Will my project run over budget?"
DiscoveryWhere remodel budgets go over, and the two decisions that stop it
"Why do remodels take so long?"
DiscoveryWhy remodels run long, from the people who schedule them
"Quartz or granite for a busy kitchen?"
DiscoveryQuartz or granite in a kitchen with three kids: what holds up
"Can we live at home during the remodel?"
DiscoveryLiving at home through a kitchen remodel: what each week is really like
"Can that wall come out?"
DiscoveryThe wall you want gone: how we check if it's load-bearing before anyone swings a hammer
"How do I make hundreds of selections without burning out?"
TrustHow we cut 20 samples down to 3 so selections don't wear you out
"Will you disappear once it's done?"
TrustWhat happens after the last crew leaves your house
"Who answers my calls during the project?"
TrustThe one person who answers your calls while the work is on
"Can I see a finished project like mine?"
TrustA finished kitchen, and the problem it started with
"How do you price a remodel?"
ConversionHow a remodel price comes together: fixed scope, allowances and what moves the number
"What happens at the first meeting?"
ConversionThe first meeting: what we ask, and what you leave with
"When should I call to be done by spring?"
ConversionWhen to call if you want the work finished by spring
Built from common buyer questions in this field and from design and architecture accounts we've reviewed.
"Can I see it before anything gets ordered?"
DiscoveryHow to see your room before a single thing gets ordered
"What should I ask before anyone touches my kitchen?"
DiscoveryThree questions to ask any designer before they touch your kitchen
"My basement ceiling is low. Can it still work?"
DiscoveryA low basement ceiling, and three ways to make it not feel low
"Does building efficient cost too much?"
DiscoveryWhat building tighter adds to the cost, and what it saves after
"Old house, small budget: where do I start?"
DiscoveryOld house, tight budget: the first room worth spending on
"Who holds it together when the architect, designer and builder disagree?"
TrustWho holds the project together when three trades have three opinions
"Will it look like me or like a magazine?"
TrustHow we design a room that looks like the people who live in it
"How long does one room take?"
TrustFrom first meeting to install: the real timeline for one room
"What do you need from me?"
TrustThe only decisions we need from you, and when we need them
"How do design fees work?"
ConversionHow our fees work, so the first call isn't awkward
"Do you take projects my size?"
ConversionThe projects we take, and the ones we send to someone else
"How do we get started?"
ConversionWhat happens in the week after you send us a message
Built from common buyer questions in this field and from advisor accounts we've reviewed. Education only: check every post with your compliance team (chapter 06).
"Will my savings last?"
DiscoveryThe first number we look at before anyone picks a retirement date
"How much will I keep after taxes?"
DiscoveryWhy $100 out of a 401(k) isn't $100 in your pocket
"Which retirement choices can't I undo?"
DiscoveryThe Social Security and Medicare choices you only get to make once
"What do I check before Medicare enrollment?"
DiscoveryWhat to check before your Medicare enrollment window opens
"I'm behind. Where do I start?"
DiscoveryBehind on retirement savings at 50: the first three moves to look at
"My spouse died. What changes?"
TrustWhat changes with your filing status after a spouse dies
"Am I missing something with my money?"
TrustThe questions we ask in a first meeting that people don't expect
"How do I plan for long-term care?"
TrustLong-term care: the conversation families put off too long
"What do you do when the market drops?"
TrustWhat we do, and don't do, on the day the market drops
"How do you get paid?"
ConversionHow we get paid, in plain words
"What should I bring to a first meeting?"
ConversionWhat to bring to a first meeting, and what you leave with
"Am I too small for you?"
ConversionWho we're a fit for, and who we'll point somewhere better
Built from common buyer questions in this field. We haven't reviewed law firm accounts yet, so these stay general: make each one about your practice area and check it against chapter 06.
"Do I need a lawyer for this?"
DiscoveryWhen a problem needs a lawyer, and when it doesn't
"What happens if I die without a will?"
DiscoveryWhat happens to your things without a will, explained by an estate lawyer
"How long will this take?"
DiscoveryWhy legal timelines run long, and what you can do to speed yours up
"Will this go to court?"
DiscoveryHow often a case like yours ends up in a courtroom
"What should I do first?"
DiscoveryThe first three things to do before you call any lawyer
"Who will actually handle my case?"
TrustWho works on your case, by name
"Will you keep me updated?"
TrustHow and when you'll hear from us while your matter is open
"What does a case like mine look like?"
TrustA matter like yours, start to finish, told with the client's written consent or as a hypothetical no one could trace
"Is what I tell you confidential?"
TrustWhat stays confidential when you talk to a lawyer, and when that starts
"How do you bill?"
ConversionHourly, flat fee or contingency: how we bill, in plain words
"What should I bring to the consultation?"
ConversionWhat to bring to a first consultation
"Can I afford a lawyer?"
ConversionWhat a first conversation with us costs
Built from what agents and lenders told us on calls and from accounts we've reviewed. Describe homes, prices and commutes, never the people who should live there, and keep rates and payments out unless the post carries the full terms (chapter 06).
"How much house can I afford?"
DiscoveryThe four costs inside a monthly house payment, before you tour anything
"What do I need before I call a lender?"
DiscoveryWhat to gather before you talk to a lender
"Where can I get more house for the money?"
DiscoveryThree neighborhoods where your budget goes further, walked in 60 seconds
"What's it like to live there?"
DiscoveryA Saturday in one neighborhood, from coffee to dinner
"Is now a good time?"
DiscoveryWhat sold near you this month, in three numbers
"Is this lender legit?"
TrustWho you're actually talking to when you call us, license and NMLS ID on screen
"I've been watching you for a while."
TrustWhat buying with us is like, from someone who just did, with their permission
"Will we lose another bidding war?"
TrustHow we write an offer when there are five others
"Isn't the cheapest lease the best deal?"
TrustWhy the cheapest lease can be the most expensive space
"What does it cost to sell?"
ConversionWhat selling your home costs, line by line
"What happens after I call you?"
ConversionThe first 30 minutes of working with us
"We're not ready yet."
ConversionYou don't need to be ready to buy to call us
Built from the questions homeowners ask lawn care, HVAC, plumbing, cleaning and junk removal companies. Swap in the version your own customers ask.
"Is this something I can fix myself?"
DiscoveryThe fix you can do yourself this weekend, and the sign it's time to call us
"What happens if I wait until spring?"
DiscoveryWhat waiting another season costs you, shown on a real job
"Why is one quote so much cheaper?"
DiscoveryWhy quotes for the same job are so far apart, and what to ask each company
"Is this an emergency?"
DiscoveryCall today or it can wait: the three signs that tell you which
"What should I do before you get here?"
DiscoveryWhat to do before we arrive so the job goes faster
"Will it be the same crew every time?"
TrustThe crew who shows up at your house, by name
"Will you clean up after?"
TrustWhat your yard and floors look like when we leave
"Are you licensed and insured?"
TrustWhat licensed and insured covers you for, in plain words
"Can I see a job like mine?"
TrustA job like yours, start to finish, in 30 seconds
"How do you price a job?"
ConversionWhat moves the price of a job, and how we set it
"How soon can you come out?"
ConversionHow fast we can get to you this month, and how to grab a spot
"Can I get a quote from a photo?"
ConversionOne photo and a text: all it takes to get a quote
Built from common buyer questions in this field and from commercial contractor accounts we've reviewed.
"Will the work disrupt my tenants?"
DiscoveryHow we repaint a building while the tenants stay open
"What should I ask every contractor when I collect bids?"
DiscoveryThree questions to ask every contractor when you collect bids
"How do crews work in this heat?"
DiscoveryHow crews keep working through a July heat wave
"Why are these bids so far apart?"
DiscoveryWhy two bids for the same job can be far apart
"What does it cost if we wait a year?"
DiscoveryWhat waiting a year on a roof or parking lot repair costs a building
"Will you hold up our opening date?"
TrustHow we keep a fixed opening date from slipping
"Can you hit an aggressive schedule?"
TrustHow we held the schedule on our tightest job this year
"Can I see a real project before I hire you?"
TrustOne project, from bid to handover, in 45 seconds
"Who's on my site?"
TrustWho's on your site, and what we check before they start
"How do you price a job?"
ConversionWhat goes into our price, line by line
"How fast can you start?"
ConversionHow soon we can start, and what decides it
"How do I get a bid?"
ConversionHow to get a bid from us in one call
Each one comes back as three post titles, one per job.
Your titles appear here as you type.
Chapter 03
A Reel script in ten minutes
Write the hook, the problem, the proof and the one ask, and the builder times it to the second.
A Reel that takes five hours won't get made next week, and most of those hours go to a blank screen, not the filming. Start from the sentence you already say to clients and fill four boxes. Four facts decide what Instagram shows:
Watch time, likes and sends rank posts
Instagram's head named them as the top three signals in January 2025. Likes count more with followers; sends count more for reaching people who don't follow you yet.
Source: Social Media Today, Jan 2025
Saves and sends beat likes
A like takes half a second. Someone who saves a post on what a remodel really costs is planning one, and someone who sends your advisor post to their spouse has a decision in motion.
Original work gets shown
In recommendations, Instagram swaps a repost for the original, and accounts that mostly repost aren't recommended. That widened to photos and carousels in April 2026.
Source: PetaPixel, Apr 2026
One clear topic per post
Since December 2025, US viewers can tune the topics Instagram shows them. A post that's plainly about one thing gets sorted to the right people.
Source: Search Engine Land, Dec 2025
Before
"Our remodeling process, explained"
Any remodeler in the country could post it, and it names nothing the viewer is worried about.
After
"The two decisions that keep a kitchen remodel from running two months over"
The fear comes first, and only a team that does the work could write it.
The hook rule
Name the problem the way your buyer says it, in the first line and the first shot, with something you could point at: a number, a place, a price. Nine words or fewer on screen, and no question as the opening line. Aim at the habit, never the person. The hook library has 50 more, in 10 shapes.
Tool 3
The Reel script builder
Pick a format and a length, fill four boxes, and get a timed script with what to say, what goes on screen and what to film.
Your timed script appears here once the hook is in.
Before you post, run the ten checks in the hooks guide.
Cut it on your phone in Instagram's free Edits app, which adds no watermark (Engadget, Apr 2025).
Chapter 04
The expert's version, camera optional
You don't need dances, trends or your face in every post. You need the work, filmed close, and your judgment, said plainly.
A dozen practices on every corner, all posting the same promo graphic. Owners tell us they don't want to look cheesy or boastful, and they're right: the trend version makes you look like the practice down the street. The expert's version makes you the obvious call. If the camera is what stops you, start with one of these.
Tool 4
Four formats for camera-shy owners
Hands and process
Phone on a small tripod at chest height, filming your hands on the one step clients never see. Ten-second clips, three per job.
Voice-over on the work
Film the work with no talking. Record the script in a quiet room or a parked car, then lay your voice over the clips.
Text on footage
One clip of the work with the hook and three short lines on screen, big enough to read on a phone with the sound off.
A team member on camera
The person clients meet first, answering one question. You write the point; they say it in their own words.
Tool 5
Instead of a trend, post this
Three swaps per trade group, taken from the accounts we review every week.
Instead of
A holiday deal graphic that opens on the price
Post this
One Reel a week answering a first-time patient's worry, like looking overdone
Instead of
Promo graphics from the brand account
Post this
The provider on camera, answering one question from this week's consults
Instead of
Team birthdays, booth photos and national-day posts
Post this
One question from your own FAQ page, answered in 30 seconds
Instead of
A finished room with a design line any builder could post
Post this
The buyer's worry that room solved, then the room
Instead of
Event countdowns and announcements
Post this
A site-visit Reel that opens on a homeowner's problem
Instead of
Mood lines about the season
Post this
One plan, room or detail a week, explained by the person who drew it
Instead of
Stock-photo checklists of general tips
Post this
You on camera, answering one real client question, education only
Instead of
Posts that open on a date or an announcement
Post this
One exact situation, like filing alone the year after a spouse dies
Instead of
Firm news and awards
Post this
The first three things to do after the event your clients call about
Instead of
A Reel that opens on an aerial of the building
Post this
The owner's worry first, like a space that sits empty, then the space
Instead of
Fun-fact graphics on Fridays
Post this
One project Reel a week, from the crew on site
Instead of
A listing slideshow with music
Post this
The four costs inside that listing's monthly payment, with no rate quoted
Pick one swap and put it in next week's plan.
Chapter 05
From DM to consult
A DM is the first conversation with a future client. Answer within a business day, and give every reply one next step.
Someone asks how much, you send a number, and they disappear. Or the message sits for three days because nobody owns the inbox. Whoever sends "do you do kitchens near me?" has already watched your work and decided you might be the one. The reply decides whether it becomes a consult.
The keyword path
- A post asks for one word"Comment GUIDE and I'll send it." One easy word that names what they get.
- An automatic first DMA tool like ManyChat replies in seconds with one question. No link yet.
- Qualify, then send the guideTheir answer tells you whether they fit.
- A person sends the booking linkOnly to someone who fits. The automation catches the hand-raise; you close it.
Save it for conversion posts, once the account has an audience to ask.
The habits that keep it working
- One named person owns the inbox, 15 minutes a day.
- Reply within one business day. Same day is better: they're waiting on the other names too.
- Use story stickers, and follow up on the strongest answers within 24 hours.
- Leave specific comments on local accounts your clients follow.
Tool 6
Your DM replies, written
The consult path, written: qualify, hand off to your first meeting, follow up, plus the keyword pair once your flow is live. Fill the boxes and every bracket is gone. Copy each reply into the Instagram app as a saved reply, so answering takes one tap.
Replies for price, hours and "do you do X" live with your profile, in the audit's saved replies pack. Its price reply for projects and treatments works the same way: a range, one question, then the link.
Chapter 06
Posting in a regulated field
Health, financial, legal and real estate businesses can post plenty. A few rules decide what needs a signature, a disclosure or a second look.
Compliance worry keeps some of the best practices in town off Instagram entirely. The rules are narrower than they feel: they cover client identities, testimonials, promises and, in real estate and lending, who a post is aimed at and the numbers in it. Education is open. Find your card, and note who signs off before anything with a client in it goes live.
Tool 7 · Health
Med spas, dental and therapy practices
- A patient's photo, video or testimonial needs a written HIPAA authorization that covers that use (45 CFR 164.508). A general intake consent is weak ground.
- Never confirm someone is a patient in a public reply, even to thank them.
- If a patient sends health details in a DM, move the conversation to your secure channel and don't repeat their details back.
- Counselors and psychotherapists: don't ask current clients for testimonials at all (APA Ethics Code 5.05).
- In 2016 a physical therapy practice paid $25,000 over patient testimonials posted without authorization (Healthcare IT News).
Financial
Advisors and broker-dealers
- Under the SEC Marketing Rule, testimonials are allowed with the required disclosures, and a review you ask for counts as one, so it needs compliance sign-off. A December 2025 SEC risk alert found gaps, and FAQs followed on January 15, 2026 (ThinkAdvisor).
- Broker-dealers post under FINRA Rule 2210. Liking or sharing a client's praise can count as adopting it (Scarinci Hollenbeck).
- Most firms pre-approve posts. Put the review inside the week, so it never holds a post back.
Law
Law firms
- Your state's advertising rules apply to social posts. In Ohio that is Rules of Professional Conduct 7.1 to 7.3 (rule text); other states number theirs differently, so check your state bar's rules before you post.
- Testimonials must be truthful and must not create unjustified expectations. Skip dollar-result testimonials without context.
- Older advisory opinions on social media are dated. Check the current rule text before you rely on one.
Real estate
Agents and mortgage lenders
- Describe the property, never the buyer. Matching a neighborhood to a type of person can be steering under the Fair Housing Act (HUD). Homes, prices and commutes are fine.
- A rate or a monthly payment in a post brings in the Truth in Lending trigger-term rules (Reg Z, 12 CFR 1026.24). Show the APR and the terms, or leave the number out, and check with compliance.
- Lenders show their NMLS ID. Agents show their brokerage's name, as state license rules require; check your state's exact wording.
Any business
Every business on Instagram
- The FTC Consumer Review Rule, in force since October 21, 2024, bans fake reviews, undisclosed reviews by staff, suppressing bad reviews, buying fake followers or views, and rewards tied to a good review (16 CFR 465). Google goes further and bans a reward for any review.
- Ask every client for a review the same way, whatever you expect them to say.
Not legal advice. Check with your compliance officer, attorney or licensing board.
Chapter 07
What Instagram is worth to your business
Followers can't tell you whether Instagram pays. Link taps, your close rate and what a client is worth can, as an honest range.
Posting without knowing what it does is how accounts get abandoned. Organic Instagram can't produce a clean revenue number: people see a post, look you up days later and call from your website. So estimate it, show the method, and call it an estimate. Find your numbers in the Instagram app under Professional dashboard, then Profile activity, for the last 30 days.
Tool 8
The worth calculator
Three numbers in, a low and a high estimate out, with the math shown.
Use your own number from your profile insights. Without one, 2% is a cautious starting guess.
Fill in the numbers to see the range.
How it works: link taps × a published conversion rate for organic social traffic = consult requests. We use 0.7% at the low end (Contentsquare, 2026) and 2.4% at the high end (First Page Sage, 2023). Consult requests × your close rate = new clients, × what a client is worth = revenue. The proof cards below apply the same rates straight to customers, because for a shop the conversion is the sale; for a service business the conversion is the consult request, so this tool adds your close rate after it. An estimate, not a forecast.
Chapter 08
The monthly read: four numbers, one decision
Once a month, 30 minutes: read the trend in four rates against your own last three months, then change one thing.
Comparing yourself to an account ten times your size tells you nothing, and totals rise and fall with how much you posted. Rates per reach, against your own last three months, show whether the posts are getting better. These are the numbers worth reading monthly, and four of them matter most: shares, saves, watch-through and link taps. Followers set your stage; they're not the score.
This reads the trend, not a verdict on one post. A single Reel can spike or stall for reasons that wash out over a month, so the posts you made get judged together, by whether this month's rates beat your own recent average.
Tool 9
The monthly read worksheet
Copy five numbers per month from Professional dashboard. The sheet works out each rate per 1,000 accounts reached and suggests where to look.
Fill in this month and at least one earlier month.
Chapter 09
The 7-day kickstart
One tool a day, 15 to 45 minutes each. By Sunday the profile is fixed, four weeks are planned, two Reels are shot and the scoreboard is set.
2Tuesday
Fill the idea bank 30 min
- Pick your trade in chapter 02 and keep the questions you hear most.
- Type three questions from this week's calls and copy the titles.
3Wednesday
Plan four weeks 15 min
- Build the 90-minute week and print it.
- Put the shoot, the writing block and the daily inbox slot on your calendar.
4Thursday
Script two Reels 30 min
- Take week one's first two posts into the script builder.
- Run each hook through the ten checks in the hooks guide.
5Friday
Shoot inside real work 45 min
- Film both scripts during a job, a consult day or a site visit, phone vertical, window light.
- Off camera? Use one of the four camera-shy formats in chapter 04.
- Filming in a treatment room? No patient in frame, no chart or screen in shot, unless that patient has signed a HIPAA authorization covering social media.
- Grab five extra clips of the work for next week.
6Saturday
Set up the inbox 20 min
- Save the DM replies from chapter 05 with your link in them.
- Name who answers, and check your field's card in chapter 06.
7Sunday
Set the scoreboard 30 min
- Run the worth calculator on last month's numbers.
- Fill your last three months into the monthly read.
- Put a recurring 30-minute read on the last Friday of each month.
Proof
What this looks like on real accounts
Three Cincinnati-area businesses we've worked with, names left out. Every number comes from the client's own Instagram analytics or the monthly report we delivered.
Custom fine jewelry · Cincinnati metro
21.5%
of profile visitors tapped through to the website in a single month: more than 1 in 5
More than 1 in 7 for three months running. Over eight months, 1,119 bio link taps: an estimated 8 to 27 new customers at published conversion rates for organic social.
Med spa · Cincinnati metro
16.6%
of profile visitors tapped the link in the bio in one month, against a 2% to 5% target range
We set monthly targets for the signals that come before a booking. In that same month, shares came in 40% above target.
Boutique fitness studio · Cincinnati metro
570,249
accounts reached by one Reel, on an account with fewer than 4,000 followers
That Reel was an outlier, with views about 350 times the account's typical post, so read it as what discovery reach can do rather than a typical month.
Results vary by business, market and offer. New-client estimates apply published conversion rates for organic social traffic (0.7% to 2.4%) to measured link taps.
Free walkthrough
Doing this every week is the job
The system works when it runs every week, and some weeks the business wins the fight for your time. When that's the problem, start with a walkthrough. Send us your account. If your business is a fit, Chase records a 5-minute video on where your account is today, what's working and what's missing.
For service businesses where a new client is worth $500 or more. Three a week, in the order requests come in.
Rather talk it through first? Book a discovery call.
01Your profile, grid and recent posts, read the way a new client reads them
02What's already working, so you keep doing it on purpose
03What's missing, and the fixes that matter first