INSTAGRAM FOR FREELANCERS — COMPLETE CHECKLIST Free download from SoloStack (solostack.madethis.app) No signup required. Share freely. ================================================ PART 1: PROFILE AUDIT --------------------- BIO FORMULA: [What you do] + [Who you help] + [Proof/result] + [CTA] Example (Copywriter): ✗ "Freelance copywriter | Coffee lover | DMs open" ✓ "I write email sequences for SaaS startups | Clients average 42% open rates | DM for rates" Bio checklist: [ ] Line 1: Specific service + target client (not generic) [ ] Line 2: Proof point or notable result [ ] Line 3: CTA (DM me, link below, booking open) [ ] No fluff adjectives (passionate, creative, driven) [ ] Under 150 characters total — every word earns its place LINK-IN-BIO: [ ] Single, high-intent link (not 5 options that paralyze) [ ] Points to: /products, portfolio, or Linktree with max 3 options [ ] CTA in bio references the link ("See packages below ↓") [ ] Link works on mobile (test it) PROFILE PHOTO: [ ] Professional but approachable — not a logo, not a pet [ ] Recognizable at 40px (the size it appears in most feeds) [ ] Good contrast — face clearly visible on white AND dark backgrounds [ ] Consistent with other platforms (LinkedIn, website) [ ] Updated in last 2 years USERNAME: [ ] Simple and searchable (firstname.lastname or firstname_service) [ ] No random numbers unless your name is truly unavailable [ ] Consistent across Instagram, LinkedIn, Upwork, website [ ] Easy to say out loud ("follow me at..." test) CATEGORY SELECTION (Business Account only): [ ] Switched to Creator or Business account (required for analytics) [ ] Category set to your actual service type [ ] Contact options enabled (email and/or phone) [ ] Location set if you do local work ------------------------------------------------ PART 2: CONTENT AUDIT --------------------- POST VARIETY MIX (target ratios): [ ] Portfolio/work samples: 30% of posts [ ] Value/tips/education: 30% of posts [ ] Behind-the-scenes/process: 25% of posts [ ] Social proof/client results: 15% of posts [ ] NOT: all portfolio (looks like a catalog, not a person) [ ] NOT: all tips (no proof you can execute) STORIES FREQUENCY: [ ] Posting to Stories at least 3–4x per week [ ] At least 1 Story per day when running outreach [ ] Mix: polls, Q&As, behind-the-scenes, reposts of feed content [ ] Story highlights set up for: Portfolio / Testimonials / Services / About REELS RATIO: [ ] 1–2 Reels per week IF you want reach/discovery [ ] Reels are NOT required for client conversion (trust content > viral content) [ ] Reels format: 15–30 seconds, hook in first 2 seconds, captions on screen [ ] "Before/after" format works well for service businesses CAPTION LENGTH CHECK: [ ] Hook in first line (before "more" cutoff — under 125 characters) [ ] Body: 50–150 words for value posts, shorter for visuals [ ] CTA in every post: "DM me X", "save this", "drop a question below" [ ] No: starting caption with "I" or "Hey guys" [ ] No: emoji overload with no substance ------------------------------------------------ PART 3: OUTREACH AUDIT ---------------------- DM TEMPLATES: [ ] 5 DM scripts drafted (see instagram-dm-scripts.txt for full templates) [ ] Personalized openers ready (not copy-paste blasts) [ ] "Bridge" sentence connects their situation to your service [ ] No pitching in the first message [ ] Response scripts ready for: quote request, "what do you do", portfolio request COMMENT STRATEGY: [ ] Leaving 3 genuine comments before sending a DM to any prospect [ ] Comments are specific (not "great post!" or emoji-only) [ ] Commenting on target accounts: potential clients, industry accounts, niche hashtags [ ] Goal: become a familiar name before you hit their DMs HASHTAG DEPTH: [ ] 5 niche hashtags (under 100K posts — highly targeted) [ ] 5 mid hashtags (100K–500K posts — good reach/relevance balance) [ ] 5 broad hashtags (500K–2M posts — discovery reach) [ ] Hashtag sets rotated weekly (algorithm rewards variety) [ ] No banned or flagged hashtags (research before using) [ ] Hashtags in first comment OR end of caption (either works) ------------------------------------------------ PART 4: 30-DAY INSTAGRAM LAUNCH CHECKLIST ----------------------------------------- WEEK 1 — PROFILE SETUP (Days 1–7) [ ] Day 1: Switch to Business/Creator account [ ] Day 1: Write bio using the formula above [ ] Day 1: Update profile photo and username if needed [ ] Day 2: Set up link-in-bio (Linktree or direct /products link) [ ] Day 2: Create 3–5 Story highlight covers [ ] Day 3: Research and save 15 hashtags (5 niche, 5 mid, 5 broad) [ ] Day 4: Audit competitors in your niche — note what's working [ ] Day 5: Draft your first 9 posts (content mix from the ratios above) [ ] Day 6–7: Design/photograph first 9 posts, write captions with hooks WEEK 2 — FIRST 9 POSTS (Days 8–14) [ ] Day 8: Post #1 — Introduction/who you are (pin this) [ ] Day 9: Post #2 — Portfolio piece with outcome result [ ] Day 10: Post #3 — Value/tip post [ ] Day 11: Post #4 — Behind-the-scenes (your process) [ ] Day 12: Post #5 — Portfolio piece #2 [ ] Day 13: Post #6 — Social proof (testimonial or result) [ ] Day 14: Post #7 — Value/tip post #2 [ ] Every day: 5–7 Stories (behind-the-scenes, polls, process clips) WEEK 3 — ENGAGEMENT (Days 15–21) [ ] Day 15: Post #8 — Niche tips carousel [ ] Day 16: Post #9 — Portfolio piece #3 or client result [ ] Days 15–21: Comment genuinely on 10 target accounts per day [ ] Days 15–21: Reply to all Story interactions immediately [ ] Day 17: Drop into 2–3 Reels comment sections in your niche [ ] Day 19: Post first Reel (15-second value hook — no dancing required) [ ] Compile list of 20 potential client accounts from your commenting WEEK 4 — DM OUTREACH (Days 22–28) [ ] Day 22: Send first 5 DMs to warm accounts (commented 3x already) [ ] Day 23: Follow up with Week 3 comment targets [ ] Days 22–28: 5–10 DMs/day using scripts from instagram-dm-scripts.txt [ ] Day 25: Check analytics — which posts drove profile visits? [ ] Day 26: Refine hashtags based on reach data [ ] Day 28: Review DM responses, book any discovery calls [ ] Day 28: Plan Month 2 content calendar ------------------------------------------------ MONTHLY MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST ------------------------------ [ ] Review top 3 posts (highest saves, reach, DMs) — make more like these [ ] Check profile visit → link click → DM conversion [ ] Refresh bio CTA if running a promotion [ ] Archive or archive-hide low-performing early posts [ ] Update Story highlights with recent testimonials [ ] Rotate hashtag sets [ ] Review DM response rate — adjust scripts if below 20% ------------------------------------------------ TEMPLATES TO PAIR WITH THIS CHECKLIST: • instagram-content-calendar-template.txt — 4-week content plan • instagram-dm-scripts.txt — DM outreach scripts Get the full template library (proposals, contracts, onboarding) at: solostack.madethis.app/products