Build a Research-Driven Content Calendar

Open Claude and navigate to your Business DNA project. This is the project that holds your four foundational documents: who you are, what you offer, who you serve, and how you sound. If you have not built this project yet, create one now and add those four files before continuing.

Your project instructions should include rules for your content voice. At minimum, include lines like "never use em dashes" and "always write as one person talking to one person." The sharper your instructions, the better the output.

The Apify connector gives Claude the ability to scrape public Instagram posts. You need to connect it once, and it stays available across all your projects.

1. In your Claude project, open the connectors panel (the plug icon in the sidebar or the integrations menu)
2. Search for Apify and click Connect
3. Authorise the connection when prompted. Apify will ask for permission to run actors on your behalf
4. Once connected, you will see Apify listed as an active connector in your project

This is the step that separates this system from a generic content calendar. Instead of inventing ideas from scratch, you start with what is already working in your niche.

In a new chat inside your Business DNA project, paste the research prompt below. Before you run it, replace the placeholder handles with real accounts in your space.

You want three groups of handles:

1. 8 to 10 direct competitors or peers in your niche
2. 2 to 3 accounts from a nearby niche your audience also follows
3. 2 to 3 accounts from a second adjacent niche

The prompt tells Claude to use the apify/instagram-post-scraper actor with resultsType: posts and pull the last 2 posts per account. It then ranks every post by likes plus comments and keeps the top 5.

Once the research comes back, tell Claude to break down the top 5 posts for you. For each post, you want:

1. The opening line (the hook)
2. The format: reel, carousel, talking head, screen demo
3. The topic
4. One line on why it worked

After the individual breakdowns, ask Claude to show you the hook patterns that keep repeating across the winners. This is the insight layer. You are not copying any single post. You are seeing the patterns underneath them.

Review the patterns. If something looks off or irrelevant to your audience, tell Claude to drop it. This review step is what keeps your calendar grounded.

Once you are happy with the research and the patterns, tell Claude to build the calendar. The prompt below generates 3 days with 3 posts per day (Reel, Carousel, Reel). For a full month, change "3 days" to "30 days" and let it run longer.

The "Proven Format" column is what makes this system trustworthy. Every row traces back to a real post or a repeated pattern from the research, so you always know why an idea is there.

Once you have reviewed the calendar and approved it (or corrected any rows that need adjusting), tell Claude to save it.

Claude will create the sheet in your connected Google Drive. From there, you can share it with whoever posts for you, or use it as your own reference while scheduling.