Automate your Instagram posting with AI

The stack

• Notion — content calendar and idea capture
• make.com — automation glue (free tier works)
• Claude API — caption writing
• Buffer or Typefully — scheduling

Total cost: ~$20/month. Time saved: 3–5 hours/week.

The automation flow

Notion row marked "Ready"
  → make.com triggers
  → Claude writes 3 caption variants
  → Variants written back to Notion
  → You approve one (5 min)
  → Buffer schedules it

The Claude prompt that works

You are my Instagram caption writer.
Brand: [your brand one-liner].
Audience: [who reads your page].
Tone: [3 adjectives].
Banned words: [your list].

Write 3 caption variants for this post idea: {{topic}}

Each variant:
- Hook (first line that stops the scroll)
- Body (2–3 sentences max)
- CTA (one specific ask)
- 5 hashtags (mix of niche and broad)

Format: return as JSON array.

What to automate vs what to keep human

Automate: evergreen tips, resource posts, quote cards, tool roundups, tutorial recaps.

Keep human: replies, hot takes, anything time-sensitive, personal stories.

The 20% you don't automate is what makes the 80% feel authentic.

Setting up the make.com scenario

1. Trigger: Notion — watch database for new rows where Status = Ready.
2. Action: HTTP → Claude API → send your prompt with {{topic}} filled in.
3. Action: Notion → update row with Claude's JSON output.
4. Trigger: Notion — watch for Approved = true.
5. Action: Buffer → create post with approved caption.