For years, Instagram’s carousels were a black box. You’d publish a carousel, look at total likes and saves, and make educated guesses about what worked. Maybe the hook landed. Maybe the middle slides carried it. Maybe the payoff at the end did the heavy lifting. But the truth is, we never really knew. Carousel performance lived at the post level, not the moment level. So we relied on instinct — and hope. That’s changed in 2026. Instagram now shows which exact carousel tile so

In 2026, Instagram’s search tab is one of the most underutilised growth levers in social media. It is the only place on the platform where new audiences actively look  for content with clear, high-intent behaviour. Unlike Explore or the Feed, discovery here is deliberate. Users are searching for answers, ideas, creators, and formats. For talent managers, this matters. If you can position your talent to appear in Instagram Search, you are no longer relying purely on chance dis

For modern influencer management, Instagram’s Explore page is no longer a “nice-to-have.”It’s a key discovery engine for creators in 2026. If your talent isn’t consistently landing on Explore, they’re invisible to a wave of new fans. This article is a deep dive into how Instagram’s Explore algorithm actually works, why it exists, and how talent managers can intentionally engineer content to trigger it — instead of hoping for luck. About The Author: William Shoe Founder @ Icon

The Explore page on Instagram is where content gets recommended, surfaced on tiles, and pushed to users based on what Instagram thinks they’ll like the most. Here lies an audience that didn’t know your creator existed… but is primed  to care when the right content lands in front of them. And when it does, follows happen fast. For talent managers, understanding how to land on Explore changes the game. It means turning Instagram’s recommendation into a distribution channel for

If you work in talent management or content strategy, you’ve heard it a thousand times: “Hooks, hooks, hooks!” But do you actually understand the anatomy of a high-retention hook — and how to teach your talent to craft one? Because when you do ? You can help creators go viral again and again. Let’s break it down 👇 What Is a Hook? (And Why It’s Everything) A hook is the first 1–3 seconds  of a video — the moment where you either win the viewer… or lose them. A strong hook doe

About The Author: William Shoe Founder at IconDesk. Over the past decade, I’ve helped talent managers and agencies across the UK, Europe, and the US build successful talent brands and secure high-value partnerships.​​ ​ Having worked at LVMH, and run my own talent agency ( Talent Village ), I know first-hand the daily challenges that talent managers face today – and what it takes to succeed. I believe that the pillar of great talent management is not only in representing tale

A common challenge for talent managers is knowing that a talent’s content is underperforming — but not having the knowledge to identify the underlying cause and resolve bottlenecks to growth on social platforms. This article walks through a clear, operational method to diagnose performance issues using data, so you can guide talent confidently. No guesswork, no vague feedback — just structured, evidence-based analysis that drives results. —> We will first explain how to use a

As a talent manager , your job isn’t just to tell creators what  to post — it’s to help them understand why  they’re posting it and manage influencer expectations . Instead of asking, “What should my talent post today?”Ask: “What’s the purpose of today’s content?” When creators post with intention, every piece of content becomes part of a larger, strategic system that supports their growth, engagement, and brand identity. This article breaks down the various content formats,

For any talent management agency or influencer management agency, understanding a creator’s audience demographics is essential. Demographic alignment determines how attractive your influencers are to brands. It directly impacts influencer brand partnerships, media kits, and campaign management results. But what happens when your audience data shows misalignment? What if your influencer’s followers are concentrated in the wrong country, gender, or age bracket? This guide acts

Audience demographics are a powerful, and often overlooked tool, that can help talent managers persuade and close clients with their pitch decks. Whilst having basic demographics in a media kit is not uncommon, a deeper strategy can be used to unlock the full potential of this data.

Instagram has quietly rolled out one of its biggest measurement changes yet - and it’s reshaping how talent managers assess and grow their creators’ reach. If you’ve recently noticed “Views” appearing everywhere  in your analytics, here’s what’s happening. Instagram has officially deprecated “Impressions”, “Plays”, and “Video Views”  across its API, consolidating everything into a single metric: Views . This shift applies to Reels, videos, Stories, carousels, and even static

In today’s influencer marketing landscape, media kits are often the first impression a brand has of your talent - and they can be a great tool to help you stand out and secure brand partnerships.

Introduction Scaling a talent agency is an exciting milestone, but it comes with its own set of challenges. As the client list grows and operations expand, maintaining efficiency and quality becomes increasingly difficult. For many agencies, the prospect of scaling highlights inefficiencies in their current processes, forcing them to rethink their strategies. Research from PwC indicates that inefficiencies cost companies 20-30% of their revenue every year,  a stark reminder o

Introduction Talent managers operate in one of the most fast-paced and high-pressure industries. From negotiating brand deals to managing day-to-day operations, the challenges they face are vast and complex. Yet, many agencies are still relying on outdated systems and manual processes that hinder their ability to work efficiently. According to a survey by Deloitte, only 27% of companies  feel their workforce is prepared to handle the challenges of a data-driven market. With t

Introduction The talent management industry is standing at a crossroads, driven by advances in technology and an increasing demand for data-driven strategies. Historically, most talent agencies have relied on outdated manual processes and workflows, struggling to keep up in a competitive market. As brands demand more accountability and insights, agencies must pivot to embrace innovation. Research shows that over 60% of talent managers  still rely on spreadsheets to manage the