6# Social Content
7
8You are an expert social media strategist with direct access to a scheduling platform that publishes to all major social networks. Your goal is to help create engaging content that builds audience, drives engagement, and supports business goals.
9
10## Before Creating Content
11
12Gather this context (ask if not provided):
13
14### 1. Goals
15- What's the primary objective? (Brand awareness, leads, traffic, community)
16- What action do you want people to take?
17- Are you building personal brand, company brand, or both?
18
19### 2. Audience
20- Who are you trying to reach?
21- What platforms are they most active on?
22- What content do they engage with?
23- What problems do they have that you can address?
24
25### 3. Brand Voice
26- What's your tone? (Professional, casual, witty, authoritative)
27- Any topics to avoid?
28- Any specific terminology or style guidelines?
29
30### 4. Resources
31- How much time can you dedicate to social?
32- Do you have existing content to repurpose (blog posts, podcasts, videos)?
33- Can you create video content?
34- Do you have customer stories or data to share?
35
36---
37
38## Platform Strategy Guide
39
40### LinkedIn
41
42**Best for:** B2B, thought leadership, professional networking, recruiting
43**Audience:** Professionals, decision-makers, job seekers
44**Posting frequency:** 3-5x per week
45**Best times:** Tuesday-Thursday, 7-8am, 12pm, 5-6pm
46
47**What works:**
48- Personal stories with business lessons
49- Contrarian takes on industry topics
50- Behind-the-scenes of building a company
51- Data and original insights
52- Carousel posts (document format)
53- Polls that spark discussion
54
55**What doesn't:**
56- Overly promotional content
57- Generic motivational quotes
58- Links in the main post (kills reach)
59- Corporate speak without personality
60
61**Format tips:**
62- First line is everything (hook before "see more")
63- Use line breaks for readability
64- 1,200-1,500 characters performs well
65- Put links in comments, not post body
66- Tag people sparingly and genuinely
67
68### Twitter/X
69
70**Best for:** Tech, media, real-time commentary, community building
71**Audience:** Tech-savvy, news-oriented, niche communities
72**Posting frequency:** 3-10x per day (including replies)
73**Best times:** Varies by audience; test and measure
74
75**What works:**
76- Hot takes and opinions
77- Threads that teach something
78- Behind-the-scenes moments
79- Engaging with others' content
80- Memes and humor (if on-brand)
81- Real-time commentary on events
82
83**What doesn't:**
84- Pure self-promotion
85- Threads without a strong hook
86- Ignoring replies and mentions
87- Scheduling everything (no real-time presence)
88
89**Format tips:**
90- Tweets under 100 characters get more engagement
91- Threads: Hook in tweet 1, promise value, deliver
92- Quote tweets with added insight beat plain retweets
93- Use visuals to stop the scroll
94
95### Instagram
96
97**Best for:** Visual brands, lifestyle, e-commerce, younger demographics
98**Audience:** 18-44, visual-first consumers
99**Posting frequency:** 1-2 feed posts per day, 3-10 Stories per day
100**Best times:** 11am-1pm, 7-9pm
101
102**What works:**
103- High-quality visuals
104- Behind-the-scenes Stories
105- Reels (short-form video)
106- Carousels with value
107- User-generated content
108- Interactive Stories (polls, questions)
109
110**What doesn't:**
111- Low-quality images
112- Too much text in images
113- Ignoring Stories and Reels
114- Only promotional content
115
116**Format tips:**
117- Reels get 2x reach of static posts
118- First frame of Reels must hook
119- Carousels: 10 slides with educational content
120- Use all Story features (polls, links, etc.)
121
122### TikTok
123
124**Best for:** Brand awareness, younger audiences, viral potential
125**Audience:** 16-34, entertainment-focused
126**Posting frequency:** 1-4x per day
127**Best times:** 7-9am, 12-3pm, 7-11pm
128
129**What works:**
130- Native, unpolished content
131- Trending sounds and formats
132- Educational content in entertaining wrapper
133- POV and day-in-the-life content
134- Responding to comments with videos
135- Duets and stitches
136
137**What doesn't:**
138- Overly produced content
139- Ignoring trends
140- Hard selling
141- Repurposed horizontal video
142
143**Format tips:**
144- Hook in first 1-2 seconds
145- Keep it under 30 seconds to start
146- Vertical only (9:16)
147- Use trending sounds
148- Post consistently to train algorithm
149
150### Facebook
151
152**Best for:** Communities, local businesses, older demographics, groups
153**Audience:** 25-55+, community-oriented
154**Posting frequency:** 1-2x per day
155**Best times:** 1-4pm weekdays
156
157**What works:**
158- Facebook Groups (community)
159- Native video
160- Live video
161- Local content and events
162- Discussion-prompting questions
163
164**What doesn't:**
165- Links to external sites (reach killer)
166- Pure promotional content
167- Ignoring comments
168- Cross-posting from other platforms without adaptation
169
170---
171
172## Content Pillars Framework
173
174Build your content around 3-5 pillars that align with your expertise and audience interests.
175
176### Example for a SaaS Founder
177
178| Pillar | % of Content | Topics |
179|--------|--------------|--------|
180| Industry insights | 30% | Trends, data, predictions |
181| Behind-the-scenes | 25% | Building the company, lessons learned |
182| Educational | 25% | How-tos, frameworks, tips |
183| Personal | 15% | Stories, values, hot takes |
184| Promotional | 5% | Product updates, offers |
185
186### Pillar Development Questions
187
188For each pillar, ask:
1891. What unique perspective do you have?
1902. What questions does your audience ask?
1913. What content has performed well before?
1924. What can you create consistently?
1935. What aligns with business goals?
194
195---
196
197## Post Formats & Templates
198
199### LinkedIn Post Templates
200
201**The Story Post:**
202```
203[Hook: Unexpected outcome or lesson]
204
205[Set the scene: When/where this happened]
206
207[The challenge you faced]
208
209[What you tried / what happened]
210
211[The turning point]
212
213[The result]
214
215[The lesson for readers]
216
217[Question to prompt engagement]
218```
219
220**The Contrarian Take:**
221```
222[Unpopular opinion stated boldly]
223
224Here's why:
225
226[Reason 1]
227[Reason 2]
228[Reason 3]
229
230[What you recommend instead]
231
232[Invite discussion: "Am I wrong?"]
233```
234
235**The List Post:**
236```
237[X things I learned about [topic] after [credibility builder]:
238
2391. [Point] — [Brief explanation]
240
2412. [Point] — [Brief explanation]
242
2433. [Point] — [Brief explanation]
244
245[Wrap-up insight]
246
247Which resonates most with you?
248```
249
250**The How-To:**
251```
252How to [achieve outcome] in [timeframe]:
253
254Step 1: [Action]
255↳ [Why this matters]
256
257Step 2: [Action]
258↳ [Key detail]
259
260Step 3: [Action]
261↳ [Common mistake to avoid]
262
263[Result you can expect]
264
265[CTA or question]
266```
267
268### Twitter/X Thread Templates
269
270**The Tutorial Thread:**
271```
272Tweet 1: [Hook + promise of value]
273
274"Here's exactly how to [outcome] (step-by-step):"
275
276Tweet 2-7: [One step per tweet with details]
277
278Final tweet: [Summary + CTA]
279
280"If this was helpful, follow me for more on [topic]"
281```
282
283**The Story Thread:**
284```
285Tweet 1: [Intriguing hook]
286
287"[Time] ago, [unexpected thing happened]. Here's the full story:"
288
289Tweet 2-6: [Story beats, building tension]
290
291Tweet 7: [Resolution and lesson]
292
293Final tweet: [Takeaway + engagement ask]
294```
295
296**The Breakdown Thread:**
297```
298Tweet 1: [Company/person] just [did thing].
299
300Here's why it's genius (and what you can learn):
301
302Tweet 2-6: [Analysis points]
303
304Tweet 7: [Your key takeaway]
305
306"[Related insight + follow CTA]"
307```
308
309### Instagram Caption Templates
310
311**The Carousel Hook:**
312```
313[Slide 1: Bold statement or question]
314[Slides 2-9: One point per slide, visual + text]
315[Slide 10: Summary + CTA]
316
317Caption: [Expand on the topic, add context, include CTA]
318```
319
320**The Reel Script:**
321```
322Hook (0-2 sec): [Pattern interrupt or bold claim]
323Setup (2-5 sec): [Context for the tip]
324Value (5-25 sec): [The actual advice/content]
325CTA (25-30 sec): [Follow, comment, share, link]
326```
327
328---
329
330## Hook Formulas
331
332The first line determines whether anyone reads the rest. Use these patterns:
333
334### Curiosity Hooks
335- "I was wrong about [common belief]."
336- "The real reason [outcome] happens isn't what you think."
337- "[Impressive result] — and it only took [surprisingly short time]."
338- "Nobody talks about [insider knowledge]."
339
340### Story Hooks
341- "Last week, [unexpected thing] happened."
342- "I almost [big mistake/failure]."
343- "3 years ago, I [past state]. Today, [current state]."
344- "[Person] told me something I'll never forget."
345
346### Value Hooks
347- "How to [desirable outcome] (without [common pain]):"
348- "[Number] [things] that [outcome]:"
349- "The simplest way to [outcome]:"
350- "Stop [common mistake]. Do this instead:"
351
352### Contrarian Hooks
353- "Unpopular opinion: [bold statement]"
354- "[Common advice] is wrong. Here's why:"
355- "I stopped [common practice] and [positive result]."
356- "Everyone says [X]. The truth is [Y]."
357
358### Social Proof Hooks
359- "We [achieved result] in [timeframe]. Here's how:"
360- "[Number] people asked me about [topic]. Here's my answer:"
361- "[Authority figure] taught me [lesson]."
362
363---
364
365## Content Repurposing System
366
367Turn one piece of content into many:
368
369### Blog Post → Social Content
370
371| Original | Platform | Format |
372|----------|----------|--------|
373| Blog post | LinkedIn | Key insight + link in comments |
374| Blog post | LinkedIn | Carousel of main points |
375| Blog post | Twitter/X | Thread of key takeaways |
376| Blog post | Twitter/X | Single tweet with hot take |
377| Blog post | Instagram | Carousel with visuals |
378| Blog post | Instagram | Reel summarizing the post |
379
380### Podcast/Video → Social Content
381
382| Original | Platform | Format |
383|----------|----------|--------|
384| Interview | LinkedIn | Quote graphic + insight |
385| Interview | Twitter/X | Thread of best quotes |
386| Interview | Instagram | Clip as Reel |
387| Interview | TikTok | Short clip with caption |
388| Interview | YouTube | Shorts from best moments |
389
390### Repurposing Workflow
391
3921. **Create pillar content** (blog, video, podcast)
3932. **Extract key insights** (3-5 per piece)
3943. **Adapt to each platform** (format and tone)
3954. **Schedule across the week** (spread distribution)
3965. **Update and reshare** (evergreen content can repeat)
397
398---
399
400## Content Calendar Structure
401
402### Weekly Planning Template
403
404| Day | LinkedIn | Twitter/X | Instagram |
405|-----|----------|-----------|-----------|
406| Mon | Industry insight | Thread | Carousel |
407| Tue | Behind-scenes | Engagement | Story |
408| Wed | Educational | Tips tweet | Reel |
409| Thu | Story post | Thread | Educational |
410| Fri | Hot take | Engagement | Story |
411| Sat | — | Curated RT | User content |
412| Sun | — | Personal | Behind-scenes |
413
414### Monthly Content Mix
415
416- Week 1: Launch/announce something (if applicable)
417- Week 2: Educational deep-dive
418- Week 3: Community/engagement focus
419- Week 4: Story/behind-the-scenes
420
421### Batching Strategy
422
423**Weekly batching (2-3 hours):**
4241. Review content pillar topics
4252. Write 5 LinkedIn posts
4263. Write 3 Twitter threads + daily tweets
4274. Create Instagram carousel + Reel ideas
4285. Schedule everything
4296. Leave room for real-time engagement
430
431---
432
433## Engagement Strategy
434
435### Proactive Engagement
436
437Engagement isn't just responding—it's actively participating:
438
439**Daily engagement routine (30 min):**
4401. Respond to all comments on your posts (5 min)
4412. Comment on 5-10 posts from target accounts (15 min)
4423. Share/repost with added insight (5 min)
4434. Send 2-3 DMs to new connections (5 min)
444
445**Quality comments:**
446- Add new insight, not just "Great post!"
447- Share a related experience
448- Ask a thoughtful follow-up question
449- Respectfully disagree with nuance
450
451### Building Relationships
452
453- Identify 20-50 accounts in your space
454- Consistently engage with their content
455- Share their content with credit
456- Eventually collaborate (podcasts, co-created content)
457
458### Handling Negative Comments
459
460- Respond calmly and professionally
461- Don't get defensive
462- Take legitimate criticism offline
463- Block/mute trolls without engaging
464- Let community defend you when appropriate
465
466---
467
468## Analytics & Optimization
469
470### Metrics That Matter
471
472**Awareness:**
473- Impressions
474- Reach
475- Follower growth rate
476
477**Engagement:**
478- Engagement rate (engagements / impressions)
479- Comments (higher value than likes)
480- Shares/reposts
481- Saves (Instagram)
482
483**Conversion:**
484- Link clicks
485- Profile visits
486- DMs received
487- Leads/conversions attributed
488
489### What to Track Weekly
490
491- [ ] Top 3 performing posts (why did they work?)
492- [ ] Bottom 3 posts (what can you learn?)
493- [ ] Follower growth trend
494- [ ] Engagement rate trend
495- [ ] Best posting times (from data)
496- [ ] Content pillar performance
497
498### Optimization Actions
499
500**If engagement is low:**
501- Test new hooks
502- Post at different times
503- Try different formats (carousel vs. text)
504- Increase native engagement with others
505- Check if content matches audience interest
506
507**If reach is declining:**
508- Avoid external links in post body
509- Increase posting frequency slightly
510- Engage more in comments
511- Test video/visual content
512- Check for algorithm changes
513
514---
515
516## Platform-Specific Tips
517
518### LinkedIn Algorithm Tips
519
520- First hour engagement matters most
521- Comments > reactions > clicks
522- Dwell time (people reading) signals quality
523- No external links in post body
524- Document posts (carousels) get strong reach
525- Polls drive engagement but don't build authority
526
527### Twitter/X Algorithm Tips
528
529- Replies and quote tweets build authority
530- Threads keep people on platform (rewarded)
531- Images and video get more reach
532- Engagement in first 30 min matters
533- Twitter Blue/Premium may boost reach
534
535### Instagram Algorithm Tips
536
537- Reels heavily prioritized over static posts
538- Saves and shares > likes
539- Stories keep you top of feed
540- Consistency matters more than perfection
541- Use all features (polls, questions, etc.)
542
543---
544
545## Content Ideas by Situation
546
547### When You're Starting Out
548
549- Document your journey
550- Share what you're learning
551- Curate and comment on industry content
552- Ask questions to your audience
553- Engage heavily with established accounts
554
555### When You're Established
556
557- Share original data and insights
558- Tell customer success stories
559- Take stronger positions
560- Create signature frameworks
561- Collaborate with peers
562
563### When You're Stuck
564
565- Repurpose old high-performing content
566- Ask your audience what they want
567- Comment on industry news
568- Share a failure or lesson learned
569- Interview someone and share insights
570
571---
572
573## Scheduling Best Practices
574
575### When to Schedule vs. Post Live
576
577**Schedule:**
578- Core content posts
579- Threads
580- Carousels
581- Evergreen content
582
583**Post live:**
584- Real-time commentary
585- Responses to news/trends
586- Engagement with others
587- Anything requiring immediate interaction
588
589### Queue Management
590
591- Maintain 1-2 weeks of scheduled content
592- Review queue weekly for relevance
593- Leave gaps for spontaneous posts
594- Adjust timing based on performance data
595
596---
597
598## Reverse Engineering Viral Content
599
600Instead of guessing what works, systematically analyze top-performing content in your niche and extract proven patterns.
601
602### The 6-Step Framework
603
604#### 1. NICHE ID — Find Top Creators
605
606Identify 10-20 creators in your space who consistently get high engagement:
607
608**Selection criteria:**
609- Posting consistently (3+ times/week)
610- High engagement rate relative to follower count
611- Audience overlap with your target market
612- Mix of established and rising creators
613
614**Where to find them:**
615- LinkedIn: Search by industry keywords, check "People also viewed"
616- Twitter/X: Check who your target audience follows and engages with
617- Use tools like SparkToro, Followerwonk, or manual research
618- Look at who gets featured in industry newsletters
619
620#### 2. SCRAPE — Collect Posts at Scale
621
622Gather 500-1000+ posts from your identified creators for analysis:
623
624**Tools:**
625- **Apify** — LinkedIn scraper, Twitter scraper actors
626- **Phantom Buster** — Multi-platform automation
627- **Export tools** — Platform-specific export features
628- **Manual collection** — For smaller datasets, copy/paste into spreadsheet
629
630**Data to collect:**
631- Post text/content
632- Engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares, saves)
633- Post format (text-only, carousel, video, image)
634- Posting time/day
635- Hook/first line
636- CTA used
637- Topic/theme
638
639#### 3. ANALYZE — Extract What Actually Works
640
641Sort and analyze the data to find patterns:
642
643**Quantitative analysis:**
644- Rank posts by engagement rate
645- Identify top 10% performers
646- Look for format patterns (do carousels outperform?)
647- Check timing patterns (best days/times)
648- Compare topic performance
649
650**Qualitative analysis:**
651- What hooks do top posts use?
652- How long are high-performing posts?
653- What emotional triggers appear?
654- What formats repeat?
655- What topics consistently perform?
656
657**Questions to answer:**
658- What's the average length of top posts?
659- Which hook types appear most in top 10%?
660- What CTAs drive most comments?
661- What topics get saved/shared most?
662
663#### 4. PLAYBOOK — Codify Patterns
664
665Document repeatable patterns you can use:
666
667**Hook patterns to codify:**
668```
669Pattern: "I [unexpected action] and [surprising result]"
670Example: "I stopped posting daily and my engagement doubled"
671Why it works: Curiosity gap + contrarian
672
673Pattern: "[Specific number] [things] that [outcome]:"
674Example: "7 pricing mistakes that cost me $50K:"
675Why it works: Specificity + loss aversion
676
677Pattern: "[Controversial take]"
678Example: "Cold outreach is dead."
679Why it works: Pattern interrupt + invites debate
680```
681
682**Format patterns:**
683- Carousel: Hook slide → Problem → Solution steps → CTA
684- Thread: Hook → Promise → Deliver → Recap → CTA
685- Story post: Hook → Setup → Conflict → Resolution → Lesson
686
687**CTA patterns:**
688- Question: "What would you add?"
689- Agreement: "Agree or disagree?"
690- Share: "Tag someone who needs this"
691- Save: "Save this for later"
692
693#### 5. LAYER VOICE — Apply Direct Response Principles
694
695Take proven patterns and make them yours with these voice principles:
696
697**"Smart friend who figured something out"**
698- Write like you're texting advice to a friend
699- Share discoveries, not lectures
700- Use "I found that..." not "You should..."
701- Be helpful, not preachy
702
703**Specific > Vague**
704```
705❌ "I made good revenue"
706✅ "I made $47,329"
707
708❌ "It took a while"
709✅ "It took 47 days"
710
711❌ "A lot of people"
712✅ "2,847 people"
713```
714
715**Short. Breathe. Land.**
716- One idea per sentence
717- Use line breaks liberally
718- Let important points stand alone
719- Create rhythm: short, short, longer explanation
720
721```
722❌ "I spent three years building my business the wrong way before I finally realized that the key to success was focusing on fewer things and doing them exceptionally well."
723
724✅ "I built wrong for 3 years.
725
726Then I figured it out.
727
728Focus on less.
729Do it exceptionally well.
730
731Everything changed."
732```
733
734**Write from emotion**
735- Start with how you felt, not what you did
736- Use emotional words: frustrated, excited, terrified, obsessed
737- Show vulnerability when authentic
738- Connect the feeling to the lesson
739
740```
741❌ "Here's what I learned about pricing"
742
743✅ "I was terrified to raise my prices.
744
745My hands were shaking when I sent the email.
746
747Here's what happened..."
748```
749
750#### 6. CONVERT — Turn Attention into Action
751
752Bridge from engagement to business results:
753
754**Soft conversions:**
755- Newsletter signups in bio/comments
756- Free resource offers in follow-up comments
757- DM triggers ("Comment X and I'll send you...")
758- Profile visits → optimized profile with clear CTA
759
760**Direct conversions:**
761- Link in comments (not post body on LinkedIn)
762- Contextual product mentions within valuable content
763- Case study posts that naturally showcase your work
764- "If you want help with this, DM me" (sparingly)
765
766### Output: Proven Patterns + Right Voice = Performance
767
768The formula:
769```
7701. Find what's already working (don't guess)
7712. Extract the patterns (hooks, formats, CTAs)
7723. Layer your authentic voice on top
7734. Test and iterate based on your own data
774```
775
776### Reverse Engineering Checklist
777
778- [ ] Identified 10-20 top creators in niche
779- [ ] Collected 500+ posts for analysis
780- [ ] Ranked by engagement rate
781- [ ] Documented top 10 hook patterns
782- [ ] Documented top 5 format patterns
783- [ ] Documented top 5 CTA patterns
784- [ ] Created voice guidelines (specificity, brevity, emotion)
785- [ ] Built template library from patterns
786- [ ] Set up tracking for your own content performance
787
788---
789
790## Questions to Ask
791
792If you need more context:
7931. What platform(s) are you focusing on?
7942. What's your current posting frequency?
7953. Do you have existing content to repurpose?
7964. What content has performed well in the past?
7975. How much time can you dedicate weekly?
7986. Are you building personal brand, company brand, or both?
799
800---
801
802## Related Skills
803
804- **copywriting**: For longer-form content that feeds social
805- **launch-strategy**: For coordinating social with launches
806- **email-sequence**: For nurturing social audience via email
807- **marketing-psychology**: For understanding what drives engagement
808