social-content

Social Content

You 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.

Before Creating Content

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

1. Goals

• What's the primary objective? (Brand awareness, leads, traffic, community)
• What action do you want people to take?
• Are you building personal brand, company brand, or both?

2. Audience

• Who are you trying to reach?
• What platforms are they most active on?
• What content do they engage with?
• What problems do they have that you can address?

3. Brand Voice

• What's your tone? (Professional, casual, witty, authoritative)
• Any topics to avoid?
• Any specific terminology or style guidelines?

4. Resources

• How much time can you dedicate to social?
• Do you have existing content to repurpose (blog posts, podcasts, videos)?
• Can you create video content?
• Do you have customer stories or data to share?

Platform Strategy Guide

LinkedIn

Best for: B2B, thought leadership, professional networking, recruiting Audience: Professionals, decision-makers, job seekers Posting frequency: 3-5x per week Best times: Tuesday-Thursday, 7-8am, 12pm, 5-6pm

What works:

• Personal stories with business lessons
• Contrarian takes on industry topics
• Behind-the-scenes of building a company
• Data and original insights
• Carousel posts (document format)
• Polls that spark discussion

What doesn't:

• Overly promotional content
• Generic motivational quotes
• Links in the main post (kills reach)
• Corporate speak without personality

Format tips:

• First line is everything (hook before "see more")
• Use line breaks for readability
• 1,200-1,500 characters performs well
• Put links in comments, not post body
• Tag people sparingly and genuinely

Twitter/X

Best for: Tech, media, real-time commentary, community building Audience: Tech-savvy, news-oriented, niche communities Posting frequency: 3-10x per day (including replies) Best times: Varies by audience; test and measure

What works:

• Hot takes and opinions
• Threads that teach something
• Behind-the-scenes moments
• Engaging with others' content
• Memes and humor (if on-brand)
• Real-time commentary on events

What doesn't:

• Pure self-promotion
• Threads without a strong hook
• Ignoring replies and mentions
• Scheduling everything (no real-time presence)

Format tips:

• Tweets under 100 characters get more engagement
• Threads: Hook in tweet 1, promise value, deliver
• Quote tweets with added insight beat plain retweets
• Use visuals to stop the scroll

Instagram

Best for: Visual brands, lifestyle, e-commerce, younger demographics Audience: 18-44, visual-first consumers Posting frequency: 1-2 feed posts per day, 3-10 Stories per day Best times: 11am-1pm, 7-9pm

What works:

• High-quality visuals
• Behind-the-scenes Stories
• Reels (short-form video)
• Carousels with value
• User-generated content
• Interactive Stories (polls, questions)

What doesn't:

• Low-quality images
• Too much text in images
• Ignoring Stories and Reels
• Only promotional content

Format tips:

• Reels get 2x reach of static posts
• First frame of Reels must hook
• Carousels: 10 slides with educational content
• Use all Story features (polls, links, etc.)

TikTok

Best for: Brand awareness, younger audiences, viral potential Audience: 16-34, entertainment-focused Posting frequency: 1-4x per day Best times: 7-9am, 12-3pm, 7-11pm

What works:

• Native, unpolished content
• Trending sounds and formats
• Educational content in entertaining wrapper
• POV and day-in-the-life content
• Responding to comments with videos
• Duets and stitches

What doesn't:

• Overly produced content
• Ignoring trends
• Hard selling
• Repurposed horizontal video

Format tips:

• Hook in first 1-2 seconds
• Keep it under 30 seconds to start
• Vertical only (9:16)
• Use trending sounds
• Post consistently to train algorithm

Facebook

Best for: Communities, local businesses, older demographics, groups Audience: 25-55+, community-oriented Posting frequency: 1-2x per day Best times: 1-4pm weekdays

What works:

• Facebook Groups (community)
• Native video
• Live video
• Local content and events
• Discussion-prompting questions

What doesn't:

• Links to external sites (reach killer)
• Pure promotional content
• Ignoring comments
• Cross-posting from other platforms without adaptation

Content Pillars Framework

Build your content around 3-5 pillars that align with your expertise and audience interests.

Example for a SaaS Founder

Pillar Development Questions

For each pillar, ask:

1. What unique perspective do you have?
2. What questions does your audience ask?
3. What content has performed well before?
4. What can you create consistently?
5. What aligns with business goals?

Post Formats & Templates

LinkedIn Post Templates

The Story Post:

[Hook: Unexpected outcome or lesson]

[Set the scene: When/where this happened]

[The challenge you faced]

[What you tried / what happened]

[The turning point]

[The result]

[The lesson for readers]

[Question to prompt engagement]

The Contrarian Take:

[Unpopular opinion stated boldly]

Here's why:

The List Post:

The How-To:

Twitter/X Thread Templates

The Tutorial Thread:

The Story Thread:

The Breakdown Thread:

Instagram Caption Templates

The Carousel Hook:

The Reel Script:

Hook Formulas

The first line determines whether anyone reads the rest. Use these patterns:

Curiosity Hooks

• "I was wrong about [common belief]."
• "The real reason [outcome] happens isn't what you think."
• "[Impressive result] — and it only took [surprisingly short time]."
• "Nobody talks about [insider knowledge]."

Story Hooks

• "Last week, [unexpected thing] happened."
• "I almost [big mistake/failure]."
• "3 years ago, I [past state]. Today, [current state]."
• "[Person] told me something I'll never forget."

Value Hooks

• "How to [desirable outcome] (without [common pain]):"
• "[Number] [things] that [outcome]:"
• "The simplest way to [outcome]:"
• "Stop [common mistake]. Do this instead:"

Contrarian Hooks

• "Unpopular opinion: [bold statement]"
• "[Common advice] is wrong. Here's why:"
• "I stopped [common practice] and [positive result]."
• "Everyone says [X]. The truth is [Y]."

Social Proof Hooks

• "We [achieved result] in [timeframe]. Here's how:"
• "[Number] people asked me about [topic]. Here's my answer:"
• "[Authority figure] taught me [lesson]."

Content Repurposing System

Turn one piece of content into many:

Blog Post → Social Content

Podcast/Video → Social Content

Repurposing Workflow

1. Create pillar content (blog, video, podcast)
2. Extract key insights (3-5 per piece)
3. Adapt to each platform (format and tone)
4. Schedule across the week (spread distribution)
5. Update and reshare (evergreen content can repeat)

Content Calendar Structure

Weekly Planning Template

Monthly Content Mix

• Week 1: Launch/announce something (if applicable)
• Week 2: Educational deep-dive
• Week 3: Community/engagement focus
• Week 4: Story/behind-the-scenes

Batching Strategy

Weekly batching (2-3 hours):

1. Review content pillar topics
2. Write 5 LinkedIn posts
3. Write 3 Twitter threads + daily tweets
4. Create Instagram carousel + Reel ideas
5. Schedule everything
6. Leave room for real-time engagement

Engagement Strategy

Proactive Engagement

Engagement isn't just responding—it's actively participating:

Daily engagement routine (30 min):

1. Respond to all comments on your posts (5 min)
2. Comment on 5-10 posts from target accounts (15 min)
3. Share/repost with added insight (5 min)
4. Send 2-3 DMs to new connections (5 min)

Quality comments:

• Add new insight, not just "Great post!"
• Share a related experience
• Ask a thoughtful follow-up question
• Respectfully disagree with nuance

Building Relationships

• Identify 20-50 accounts in your space
• Consistently engage with their content
• Share their content with credit
• Eventually collaborate (podcasts, co-created content)

Handling Negative Comments

• Respond calmly and professionally
• Don't get defensive
• Take legitimate criticism offline
• Block/mute trolls without engaging
• Let community defend you when appropriate

Analytics & Optimization

Metrics That Matter

Awareness:

• Impressions
• Reach
• Follower growth rate

Engagement:

• Engagement rate (engagements / impressions)
• Comments (higher value than likes)
• Shares/reposts
• Saves (Instagram)

Conversion:

• Link clicks
• Profile visits
• DMs received
• Leads/conversions attributed

What to Track Weekly

• Top 3 performing posts (why did they work?)
• Bottom 3 posts (what can you learn?)
• Follower growth trend
• Engagement rate trend
• Best posting times (from data)
• Content pillar performance

Optimization Actions

If engagement is low:

• Test new hooks
• Post at different times
• Try different formats (carousel vs. text)
• Increase native engagement with others
• Check if content matches audience interest

If reach is declining:

• Avoid external links in post body
• Increase posting frequency slightly
• Engage more in comments
• Test video/visual content
• Check for algorithm changes

Platform-Specific Tips

LinkedIn Algorithm Tips

• First hour engagement matters most
• Comments > reactions > clicks
• Dwell time (people reading) signals quality
• No external links in post body
• Document posts (carousels) get strong reach
• Polls drive engagement but don't build authority

Twitter/X Algorithm Tips

• Replies and quote tweets build authority
• Threads keep people on platform (rewarded)
• Images and video get more reach
• Engagement in first 30 min matters
• Twitter Blue/Premium may boost reach

Instagram Algorithm Tips

• Reels heavily prioritized over static posts
• Saves and shares > likes
• Stories keep you top of feed
• Consistency matters more than perfection
• Use all features (polls, questions, etc.)

Content Ideas by Situation

When You're Starting Out

• Document your journey
• Share what you're learning
• Curate and comment on industry content
• Ask questions to your audience
• Engage heavily with established accounts

When You're Established

• Share original data and insights
• Tell customer success stories
• Take stronger positions
• Create signature frameworks
• Collaborate with peers

When You're Stuck

• Repurpose old high-performing content
• Ask your audience what they want
• Comment on industry news
• Share a failure or lesson learned
• Interview someone and share insights

Scheduling Best Practices

When to Schedule vs. Post Live

Schedule:

• Core content posts
• Threads
• Carousels
• Evergreen content

Post live:

• Real-time commentary
• Responses to news/trends
• Engagement with others
• Anything requiring immediate interaction

Queue Management

• Maintain 1-2 weeks of scheduled content
• Review queue weekly for relevance
• Leave gaps for spontaneous posts
• Adjust timing based on performance data

Reverse Engineering Viral Content

Instead of guessing what works, systematically analyze top-performing content in your niche and extract proven patterns.

The 6-Step Framework

1. NICHE ID — Find Top Creators

Identify 10-20 creators in your space who consistently get high engagement:

Selection criteria:

• Posting consistently (3+ times/week)
• High engagement rate relative to follower count
• Audience overlap with your target market
• Mix of established and rising creators

Where to find them:

• LinkedIn: Search by industry keywords, check "People also viewed"
• Twitter/X: Check who your target audience follows and engages with
• Use tools like SparkToro, Followerwonk, or manual research
• Look at who gets featured in industry newsletters

2. SCRAPE — Collect Posts at Scale

Gather 500-1000+ posts from your identified creators for analysis:

Tools:

• Apify — LinkedIn scraper, Twitter scraper actors
• Phantom Buster — Multi-platform automation
• Export tools — Platform-specific export features
• Manual collection — For smaller datasets, copy/paste into spreadsheet

Data to collect:

• Post text/content
• Engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares, saves)
• Post format (text-only, carousel, video, image)
• Posting time/day
• Hook/first line
• CTA used
• Topic/theme

3. ANALYZE — Extract What Actually Works

Sort and analyze the data to find patterns:

Quantitative analysis:

• Rank posts by engagement rate
• Identify top 10% performers
• Look for format patterns (do carousels outperform?)
• Check timing patterns (best days/times)
• Compare topic performance

Qualitative analysis:

• What hooks do top posts use?
• How long are high-performing posts?
• What emotional triggers appear?
• What formats repeat?
• What topics consistently perform?

Questions to answer:

• What's the average length of top posts?
• Which hook types appear most in top 10%?
• What CTAs drive most comments?
• What topics get saved/shared most?

4. PLAYBOOK — Codify Patterns

Document repeatable patterns you can use:

Hook patterns to codify:

Format patterns:

• Carousel: Hook slide → Problem → Solution steps → CTA
• Thread: Hook → Promise → Deliver → Recap → CTA
• Story post: Hook → Setup → Conflict → Resolution → Lesson

CTA patterns:

• Question: "What would you add?"
• Agreement: "Agree or disagree?"
• Share: "Tag someone who needs this"
• Save: "Save this for later"

5. LAYER VOICE — Apply Direct Response Principles

Take proven patterns and make them yours with these voice principles:

"Smart friend who figured something out"

• Write like you're texting advice to a friend
• Share discoveries, not lectures
• Use "I found that..." not "You should..."
• Be helpful, not preachy

Specific > Vague

Short. Breathe. Land.

• One idea per sentence
• Use line breaks liberally
• Let important points stand alone
• Create rhythm: short, short, longer explanation

Write from emotion

• Start with how you felt, not what you did
• Use emotional words: frustrated, excited, terrified, obsessed
• Show vulnerability when authentic
• Connect the feeling to the lesson

6. CONVERT — Turn Attention into Action

Bridge from engagement to business results:

Soft conversions:

• Newsletter signups in bio/comments
• Free resource offers in follow-up comments
• DM triggers ("Comment X and I'll send you...")
• Profile visits → optimized profile with clear CTA

Direct conversions:

• Link in comments (not post body on LinkedIn)
• Contextual product mentions within valuable content
• Case study posts that naturally showcase your work
• "If you want help with this, DM me" (sparingly)

Output: Proven Patterns + Right Voice = Performance

The formula:

Reverse Engineering Checklist

• Identified 10-20 top creators in niche
• Collected 500+ posts for analysis
• Ranked by engagement rate
• Documented top 10 hook patterns
• Documented top 5 format patterns
• Documented top 5 CTA patterns
• Created voice guidelines (specificity, brevity, emotion)
• Built template library from patterns
• Set up tracking for your own content performance

Questions to Ask

If you need more context:

1. What platform(s) are you focusing on?
2. What's your current posting frequency?
3. Do you have existing content to repurpose?
4. What content has performed well in the past?
5. How much time can you dedicate weekly?
6. Are you building personal brand, company brand, or both?

Related Skills

• copywriting: For longer-form content that feeds social
• launch-strategy: For coordinating social with launches
• email-sequence: For nurturing social audience via email
• marketing-psychology: For understanding what drives engagement