# Content Strategy Guide

> Last updated: 2026-04

## Core Principle: Write for One Person, Not Everyone

The algorithm rewards content that specific audiences find deeply valuable,
not content that everyone finds mildly interesting. Every post should serve
one clear audience segment solving one specific problem.

## The 3-Layer Post Framework

Every post should follow this structure:

### Layer 1: The Hook (First 2-3 lines)

These lines appear before "See more." They determine whether 95% of viewers
will engage or scroll past. The hook must deliver or promise specific value.

**Good hooks:**
- "80% of founders' LinkedIn effort is wasted. Here's the 20% that actually
  converts to clients."
- "We tested 3 hiring strategies over 6 months. Only one worked — and it's
  the one nobody talks about."
- "I made this mistake managing my first engineering team. It cost us 3 months."

**Bad hooks:**
- "I almost went bankrupt..." (clickbait, no value promise)
- "Great news everyone!" (empty, no reason to read on)
- "Thoughts?" (lazy, no substance)

**Hook formulas that work:**
1. Specific number + surprising insight: "We analyzed 500 cold emails. The
   #1 factor wasn't subject line — it was send time."
2. Common belief + contradiction: "Everyone says post daily. Here's why 3x/week
   actually performs better."
3. Specific result + method preview: "We grew pipeline from $2M to $8M using
   one LinkedIn tactic nobody's doing."

### Layer 2: The Value (Body)

One post = one problem solved. Don't try to cover everything.

**Effective structures:**
- **Numbered list**: 5-7 actionable steps with brief explanations
- **Framework**: A mental model the reader can apply to their own situation
- **Story + lesson**: Personal experience → specific takeaway → actionable next step
- **Before/after**: Show the transformation with specific details

**Formatting for readability:**
- Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences max)
- Line breaks between ideas
- Bold key phrases (but don't overdo it)
- Use "→" or "•" for inline lists

### Layer 3: The CTA (Call to Action)

End with something that invites engagement:
- Open-ended question: "What's your experience with this?"
- Specific question: "Have you tried approach A or B? Which worked?"
- Save prompt: "Save this for your next [situation]"
- DM invitation: "DM me '[keyword]' and I'll send you [specific resource]"

Avoid: "Like if you agree" or "Comment YES below" — these are seen as
engagement bait and may be penalized.

## Content Formats (Ranked by Effectiveness, 2026 Data)

### 1. Document Carousel / PDF (Highest engagement ~7% by impressions)

The format best aligned with dwell time signals. Users flip through pages,
spending more time per impression.

**How to create:**
- 8-12 slides (including cover and CTA slide)
- Cover slide: Strong hook + clean design
- Content slides: One point per slide, 2-3 lines of text max
- Final slide: CTA (follow, DM, save)
- Tools: Canva, Google Slides → export as PDF, or native LinkedIn document
- Keep design clean — avoid clutter, use consistent fonts and colors

**Best topics for carousels:**
- Step-by-step frameworks
- Checklists ("Before you launch, check these 10 things")
- Comparison tables
- Process breakdowns

### 2. Short Video (<90 seconds, 20x more shares than text)

Growing fastest in 2026. The algorithm rewards native video.

**How to create:**
- First 3 seconds = hook (text overlay or verbal)
- Always add captions/subtitles (80% watch without sound)
- Vertical format (9:16) or square (1:1)
- End with a question to drive comments
- Keep it under 90 seconds — shorter is almost always better

### 3. Text + Image (Consistent, reliable)

The workhorse format. Works for all content types.

**Tips:**
- Image should add context, not just be decorative
- Screenshots, charts, whiteboard photos perform well
- Custom graphics > stock photos
- Use the text formatting tips from Layer 2 above

### 4. Polls (Discussion catalyst, use sparingly)

Great for sparking debate, but don't overuse (1x/month max).

**Tips:**
- Ask genuinely controversial or surprising industry questions
- Provide 3-4 options that represent real trade-offs
- Follow up with a post analyzing the results

### 5. Articles & Newsletters (Long-tail SEO assets)

Not for feed engagement — for searchability and subscriber retention.

- Articles are indexed by search engines and LinkedIn search
- Newsletters trigger platform notifications to all subscribers
- Set SEO title (<60 chars) and description (140-160 chars)
- Use these to go deep on topics that carousels can only scratch the surface of

## Post Templates

### Template A: Decision Debrief (High dwell + high comments)

```
Hook: I almost made the wrong call on [specific situation].

Context: [Constraints: time/resources/risk/stakeholders]

We had 3 options:
→ Option A: [description + trade-off]
→ Option B: [description + trade-off]
→ Option C: [description + trade-off]

I chose B because [principle/framework].

Result: [specific, measurable outcome]

Looking back, I'd change one thing: [honest reflection]

Question: In a similar situation, which would you choose? Why?
```

Why it works: Forces readers to read through the whole decision (dwell time),
then the options question invites substantive comments (contribution signal).

### Template B: Tutorial / How-To List

```
Hook: I used [method] to fix [problem] — went from [bad state] to [result].

Here's exactly how:

Step 1: Diagnose
→ [What to look for, what metric to check]

Step 2: Prioritize
→ [The 80/20 — what matters most]

Step 3: Execute
→ [Specific actions with details]

Step 4: Verify
→ [How to know it worked]

Common mistakes:
❌ [Mistake 1 + why it's wrong]
❌ [Mistake 2 + why it's wrong]
❌ [Mistake 3 + why it's wrong]

Save this for next time you face [situation].
```

Best as document carousel — each step gets its own slide.

### Template C: Contrarian Take (High comments, use carefully)

```
Hook: Everyone does [common practice]. In 2026, this will hurt you.

Here's why:
→ [Mechanism or evidence — not just opinion]

The evidence:
→ [One case study + one data point]

What to do instead:
1. [Alternative step 1]
2. [Alternative step 2]
3. [Alternative step 3]

If you disagree, tell me your counter-example. I genuinely want to hear it.
```

Warning: Must have real substance behind the contrarian claim. Empty
provocation without insight triggers P(skip) — people read the hook,
see it's hollow, and scroll away.

### Template D: Community Dialogue (Creates secondary content)

```
Post 1 (Day 1):
I've noticed [observation/trend].

My current hypothesis: [your interpretation]

I want to hear from [specific roles/industries]:
→ Q1: [Specific question]
→ Q2: [Specific question]

Post 2 (Day 2-3 follow-up):
Yesterday I asked about [topic] and got 50+ responses.

3 patterns emerged:
1. [Pattern + example from commenter, with credit]
2. [Pattern + example]
3. [Surprising outlier]

My updated take: [refined view based on input]

What did I miss?
```

This creates a content flywheel — commenters become co-creators, and the
follow-up post tags them, expanding reach through their networks.

## Content Pillars Strategy

Every creator should have 2-3 content pillars — recurring themes that
establish their topical authority. The algorithm's embedding system uses
topic consistency to build your "Topic DNA."

**How to choose pillars:**
1. What do you know deeply that your target audience struggles with?
2. What questions do clients/colleagues ask you repeatedly?
3. What intersection of topics is underserved?

**Example for a SaaS founder targeting B2B buyers:**
- Pillar 1: Product-led growth tactics (how we grew without a sales team)
- Pillar 2: Founder mistakes (lessons from things that went wrong)
- Pillar 3: Industry trends (with a specific, opinionated take)

## Posting Cadence & Timing

**Recommended frequency:** 3 posts/week (quality over quantity)
- This is the sweet spot validated by multiple creators (including Aylin Round's
  2K→28K growth). More frequent posting with inconsistent quality is worse
  than fewer high-quality posts.
- The sequence ranking model rewards consistency, not volume.

**Timing (use as starting priors, then A/B test):**
- Research varies: Tue-Thu morning 8-10am or afternoon 4-6pm are common
  recommendations, but different studies disagree
- Weekend posting can surprisingly work well (less competition)
- The only reliable approach: test 2-3 time slots over 4 weeks with your
  own audience and compare impressions + engagement rate

**Batching workflow:**
- Keep a running note of questions from meetings, client conversations,
  and industry observations throughout the week
- Sunday: spend 90-120 minutes writing all 3 posts for the coming week
- Use LinkedIn's native scheduler to queue them
- This prevents the "I don't know what to post" paralysis

## The Zero-Link Strategy

External links in post body reduce reach significantly (estimates range
from 40-60% depending on the source — see algorithm.md for details). The workaround of
"link in first comment" is reportedly being detected and penalized in 2026.

**Better alternatives:**
1. Make the post self-contained — deliver 100% of the value in the post itself
2. Use LinkedIn Articles or Newsletter for content that needs linking out
3. Use a profile CTA button (Premium feature) for persistent external traffic
4. Say "DM me '[keyword]' for the link" — drives DM conversations which
   are a strong engagement signal
5. If you must share a link, put it in a comment and accept the trade-off
   — but don't rely on this as a primary strategy

## Repurposing Strategy

Don't create from scratch every time. One core idea → multiple formats:

- **Blog post → LinkedIn carousel** (extract key steps)
- **Client question → text post** (answer it publicly)
- **Conference talk → 3-5 individual posts** (one per key point)
- **Old high-performing post → new format** (text → carousel, or vice versa)
- **Comment thread → standalone post** (expand a popular comment)

Weekly: identify 1 old post worth repurposing in a different format.
