--- name: "Content LinkedIn" repo: https://github.com/vstorm-co/content-skills source: https://github.com/vstorm-co/content-skills/blob/HEAD/skills/content-linkedin/SKILL.md license: "MIT" install: "npx skills add vstorm-co/content-skills --skill content-linkedin" page: https://100xlab.com/resources/agent-skills/vstorm-co-content-skills--content-linkedin--1984vf8 --- # LinkedIn Post Generation ## Before You Start 1. **Check for brand voice**: Read `brand/VOICE.md` if it exists. Adapt the brand voice for LinkedIn's professional-but-personal tone. If no voice file exists, default to professional, authentic, and insight-driven. 2. **Determine post type**: Choose the format that fits the content: - **Personal Story** -- Lessons from experience (`templates/personal-story.template`) - **Professional Insight** -- Frameworks, observations, advice (`templates/professional-insight.template`) - **Contrarian Take** -- Challenging industry assumptions (`templates/contrarian-take.template`) 3. **Gather inputs**: Topic, key message, target audience (role/seniority), any data or examples to include. --- ## LinkedIn's Unique Culture LinkedIn sits in a specific cultural space. Understand it before writing: **What works:** - Professional experiences told as personal stories - Specific, actionable advice grounded in real experience - Vulnerable honesty about failures and lessons learned - Frameworks and mental models that help people think - Data-backed observations about industry trends - Asking genuine questions that invite thoughtful discussion **What doesn't work:** - Corporate press releases disguised as personal posts - Vague inspirational platitudes ("Success is a journey, not a destination") - Humblebragging ("I'm so humbled to announce...") - Engagement bait without substance ("Agree?" "Thoughts?") - Reposting motivational quotes with "This." as your commentary - Multi-paragraph LinkedIn posts that are actually just ads **The core rule:** LinkedIn rewards posts that make the reader think, learn, or reflect. If your post does none of these, rewrite it. --- ## Post Structure LinkedIn's algorithm and reading experience reward a specific structure: ### Hook Line (First 1-2 Lines) - This is the only thing visible before "...see more" - It must create enough curiosity or value-promise to earn the click - Strong hooks: bold claim, surprising observation, specific result, a question - Weak hooks: "I'm excited to share...", "Big news!", generic statements ### Body (Short Paragraphs with White Space) - Keep paragraphs to 1-3 sentences max - Use line breaks between paragraphs (LinkedIn's mobile experience demands white space) - One idea per paragraph - Build toward your main insight - Include at least one specific detail: a number, a name, a date, a quote ### CTA / Close - End with a question that invites genuine discussion (not "Agree?") - Or end with a specific actionable takeaway - Or end with a forward-looking thought --- ## Emoji Usage LinkedIn has its own emoji culture. Rules: **Acceptable:** - Bullet point substitutes (use sparingly, max 3-5 in a post) - A single emoji to punctuate a key line - Section markers in list-heavy posts **Not acceptable:** - Every line starting with an emoji - Emoji walls or rainbow emoji sequences - Clapping hands between every word - Using emojis as a substitute for substance **Default:** When in doubt, skip the emojis. Clean text with strong ideas performs better than decorated text with weak ideas. --- ## LinkedIn Anti-Slop These patterns are rampant on LinkedIn. Avoid all of them. ### Phrases to Never Write - "I'm humbled to announce..." - "I'm thrilled to share..." - "Agree?" - "Thoughts?" - "This." (as a comment on a repost) - "If you're not doing X, you're falling behind" - "In today's rapidly changing landscape..." - "Here's the thing about {topic}..." - "Let that sink in." - "Read that again." - "I don't usually post about this, but..." ### Structural Patterns to Avoid - The "I got fired, and it was the best thing that ever happened" formula (unless it genuinely was, with specific details) - Fake dialogue posts ("Interviewer: Why should we hire you? Me: Because I...") - "Day 1 vs Day 365" transformation posts without substance - Listing obvious advice as if it's revolutionary - Ending every post with a self-promotional CTA disguised as generosity ### What to Do Instead - Share a specific moment, decision, or observation - Include details only you would know (this proves authenticity) - Let the reader draw their own conclusions from your story - If you have advice, ground it in a concrete experience, not abstract wisdom --- ## Brand Voice Adaptation for LinkedIn See `linkedin-voice.md` for detailed LinkedIn voice adaptation rules. Key principles: - LinkedIn is more personal than a blog but more professional than X/Twitter - "I" is powerful on LinkedIn; individual perspective outperforms corporate voice - Technical depth is welcome but must be framed with business or career context - Storytelling beats instruction --- ## Templates | Template | Use Case | |---|---| | `personal-story.template` | Lessons from experience, career moments, failures, wins | | `professional-insight.template` | Frameworks, advice, industry observations | | `contrarian-take.template` | Challenging assumptions, unpopular opinions | --- ## Output Checklist Before delivering a LinkedIn post: - [ ] Hook line earns the "...see more" click - [ ] Paragraphs are short (1-3 sentences) with white space between them - [ ] At least one specific detail (number, name, date, quote) - [ ] No LinkedIn slop phrases (check the full list above) - [ ] Voice is professional but personal (not corporate, not casual) - [ ] Post makes the reader think, learn, or reflect - [ ] Closing invites genuine engagement or delivers a takeaway - [ ] Emoji usage is restrained and purposeful (or absent) - [ ] Length is appropriate: 150-300 words for most posts (LinkedIn penalizes very long posts in the algorithm) - [ ] Brand voice is adapted for LinkedIn's culture --- ## Supporting file: linkedin-voice.md # LinkedIn Voice Adaptation Guide This document explains how to translate a brand's voice profile into LinkedIn-appropriate content. --- ## The LinkedIn Tone Spectrum LinkedIn content lives in a specific register: professional enough to be taken seriously, personal enough to feel human. The platform rewards authenticity and penalizes corporate-speak. | Too Corporate | Sweet Spot | Too Casual | |---|---|---| | "We are pleased to announce the strategic acquisition of..." | "We just acquired [Company]. Here's why, and what changes for you." | "lol we bought a company, wild times" | | "Leveraging our synergistic capabilities..." | "We combined our API with their data pipeline. The result:" | "we smashed the two things together and it works great ngl" | | "It is with great enthusiasm that I share..." | "Something I learned this week that changed how I think about hiring:" | "okay hot take incoming about hiring lmao" | --- ## Translating Brand Voice to LinkedIn ### If the Brand Voice Is Formal - Drop one formality level for LinkedIn - Replace third person with first person where appropriate - Keep the vocabulary precise but make the sentence structure more conversational - Use contractions - Maintain authority through insight, not through formal language ### If the Brand Voice Is Casual - Raise one formality level for LinkedIn - Keep the personality but add professional framing - Ground opinions in experience and evidence, not just vibes - Avoid slang that might not translate across industries or cultures ### If the Brand Voice Is Technical - Keep the technical depth (LinkedIn's professional audience appreciates it) - Add business or career context: why should a non-technical decision-maker care? - Use analogies to bridge technical concepts for a broader audience - Lead with the "so what" before going deep ### If the Brand Voice Is Warm/Friendly - This translates well to LinkedIn. Lean into it. - Add specificity to keep warmth from becoming vagueness - Use personal anecdotes and name real people (with permission) - Warmth on LinkedIn means generosity with insights, not cheerfulness --- ## The "I" Voice on LinkedIn LinkedIn is one of the few professional platforms where first person singular is powerful. Guidelines: **When to use "I":** - Sharing personal experiences and lessons learned - Stating opinions you personally hold - Describing decisions you made and their outcomes **When to use "we":** - Talking about team or company achievements - Describing collaborative processes - Sharing company-level results **When to use "you":** - Giving advice - Framing insights as directly applicable to the reader - Asking questions **Default:** Start with "I" for the story, shift to "you" for the takeaway. --- ## Storytelling on LinkedIn LinkedIn's algorithm favors posts that keep people reading. Storytelling is the most reliable way to achieve this. ### Story Structure for LinkedIn 1. **Hook**: The most surprising or valuable part of the story (first line) 2. **Context**: Brief setup (2-3 short paragraphs) 3. **Tension**: The challenge, conflict, or decision point 4. **Resolution**: What happened 5. **Lesson**: The transferable insight ### Story Authenticity Markers - Specific dates, numbers, or names - Admission of mistakes or uncertainty - Details only someone who was there would know - Emotional honesty without melodrama --- ## What LinkedIn's Algorithm Rewards Understanding the platform's incentives helps shape voice: - **Dwell time**: Longer reading time signals quality. Write posts worth reading slowly. - **Comments over likes**: Posts that generate discussion outperform posts that generate passive likes. End with genuine questions. - **Native content**: Text posts and carousels outperform link shares. If sharing a link, add substantial commentary. - **Early engagement**: The first hour matters. Write for your most engaged connections first. --- ## Voice Consistency Across Platforms If the user is also creating content for X, blog, or other platforms: - LinkedIn posts should feel like the same person speaking at a professional conference, not reading from a teleprompter - The vocabulary can shift between platforms, but the core perspective and personality should remain consistent - A blog post's insight can become a LinkedIn post, but it needs to be rewritten for the platform, not copy-pasted