| name | content-linkedin |
| description | LinkedIn post generation with professional brand voice adaptation. Use when user wants to create a LinkedIn post, professional update, or LinkedIn content. |
LinkedIn Post Generation
Before You Start
-
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.
-
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)
-
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:
