summarize-for-social-media

name	summarize-for-social-media
description	Generate first drafts of social media posts for blog, micro, or newsletter posts. Use when the user asks to create social media content for a post.

Social Media Text and Description Generation

When asked to generate social media posts for a blog, micro, or newsletter post, read the post file and write the text directly into the post's YAML front matter fields. Use the post that was provided in the context of the chat. Use the stylistic suggestions in other Claude skills and documentation.

Do not enter plan mode. Do not run the Hugo server or any verification steps. Just read the post, generate the text, and write it into the front matter.

If the linkpost field is present in the YAML header, always uses that as the "call to action" link at the end of a post.

Generate all of the following at once:

Description

Write the description field: 1–2 sentences summarizing the post for meta tags and OpenGraph previews. This should be platform-neutral, informative, and suitable for search engine results. It is not a social media post.

Social media fields

Write the social: block fields (bluesky, mastodon, linkedin) in the front matter:

• bluesky: ≤300 characters (including the URL). Conversational, informal tone. End with the permalink URL. No hashtags.
• mastodon: ≤500 characters (including the URL). Similar tone to BlueSky, slightly more room for detail. End with the permalink URL. No hashtags.
• linkedin: One or two short paragraphs. More professional framing, emphasizing scholarly or institutional significance. End with the permalink URL. No hashtags.

For all platforms: capture the main point or most interesting detail of the post, not just the title. For linkposts, summarize what makes the linked item worth reading.

If the body text of the post is short enough to fit within a platform's character limit (after appending the URL), use it verbatim without modification. Do not rephrase short posts unnecessarily.

Newsletter posts

For newsletter posts (files in content/newsletter/), override the platform-specific tone guidance above. Use the same template for all three platforms (bluesky, mastodon, linkedin):

In the most recent issue of the "Working on It" newsletter, I wrote about {BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF 2-3 THINGS}. Read and subscribe: {PERMALINK}

Replace {BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF 2-3 THINGS} with concise, natural-sounding descriptions of the main topics covered in the newsletter issue. Replace {PERMALINK} with the post's permalink URL. Keep the descriptions brief enough that the bluesky version fits within 300 characters.

YAML formatting

• For description, bluesky, and mastodon, use double-quoted strings on a single line.
• For linkedin, if the text is multi-paragraph, use the YAML literal block scalar (|) to preserve line breaks. If it fits on one line, a double-quoted string is fine.

Example

Here is an example of what a blog post's front matter should look like after generation:

description: "A summary of what the example post is about, suitable for meta tags and search results."
social:
  bluesky: "Here's an interesting take on the example topic. https://lincolnmullen.com/blog/example-post-title/"
  mastodon: "Here's a slightly longer take on the example topic, with a bit more room for detail and nuance. https://lincolnmullen.com/blog/example-post-title/"
  linkedin: |
    I recently wrote about the example topic, which has significant implications for the field.

    The post explores how this matters for scholars and institutions working in this area. https://lincolnmullen.com/blog/example-post-title/

Here is an example for a newsletter post:

description: "Issue 15 of the Working on It newsletter, covering topic A, topic B, and topic C."
social:
  bluesky: "In the most recent issue of the \"Working on It\" newsletter, I wrote about topic A, topic B, and topic C. Read and subscribe: https://lincolnmullen.com/blog/example-newsletter/"
  mastodon: "In the most recent issue of the \"Working on It\" newsletter, I wrote about topic A, topic B, and topic C. Read and subscribe: https://lincolnmullen.com/blog/example-newsletter/"
  linkedin: "In the most recent issue of the \"Working on It\" newsletter, I wrote about topic A, topic B, and topic C. Read and subscribe: https://lincolnmullen.com/blog/example-newsletter/"