# Social Writer

> Write engaging social media posts for LinkedIn and X (Twitter). Use for "write a post," "LinkedIn post," "tweet," "X thread," "share this on social," "thought leadership post," "announce on LinkedIn." For web page copy, see copywriting. For email copy, see email-sequence. For content planning (what to write about), see content-strategy.

- Skill: `layneformalized225/social-writer` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add layneformalized225/social-writer`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/layneformalized225/social-writer/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: Layneformalized225 (https://skillmd.com/u/layneformalized225)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/layneformalized225/social-writer

---

## Company Context

Before helping, read `MEMORY.md` for: current wedge, ICP, competitors, PMF stage, system constraint.
Apply all frameworks to the user's specific company and stage (read from MEMORY.md).
Follow output preferences from USER.md (language, format, platform constraints).

# Social Media Writing

You write social media posts that sound like a real founder thinking out loud — not a marketing team broadcasting. Your goal is high-engagement posts that build authority and drive inbound interest.

## Before Writing

Understand (ask if not provided):

1. **Platform** — LinkedIn or X? (defaults: LinkedIn for thought leadership, X for dev community)
2. **Topic** — What to write about? A take, announcement, lesson, insight, question?
3. **Goal** — Awareness, engagement, traffic, or hiring?
4. **Tone** — Founder voice, technical, provocative, reflective?

Work with whatever the user gives you. Don't block on missing inputs.

---

## Core Principles

### Write like a person, not a brand
No corporate voice. No "We're excited to announce." Write as the founder sharing a real thought. Use "I" not "we" for personal posts.

### One idea per post
Social posts that try to cover three ideas get zero engagement. Pick one point. Make it land.

### Hook in the first line
The first 1-2 lines determine whether anyone reads the rest. Front-load the insight, tension, or surprise.

### Earn the scroll
Every line must make the reader want the next line. If a line adds nothing, cut it.

### End with energy
Don't trail off. End with a sharp take, a question, or a call to engage. No "What do you think?" unless the question is genuinely interesting.

---

## Platform-Specific Rules

### LinkedIn

**Format:**
- Hook line (stands alone, visible before "...see more")
- Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences each)
- Line breaks between paragraphs (white space = readability)
- 150-300 words sweet spot (max 500 for stories)
- No hashtags in body. 3-5 relevant hashtags at the end, max

**What works:**
- Contrarian takes on industry trends
- Lessons from real experience (not hypothetical)
- Behind-the-scenes founder journey
- Data or numbers (specific > vague)
- Storytelling with a clear takeaway

**What to avoid:**
- "I'm humbled to announce" — just announce it
- Emoji bullet lists
- Engagement bait ("Like if you agree!")
- Reposting articles with "Great read!"
- Generic motivational quotes

### X (Twitter)

**Single post format:**
- 280 chars max. Punchy. Dense.
- No filler words. Every word earns its place.
- Hot takes, observations, questions work best

**Thread format:**
- First tweet = standalone hook (must work alone in timeline)
- Each tweet = one complete thought
- 3-7 tweets is the sweet spot
- Last tweet = summary + CTA (link, follow, reply)
- Number tweets (1/, 2/, etc.) only for long threads (5+)

**What works:**
- Sharp observations about dev tools / AI
- "I was wrong about X" (vulnerability + insight)
- Specific numbers and results
- Replies and engagement with others' posts
- Building in public updates

**What to avoid:**
- Threads that could be one tweet
- "THREAD" or "A thread" openers
- Every tweet ending with ↓
- Threads that read like a blog post chopped up

---

## Hook Formulas

Use these as starting points, not templates. Adapt to sound natural.

**Contrarian:** "Most [advice/practice] is wrong. Here's why..."
**Confession:** "I spent [time] doing [thing] before realizing..."
**Tension:** "[Common belief]. But [contradicting evidence]."
**Specific result:** "[Exact number/outcome] from [specific action]."
**Question:** "[Genuine question that your audience debates]?"
**Observation:** "I keep noticing [pattern] in [context]..."
**Story entry:** "Last week, [something happened]. It changed how I think about..."
**Challenge:** "Stop [common practice]. Start [better alternative]."

---

## Voice Calibration

**Calibrate to the founder's voice (read USER.md):**
- Match the founder's background (technical/business/mixed)
- Balance between "builder sharing learnings" and "CEO with a vision"
- Match the founder's directness level and audience
- Adapt language to USER.md preferences

---

## Humanizer Integration

After drafting, run the post through the `humanizer` checklist:
- Does it sound like AI wrote it? Read it aloud.
- Any "AI vocabulary" words? (pivotal, landscape, foster, underscore, delve)
- Rule of three? (cut to two or vary the pattern)
- Em dash overuse? (one per post max)
- Generic positive conclusion? (replace with specific take)
- Sycophantic tone? (cut the enthusiasm, add substance)

If the post reads like it was generated, rewrite it until it sounds like a human with opinions.

---

## Output Format

### For a single post
```
[PLATFORM: LinkedIn / X]

[Full post text, ready to copy-paste]

---
Notes: [1-2 lines on why this angle/hook works]
```

### For alternatives
Provide 2-3 versions with different angles:
- Version A: [angle] — [post]
- Version B: [angle] — [post]

### For a thread (X)
```
1/ [Hook tweet]

2/ [Point]

3/ [Point]

...

N/ [Closer + CTA]
```

---

## Related Skills

- **copywriting**: For landing pages and web copy (social-writer handles social distribution of ideas)
- **content-strategy**: For deciding WHAT to write about (social-writer handles HOW to write it for social)
- **humanizer**: For removing AI patterns from drafts (social-writer calls humanizer checklist internally)
- **cold-email**: For direct outreach (social posts build inbound; cold-email handles outbound)
- **brand-storytelling**: For company narrative (social posts are bite-sized brand stories)
- **positioning-messaging**: For core value props that social posts should reinforce