Social Media Strategy Skill
This skill produces a complete social media strategy covering audience definition, platform rationale, content pillars, posting cadence, tone of voice guidelines, measurement framework, and a 4-week starter content calendar. Output is ready for a marketing team, founder, or agency to execute immediately.
Required Inputs
Ask the user for these if not provided:
- Brand / product / creator name
- What you're promoting — product, service, personal brand, community, or event
- Target audience — who are you trying to reach? (job title, age, interests, platforms they use)
- Business goal — what does social need to achieve? (brand awareness / lead generation / community building / sales / recruitment)
- Current social presence — which platforms are you on? What's working, what isn't?
- Competitors or aspirational accounts — who does social well in your space?
- Resources — how many people and how much time per week can you dedicate to social?
Output Structure
Social Media Strategy: [Brand / Product / Creator]
Goal: [Primary business goal]
Audience: [1-sentence description of primary audience]
Timeframe: [e.g. Q3 2026 — 3-month strategy]
Owner: [Marketing lead / founder / social team]
Date: [Date]
1. Audience Profile
Primary audience:
| Dimension |
Detail |
| Who they are |
[Job title, age range, life stage, geography] |
| What they care about |
[Professional or personal priorities, pain points] |
| Where they spend time online |
[Platforms, communities, influencers they follow] |
| What they consume |
[Content formats they engage with — video, threads, newsletters, podcasts] |
| What would make them follow you |
[The specific value proposition of your social presence] |
Secondary audience: [Any secondary segment — e.g. job seekers if you're a brand, investors if you're a startup]
2. Platform Strategy
Not every platform is right for every brand. Justify each platform choice:
| Platform |
Audience fit |
Content format |
Priority |
Why (or why not) |
| LinkedIn |
[B2B / professional] |
[Text posts, carousels, articles] |
[Primary / Secondary / Skip] |
[e.g. Primary platform for B2B SaaS — where buyers and influencers are] |
| X / Twitter |
[Tech, media, founders] |
[Short text, threads, replies] |
[...] |
[...] |
| Instagram |
[Consumer, visual brands, creators] |
[Reels, Stories, carousels] |
[...] |
[...] |
| TikTok |
[B2C, Gen Z, consumer] |
[Short-form video] |
[...] |
[...] |
| YouTube |
[All audiences — discovery + long-form] |
[Long-form video, Shorts] |
[...] |
[...] |
| Threads |
[Text-first, creator, early adopter] |
[Short text, conversations] |
[...] |
[...] |
Lead platform: [One platform to invest most heavily in — where your audience is most active and where you have the best chance to stand out]
Supporting platforms: [1–2 secondary platforms where you'll repurpose or adapt content]
3. Content Pillars
Define 3–5 content themes that anchor your social presence. Each pillar must serve the audience, not just the brand.
Pillar 1: [Name — e.g. "Behind the build"]
What it is: [1-sentence description]
Why the audience cares: [What value does this deliver to them?]
Content examples:
- [e.g. Engineering decisions we made and why]
- [e.g. Week-in-the-life of the founding team]
- [e.g. What we shipped this week and what we learned]
Format mix: [Carousel / video / thread / short-form text]
Posting cadence: [X times per week]
Pillar 2: [Name — e.g. "Practical education"]
What it is: [...]
Why the audience cares: [...]
Content examples:
Format mix: [...]
Posting cadence: [...]
Pillar 3: [Name — e.g. "Social proof and community"]
What it is: [Customer stories, testimonials, user-generated content, community spotlights]
Why the audience cares: [Validation from peers carries more weight than brand claims]
Content examples:
- [Customer outcome stories — 1 metric + 1 quote format]
- [Repost community member wins]
- [Case study carousels]
Format mix: [...]
Posting cadence: [...]
Pillar 4: [Name — e.g. "Point of view"]
What it is: [Opinions on industry trends, hot takes, commentary on news in your space]
Why the audience cares: [People follow accounts that say something, not just share information]
Content examples:
- [Contrarian takes on common advice]
- [Reaction to industry news — what it means for your audience]
- [Founder's personal perspective on a topic]
Format mix: [...]
Posting cadence: [...]
4. Tone of Voice
Define how your brand sounds on social — before you write a single post:
| Dimension |
[Your brand] sounds like... |
[Your brand] does NOT sound like... |
| Formality |
[e.g. Conversational, plain English] |
[Corporate speak, jargon] |
| Energy |
[e.g. Curious, enthusiastic] |
[Aggressive, hypey] |
| Personality |
[e.g. Smart friend who happens to be an expert] |
[Faceless institution] |
| Humour |
[e.g. Dry wit, occasional] |
[Try-hard memes, sarcasm] |
| Self-promotion |
[e.g. Earns the right to mention the product] |
[Every post is an ad] |
Reference accounts that nail the tone you're aiming for: [Name 2–3 accounts — and why]
5. Posting Cadence & Workflow
| Platform |
Posts per week |
Best days |
Best times |
Format split |
| [LinkedIn] |
[3–5] |
[Tue–Thu] |
[07:30–09:00 or 12:00–13:00] |
[60% educational, 30% POV, 10% product] |
| [X / Twitter] |
[5–7] |
[Any] |
[Morning and lunchtime] |
[50% replies/engagement, 30% original, 20% reposts] |
| [Instagram] |
[3–4] |
[Mon, Wed, Fri] |
[18:00–20:00] |
[50% Reels, 30% carousels, 20% Stories] |
Content production workflow:
| Day |
Activity |
Owner |
Time required |
| Monday |
Plan the week's content — review pillars, select topics |
[Social manager] |
30 min |
| Tuesday |
Write long-form posts for LinkedIn and threads |
[Writer / founder] |
60 min |
| Wednesday |
Design carousels or graphics |
[Designer / Canva] |
45 min |
| Thursday |
Schedule the week's content in [Buffer / Hootsuite / Later] |
[Social manager] |
20 min |
| Daily |
Engage with comments, reply to mentions, interact with community |
[Social manager] |
15 min |
6. Growth Tactics
Beyond posting, how will you grow your following and reach?
| Tactic |
Description |
Platform |
Frequency |
| Engage before you post |
Spend 15 min commenting on posts from target accounts before posting your own |
All |
Daily |
| Collaboration posts |
Co-create content with a complementary brand or creator |
LinkedIn / IG |
Monthly |
| Community participation |
Answer questions in relevant groups, subreddits, or Discord servers |
LinkedIn / Reddit / Discord |
Weekly |
| Tag relevant accounts |
When mentioning companies, tools, or people — tag them (earns reshares) |
All |
As relevant |
| Cross-promote |
Mention your social in newsletters, emails, events, and podcast appearances |
All |
Ongoing |
| Use trending formats early |
When a new format (e.g. LinkedIn carousels, IG Reels) emerges, adopt early |
Platform-specific |
When relevant |
7. Measurement Framework
Primary KPIs (tied to business goal):
| KPI |
Platform |
Current baseline |
Target (90 days) |
Why it matters |
| [Follower growth rate] |
[LinkedIn] |
[X%/month] |
[≥ Y%/month] |
[Audience reach] |
| [Engagement rate] |
[LinkedIn] |
[X%] |
[≥ Y%] |
[Content resonance] |
| [Link clicks / traffic from social] |
[All] |
[X visits/month] |
[≥ Y visits/month] |
[Direct business impact] |
| [Inbound leads attributed to social] |
[LinkedIn] |
[X/month] |
[≥ Y/month] |
[Revenue impact] |
Secondary metrics (health indicators):
- Reach per post
- Saves and shares (not just likes)
- Comment sentiment and quality
- DMs initiated from content
Reporting cadence: [Weekly check on engagement / Monthly review of follower and traffic / Quarterly strategy review]
8. 4-Week Starter Content Calendar
A concrete first month of content — ready to adapt and post:
| Week |
Day |
Platform |
Pillar |
Format |
Topic idea |
| 1 |
Mon |
LinkedIn |
Education |
Carousel |
[e.g. "5 things we wished we knew before building [X]"] |
| 1 |
Wed |
LinkedIn |
Behind the build |
Text post |
[e.g. "We almost gave up in month 3. Here's what changed."] |
| 1 |
Fri |
Instagram |
Social proof |
Reel |
[e.g. Customer story — problem → solution → result] |
| 2 |
Tue |
LinkedIn |
POV |
Thread |
[e.g. "Hot take: [common advice in your space] is wrong. Here's why."] |
| 2 |
Thu |
X/Twitter |
Education |
Thread |
[e.g. "The [X] framework we use every week — and how you can steal it"] |
| 2 |
Sat |
Instagram |
Behind the build |
Story |
[e.g. "Week 2 update — what we shipped and one thing that didn't go to plan"] |
| 3 |
Mon |
LinkedIn |
Education |
Carousel |
[e.g. "How to [achieve outcome] in [timeframe] — step by step"] |
| 3 |
Wed |
LinkedIn |
Community |
Text post |
[e.g. Reshare a customer win with commentary] |
| 3 |
Fri |
Instagram |
POV |
Reel |
[e.g. "[Industry myth] — why we disagree and what we do instead"] |
| 4 |
Tue |
LinkedIn |
Behind the build |
Video |
[e.g. Founder talking to camera — "One thing I learned building [X] this month"] |
| 4 |
Thu |
X/Twitter |
POV |
Thread |
[e.g. "[Trend in your space] — here's what's actually happening"] |
| 4 |
Sat |
All |
Milestone |
Text + image |
[e.g. "[X followers / X users / X months] — thank you + what's next"] |
Quality Checks
Example Trigger Phrases
- "Build a social media strategy for [brand/product]"
- "Create a LinkedIn content strategy for our B2B SaaS"
- "Help me define content pillars and posting cadence for our startup"
- "Design a 90-day social media plan for [company]"
- "What should our social media strategy be for a product launch?"
Anti-Patterns
1---2name: social-media-strategy3description: Build a social media strategy for a brand, product, or creator. Use when asked to create a social media strategy, define a social content strategy, plan content pillars, set social KPIs, or build a posting framework. Produces a complete strategy with audience definition, platform selection, content pillars, posting cadence, KPIs, and a 4-week starter calendar.4---5
6# Social Media Strategy Skill
7
8This skill produces a complete social media strategy covering audience definition, platform rationale, content pillars, posting cadence, tone of voice guidelines, measurement framework, and a 4-week starter content calendar. Output is ready for a marketing team, founder, or agency to execute immediately.
9
10## Required Inputs
11
12Ask the user for these if not provided:
13- **Brand / product / creator name**
14- **What you're promoting** — product, service, personal brand, community, or event
15- **Target audience** — who are you trying to reach? (job title, age, interests, platforms they use)
16- **Business goal** — what does social need to achieve? (brand awareness / lead generation / community building / sales / recruitment)
17- **Current social presence** — which platforms are you on? What's working, what isn't?
18- **Competitors or aspirational accounts** — who does social well in your space?
19- **Resources** — how many people and how much time per week can you dedicate to social?
20
21## Output Structure
22
23---
24
25# Social Media Strategy: [Brand / Product / Creator]
26
27**Goal:** [Primary business goal]
28**Audience:** [1-sentence description of primary audience]
29**Timeframe:** [e.g. Q3 2026 — 3-month strategy]
30**Owner:** [Marketing lead / founder / social team]
31**Date:** [Date]
32
33---
34
35## 1. Audience Profile
36
37**Primary audience:**
38
39| Dimension | Detail |
40|---|---|
41| **Who they are** | [Job title, age range, life stage, geography] |
42| **What they care about** | [Professional or personal priorities, pain points] |
43| **Where they spend time online** | [Platforms, communities, influencers they follow] |
44| **What they consume** | [Content formats they engage with — video, threads, newsletters, podcasts] |
45| **What would make them follow you** | [The specific value proposition of your social presence] |
46
47**Secondary audience:** [Any secondary segment — e.g. job seekers if you're a brand, investors if you're a startup]
48
49---
50
51## 2. Platform Strategy
52
53Not every platform is right for every brand. Justify each platform choice:
54
55| Platform | Audience fit | Content format | Priority | Why (or why not) |
56|---|---|---|---|---|
57| **LinkedIn** | [B2B / professional] | [Text posts, carousels, articles] | [Primary / Secondary / Skip] | [e.g. Primary platform for B2B SaaS — where buyers and influencers are] |
58| **X / Twitter** | [Tech, media, founders] | [Short text, threads, replies] | [...] | [...] |
59| **Instagram** | [Consumer, visual brands, creators] | [Reels, Stories, carousels] | [...] | [...] |
60| **TikTok** | [B2C, Gen Z, consumer] | [Short-form video] | [...] | [...] |
61| **YouTube** | [All audiences — discovery + long-form] | [Long-form video, Shorts] | [...] | [...] |
62| **Threads** | [Text-first, creator, early adopter] | [Short text, conversations] | [...] | [...] |
63
64**Lead platform:** [One platform to invest most heavily in — where your audience is most active and where you have the best chance to stand out]
65
66**Supporting platforms:** [1–2 secondary platforms where you'll repurpose or adapt content]
67
68---
69
70## 3. Content Pillars
71
72Define 3–5 content themes that anchor your social presence. Each pillar must serve the audience, not just the brand.
73
74### Pillar 1: [Name — e.g. "Behind the build"]
75
76**What it is:** [1-sentence description]
77**Why the audience cares:** [What value does this deliver to them?]
78**Content examples:**
79- [e.g. Engineering decisions we made and why]
80- [e.g. Week-in-the-life of the founding team]
81- [e.g. What we shipped this week and what we learned]
82
83**Format mix:** [Carousel / video / thread / short-form text]
84**Posting cadence:** [X times per week]
85
86---
87
88### Pillar 2: [Name — e.g. "Practical education"]
89
90**What it is:** [...]
91**Why the audience cares:** [...]
92**Content examples:**
93- [...]
94- [...]
95
96**Format mix:** [...]
97**Posting cadence:** [...]
98
99---
100
101### Pillar 3: [Name — e.g. "Social proof and community"]
102
103**What it is:** [Customer stories, testimonials, user-generated content, community spotlights]
104**Why the audience cares:** [Validation from peers carries more weight than brand claims]
105**Content examples:**
106- [Customer outcome stories — 1 metric + 1 quote format]
107- [Repost community member wins]
108- [Case study carousels]
109
110**Format mix:** [...]
111**Posting cadence:** [...]
112
113---
114
115### Pillar 4: [Name — e.g. "Point of view"]
116
117**What it is:** [Opinions on industry trends, hot takes, commentary on news in your space]
118**Why the audience cares:** [People follow accounts that say something, not just share information]
119**Content examples:**
120- [Contrarian takes on common advice]
121- [Reaction to industry news — what it means for your audience]
122- [Founder's personal perspective on a topic]
123
124**Format mix:** [...]
125**Posting cadence:** [...]
126
127---
128
129## 4. Tone of Voice
130
131Define how your brand sounds on social — before you write a single post:
132
133| Dimension | [Your brand] sounds like... | [Your brand] does NOT sound like... |
134|---|---|---|
135| **Formality** | [e.g. Conversational, plain English] | [Corporate speak, jargon] |
136| **Energy** | [e.g. Curious, enthusiastic] | [Aggressive, hypey] |
137| **Personality** | [e.g. Smart friend who happens to be an expert] | [Faceless institution] |
138| **Humour** | [e.g. Dry wit, occasional] | [Try-hard memes, sarcasm] |
139| **Self-promotion** | [e.g. Earns the right to mention the product] | [Every post is an ad] |
140
141**Reference accounts that nail the tone you're aiming for:** [Name 2–3 accounts — and why]
142
143---
144
145## 5. Posting Cadence & Workflow
146
147| Platform | Posts per week | Best days | Best times | Format split |
148|---|---|---|---|---|
149| [LinkedIn] | [3–5] | [Tue–Thu] | [07:30–09:00 or 12:00–13:00] | [60% educational, 30% POV, 10% product] |
150| [X / Twitter] | [5–7] | [Any] | [Morning and lunchtime] | [50% replies/engagement, 30% original, 20% reposts] |
151| [Instagram] | [3–4] | [Mon, Wed, Fri] | [18:00–20:00] | [50% Reels, 30% carousels, 20% Stories] |
152
153**Content production workflow:**
154
155| Day | Activity | Owner | Time required |
156|---|---|---|---|
157| Monday | Plan the week's content — review pillars, select topics | [Social manager] | 30 min |
158| Tuesday | Write long-form posts for LinkedIn and threads | [Writer / founder] | 60 min |
159| Wednesday | Design carousels or graphics | [Designer / Canva] | 45 min |
160| Thursday | Schedule the week's content in [Buffer / Hootsuite / Later] | [Social manager] | 20 min |
161| Daily | Engage with comments, reply to mentions, interact with community | [Social manager] | 15 min |
162
163---
164
165## 6. Growth Tactics
166
167Beyond posting, how will you grow your following and reach?
168
169| Tactic | Description | Platform | Frequency |
170|---|---|---|---|
171| **Engage before you post** | Spend 15 min commenting on posts from target accounts before posting your own | All | Daily |
172| **Collaboration posts** | Co-create content with a complementary brand or creator | LinkedIn / IG | Monthly |
173| **Community participation** | Answer questions in relevant groups, subreddits, or Discord servers | LinkedIn / Reddit / Discord | Weekly |
174| **Tag relevant accounts** | When mentioning companies, tools, or people — tag them (earns reshares) | All | As relevant |
175| **Cross-promote** | Mention your social in newsletters, emails, events, and podcast appearances | All | Ongoing |
176| **Use trending formats early** | When a new format (e.g. LinkedIn carousels, IG Reels) emerges, adopt early | Platform-specific | When relevant |
177
178---
179
180## 7. Measurement Framework
181
182**Primary KPIs (tied to business goal):**
183
184| KPI | Platform | Current baseline | Target (90 days) | Why it matters |
185|---|---|---|---|---|
186| [Follower growth rate] | [LinkedIn] | [X%/month] | [≥ Y%/month] | [Audience reach] |
187| [Engagement rate] | [LinkedIn] | [X%] | [≥ Y%] | [Content resonance] |
188| [Link clicks / traffic from social] | [All] | [X visits/month] | [≥ Y visits/month] | [Direct business impact] |
189| [Inbound leads attributed to social] | [LinkedIn] | [X/month] | [≥ Y/month] | [Revenue impact] |
190
191**Secondary metrics (health indicators):**
192- Reach per post
193- Saves and shares (not just likes)
194- Comment sentiment and quality
195- DMs initiated from content
196
197**Reporting cadence:** [Weekly check on engagement / Monthly review of follower and traffic / Quarterly strategy review]
198
199---
200
201## 8. 4-Week Starter Content Calendar
202
203A concrete first month of content — ready to adapt and post:
204
205| Week | Day | Platform | Pillar | Format | Topic idea |
206|---|---|---|---|---|---|
207| 1 | Mon | LinkedIn | Education | Carousel | [e.g. "5 things we wished we knew before building [X]"] |
208| 1 | Wed | LinkedIn | Behind the build | Text post | [e.g. "We almost gave up in month 3. Here's what changed."] |
209| 1 | Fri | Instagram | Social proof | Reel | [e.g. Customer story — problem → solution → result] |
210| 2 | Tue | LinkedIn | POV | Thread | [e.g. "Hot take: [common advice in your space] is wrong. Here's why."] |
211| 2 | Thu | X/Twitter | Education | Thread | [e.g. "The [X] framework we use every week — and how you can steal it"] |
212| 2 | Sat | Instagram | Behind the build | Story | [e.g. "Week 2 update — what we shipped and one thing that didn't go to plan"] |
213| 3 | Mon | LinkedIn | Education | Carousel | [e.g. "How to [achieve outcome] in [timeframe] — step by step"] |
214| 3 | Wed | LinkedIn | Community | Text post | [e.g. Reshare a customer win with commentary] |
215| 3 | Fri | Instagram | POV | Reel | [e.g. "[Industry myth] — why we disagree and what we do instead"] |
216| 4 | Tue | LinkedIn | Behind the build | Video | [e.g. Founder talking to camera — "One thing I learned building [X] this month"] |
217| 4 | Thu | X/Twitter | POV | Thread | [e.g. "[Trend in your space] — here's what's actually happening"] |
218| 4 | Sat | All | Milestone | Text + image | [e.g. "[X followers / X users / X months] — thank you + what's next"] |
219
220---
221
222## Quality Checks
223
224- [ ] Every content pillar delivers value to the audience — not just the brand
225- [ ] Platform selection is justified by where the target audience actually spends time
226- [ ] Tone of voice examples are specific enough to use as a writing guide
227- [ ] KPIs are tied to the business goal, not just vanity metrics (likes, followers in isolation)
228- [ ] Posting cadence is realistic for the available resources — sustainable beats ambitious
229- [ ] The 4-week calendar has specific topic ideas, not just "write an educational post"
230
231## Example Trigger Phrases
232
233- "Build a social media strategy for [brand/product]"
234- "Create a LinkedIn content strategy for our B2B SaaS"
235- "Help me define content pillars and posting cadence for our startup"
236- "Design a 90-day social media plan for [company]"
237- "What should our social media strategy be for a product launch?"
238
239## Anti-Patterns
240
241- [ ] Do not recommend every platform — justify each choice with where the target audience actually spends time
242- [ ] Do not define content pillars that serve only the brand — each pillar must deliver specific value to the audience or it will not earn attention
243- [ ] Do not set a posting cadence that exceeds the team's realistic capacity — an unsustainable strategy fails faster than a modest one
244- [ ] Do not use vanity metrics (likes, followers in isolation) as primary KPIs — tie KPIs to the stated business goal
245- [ ] Do not skip the tone of voice section — without it, multiple contributors produce inconsistent content that erodes brand identity