# Post Type Templates

Quick-start templates for common LinkedIn post types. Copy, customize, and post.

---

## Template 1: Reaction Post

**Use when:** News drops, something changes in your industry, you see a trend emerging.

```
[Industry event/news - state what happened]

My take: [Your perspective in 1-2 sentences]

[Question for audience OR prediction about what this means]
```

### Examples

**Tech news reaction:**
```
OpenAI just announced [feature].

My take: This matters less for the tech and more for
what it signals about where the industry is heading.

What do you think - genuine innovation or
incremental improvement?
```

**Industry change reaction:**
```
Microsoft dropped a new Copilot update yesterday.

Here's what caught my attention: [specific feature]
finally addresses [common complaint].

Has anyone tested it yet? Curious if the reality
matches the promise.
```

**Trend reaction:**
```
Third announcement about [trend] this week.

Either this is genuinely the next big thing,
or we're all drinking the same Kool-Aid.

I'm cautiously optimistic. Where do you land?
```

---

## Template 2: Quick Tip Post

**Use when:** You learned something useful, found a shortcut, discovered a fix.

```
[Bold claim about the tip]

Here's why: [Brief explanation - 1-2 sentences]

[How to apply it OR invitation to share their version]
```

### Examples

**Tool tip:**
```
Stop manually formatting your LinkedIn posts.

I use [tool/technique] and it takes 30 seconds
instead of 10 minutes.

Here's the exact workflow: [1-2 steps]

What's your time-saving hack?
```

**Process tip:**
```
The 2-minute rule changed how I handle [task].

If it takes less than 2 minutes, do it now.
Seems obvious, but I resisted for years.

Now my [specific result] is [specific improvement].
```

**Mindset tip:**
```
Before any important meeting, I ask one question:

"What's the one outcome that makes this worth everyone's time?"

Sounds simple. Cuts meeting time in half.
```

---

## Template 3: Observation Post

**Use when:** You noticed a pattern, saw something interesting, made a connection.

```
I've noticed [pattern/trend].

[Evidence or example - specific, concrete]

Anyone else seeing this?
```

### Examples

**Industry observation:**
```
I've noticed that the AI projects that actually
ship have something in common:

They start with a problem, not a technology.

Simple, but I see the opposite approach fail
constantly. Anyone else?
```

**Behavioral observation:**
```
Interesting pattern in my calendar this month:

The meetings that produced results had fewer
than 5 people. The ones with 10+ produced... documents.

Starting to say no to large meetings.
What's your threshold?
```

**Market observation:**
```
Three companies in my network just paused
their AI initiatives.

Not because of budget. Because they don't
know what problem to solve.

Strategy before technology. Always.
```

---

## Template 4: Hot Take Post

**Use when:** You disagree with common wisdom, have a controversial opinion, want to start debate.

```
Unpopular opinion: [Your take]

[Why you believe this - 1-2 sentences]

Change my mind.
```

### Examples

**Industry hot take:**
```
Unpopular opinion: Most "AI strategies" are
just vendor slide decks with your logo added.

Real strategy requires understanding your
problems before browsing solutions.

Fight me.
```

**Process hot take:**
```
Hot take: The problem with [common practice]
isn't that it doesn't work.

It's that it works just well enough that
we never question if there's a better way.

What "works" for you that might be holding you back?
```

**Career hot take:**
```
Controversial: The best career advice isn't
"find your passion."

It's "get really good at something useful,
and passion often follows."

Agree or disagree?
```

---

## Template 5: Failure/Mistake Post

**Use when:** Something went wrong, you made an error, you learned from a mistake.

```
I made a mistake with [topic/project].

Here's what went wrong: [Brief explanation]

Lesson learned: [What you'd do differently]
```

### Examples

**Project failure:**
```
Launched a Copilot agent last month.
Adoption rate: 12%.

The mistake: We built what we thought users
needed instead of asking them.

Rebuilding with actual user input this time.
```

**Decision mistake:**
```
Spent 3 weeks optimizing the wrong metric.

Got so focused on [metric A] that I missed
[metric B] collapsing.

Now I check the dashboard before the details.
```

**Communication mistake:**
```
Sent a message that came across completely wrong.

What I meant: [intention]
What they heard: [interpretation]

Learning to re-read everything from their perspective.
```

---

## Template 6: Question Post

**Use when:** You want to spark discussion, gather perspectives, learn from your network.

```
[Context-setting statement]

[Specific question]

I'll share my thinking in the comments.
```

### Examples

**Industry question:**
```
Talking to a lot of AI teams lately about
governance frameworks.

Genuine question: How do you balance
"move fast" with "don't break things"?

Share what's working (or not).
```

**Career question:**
```
At what point does "being a generalist"
become "not being an expert in anything"?

Genuinely wrestling with this.
Where do you draw the line?
```

**Tool question:**
```
Looking for recommendations:
What's your go-to tool for [specific task]?

Currently using [current tool] but feeling
like there's something better out there.
```

---

## Template 7: Curation Post

**Use when:** You found something worth sharing, want to add your perspective to existing content.

```
[What you found/read/watched]

[Your specific takeaway - not just "it was great"]

[Link in comments or tag the creator]
```

### Examples

**Article curation:**
```
Read [Author]'s piece on [topic] three times.

The part that stuck: [specific quote or idea]

This explains why [your connection to your work].

Link in first comment.
```

**Creator curation:**
```
[Creator name] nailed something I've been
trying to articulate for months:

[Paraphrase their key point]

If you care about [topic], follow them.
```

**Resource curation:**
```
Best thing I've read this week on [topic]:

[Brief summary of the insight]

Saving this for the next time I [relevant situation].

[Tag creator or link placement]
```

---

## Template 8: One-Liner Post

**Use when:** You have a punchy insight that doesn't need explanation.

```
[Single powerful statement]
```

### Examples

**Wisdom one-liner:**
```
The best processes are invisible.
The worst processes require training.
```

**Observation one-liner:**
```
Every "AI transformation" I've seen succeed
started with spreadsheets and post-its.
```

**Contrarian one-liner:**
```
The companies with the best AI strategies
are the ones not talking about AI.
```

**Note:** One-liners work best when you've built enough credibility that people trust your perspective without explanation. Use sparingly - maybe 1 in 10 posts.

---

## Expertise-Specific Examples

### For AI/Tech Professionals

**Reaction:**
```
New Claude update just dropped with [feature].

First impression: This changes how I think
about [specific use case].

Testing it today. What are you most curious about?
```

**Observation:**
```
Noticed something in every successful AI pilot
I've been part of:

The team spent more time on change management
than on the technology.

Tech is the easy part.
```

**Quick Tip:**
```
Prompt engineering tip that took me too long to learn:

Start with the output format you want,
then work backwards to the instruction.

Sounds obvious. Changed everything.
```

### For Leaders/Managers

**Hot Take:**
```
Unpopular opinion: Most leadership advice
is written by people who haven't led in years.

Theory is important.
So is what's actually working right now.

Who are you learning from?
```

**Failure:**
```
Gave feedback yesterday that landed completely wrong.

My intention: Help them grow.
Their experience: Felt criticized.

Working on leading with curiosity, not conclusions.
```

**Question:**
```
Leaders: How do you create psychological safety
in a remote team?

Genuine question.
The old playbook doesn't quite translate.

What's working for you?
```

### For Consultants/Advisors

**Curation:**
```
Best framework I've encountered this month
for [specific challenge]:

[Brief description]

Changed how I approach [type of engagement].
Full breakdown in comments.
```

**Observation:**
```
Pattern I'm seeing across clients:

The ones moving fastest on AI started
with their biggest pain point, not the
most impressive use case.

Simple beats sexy.
```

**One-Liner:**
```
The best consultants make themselves unnecessary.
The worst ones create dependency.
```

---

## The 3-Line Post Formula

For most quick posts, use this structure:

**Line 1: Hook (under 140 characters)**
Creates curiosity or makes a statement

**Line 2: Context or Evidence (1-2 sentences)**
Explains the "why" or provides supporting information

**Line 3: Insight or Question (the "so what")**
Actionable takeaway or engagement prompt

**Character Target: 150-500 characters**

Quick posts should be SHORT. The goal is engagement and presence, not depth. If you're over 500 characters, consider whether this should be a full workflow post instead.

---

## Angle Selection Guide

| Angle | Opening Pattern | Best For |
|-------|-----------------|----------|
| Contrarian | "Everyone says X, but..." | Challenging assumptions |
| Validating | "Here's proof that X works..." | Reinforcing with evidence |
| Curious | "I've been wondering why..." | Opening discussion |
| Helpful | "Here's something that saved me..." | Practical value |
| Surprised | "I didn't expect this, but..." | Discovery sharing |
| Frustrated | "Can we talk about why..." | Calling out problems |
| Excited | "Just discovered..." | Genuine enthusiasm |
| Reflective | "After X years, I've learned..." | Wisdom sharing |

---

## Converting Quick Posts to Full Content

When a quick post performs exceptionally well, consider expanding:

**Signals a quick post deserves expansion:**
- Comment depth (people asking follow-up questions)
- Save rate is high (people want to reference later)
- You have more to say that wouldn't fit
- It connects to other ideas you've shared

**Expansion options:**
- Turn into carousel (break insight into 6-8 slides)
- Write the full story behind the observation
- Create a framework around the tip
- Develop a post series exploring the theme
- Save for newsletter deep-dive

**Tracking for expansion:**
Keep a simple list of quick posts that outperformed. Review monthly. These are your best candidates for full content development.
