📘 5-3-1: LinkedIn glow-ups, collabs, Cam Trew

Welcome to the 6th issue of Content Playbook by Kleo.

This week you’ll get:

This newsletter is brought to you by Kleo, the #1 AI personal brand tool.

Let’s get into it.

Most LinkedIn stories are Then vs Now transformations:

“I was here. Then I did a thing. And today, I’m here.”

But Olivia skips the moving timeline. She takes us back to 2019 when she was a private banker AND a pastry courier at the same time. A very unique experience.

Your story’s timeline doesn’t have to change for you to deliver a pay-off. Instead, stick to one moment in time and contrast two conflicting elements (e.g. ex-colleagues, clients, perspectives you held, or roles you played).

Here’s a template to get you started:

[X] years ago, I had 2 very different [roles/experiences]: one [impressive metric], the other [humble metric].

[Role #1] - [brief description of what it involved].

[Role #2] - [brief description of what it involved].

[Briefly describe the daily routine that connected the two].

I used to [humorous thought or scenario about the contrast between your two lives — something that highlights the absurdity].

I loved [what you genuinely enjoyed about holding both experiences at once].

[One of the roles] had [a meaningful detail or mission].

What [surprised/shocked] me most was [the unexpected observation that connects both experiences].

In [context #1], [describe a surprising, contrasting difference].

In [context #2], [describe how that contrasting difference applied in the other context].

It made me realise [the core lesson].

So please, [direct appeal to the reader — short, punchy, informal].

[One-line universal principle that reinforces the lesson].

[Image that matches the post]

All hold questions that people want answers to. Chances are, you answer the same questions from prospects and clients on repeat. But how often do you share your answers to FAQs with your LinkedIn audience?

If your answer is “not very” or “never” - take a leaf out of Devin’s book...

Here’s a template to get you started:

A [senior person you advise/work with] who's struggling with [specific challenge] just asked me: "[The exact question they asked]"

I've been [doing this thing] since my days [at credible company/role]. And I've [impressive result/metric that demonstrates your expertise].

So I've seen what works and what [fails/wastes resources] fast.

My answer: [Short answer with a condition attached].

What I tell every [client/founder/colleague] before they [commit/start/invest]:

The [channel/strategy/approach] works. But only when [the key conditions] work together.

Otherwise, you [vivid image of what failure looks like].

LinkedIn is fast becoming a sea of AI sludge (even some of the stories are fabricated... shocking, I know).

So what does Misha do?

She brings receipts. She doesn’t just claim her friend criticised her post graphics. She includes a screenshot of the message she received.

Pair your stories with visual proof – whether that be: photos, screenshots, or documents.

Here’s a template to get you started:

One of my [closest friends/colleagues/mentors] told me my [work/output] sucked.

"[Direct quote - the blunt feedback they gave you]."

They were right...

I've been [complacent/coasting/distracted] with [your craft/work] recently.

Distracted with:

- [Relatable commitment/excuse 1]
- [Relatable commitment/excuse 2]
- [Relatable commitment/excuse 3]

Because [past results gave me a false sense of security], I let my standards slip.

But that is such a bad attitude to have.

[Briefly list 2-3 negative consequences].

I feel [genuinely grateful] for [people like this], who tell me what they really think, even when I don't want to hear it.

[Key realisation/reminder/lesson].

So, this is my plan to [improve/fix/raise the bar]:

1. [Action/step 1]
2. [Action/step 2]
3. [Action/step 3]

From now on there will be no more [bad habit].

We're [levelling up / raising the bar / getting serious] around here.

[Question that invites the reader to join you]

[Image that matches the post]

Write to your past self (like Jay does below).

Reflect on where you were 2 years ago.

What were you struggling with back then?

How did you overcome it?

What did you learn?

You could even document a challenge you overcame last week.

To steal a Gary Vee line: “Document, don’t create.” The challenges, the steps you took, the lessons will all bubble to the surface when you sit down and document what you did.

Here’s a template to get you started:

When I was getting started as a [role/creator/professional], I was [doing early version of what you do now and explain key thing you did differently].

I needed [specific number] of [clients/customers/sales] [key reason why].

It was hard. Almost every [sale/win/deal] was [the scrappy, manual way you had to do it].

I literally had [a physical tool or system you used to track progress]. [Describe exactly how it worked - the specific ritual or routine].

It was hard, but [explain what kept you going].

And it worked.

Over time, [describe how the flywheel started turning and things got easier].

Today, [describe where you are now - specific number or rate that shows the contrast].

If you're getting started, just know, it gets easier. [Brief insight about why the economics or dynamics shift over time].

But it's all on the other side of [the difficult phase].

[Punchy sign-off].

Creating content doesn’t have to be a solo sport.

Below, Audrey shines the spotlight on a peer. They grab a bite to eat, Audrey poses a few questions, and then shares her friend’s answers on LinkedIn.

A simple Q&A format.

Collaborating with other creators not only takes the pressure off you to come up with fresh insights, but also helps your post travel further when they engage back.

Here’s a template to get you started:

Some of the best [topic] conversations happen over...
[unexpected casual setting].

Recently, I met [expert's name], a [their role/title] I connected with [on [platform/during scenario].

They were visiting [your city/location] so I brought them to [local spot], [brief description of what makes it special].

Beyond the [surface activity], what I really enjoyed was the conversation.

We share the same mission.

[Briefly explain shared mission].

I asked [name] a few quick questions.

Q: [Question relevant to your shared field]?
A: [The helpful advice they gave].

Q: [Question relevant to your shared field]?
A: [The helpful advice they gave].

Q: [Question relevant to your shared field]?
A: [The helpful advice they gave].

Q: [Light, personal question that humanises the conversation]?
A: [Short, fun answer].

It was such a pleasure meeting you [name]. [Warm closing line + hint at future meetup or continuation.]

[Image that matches the post]

Most business owners believe the value of their product is self-evident. 

Once word gets out, it will sell itself.

But this is a fantasy.

The VAST majority of your prospective customers have no idea that your product even exists. Let alone why they should buy from you versus someone else. This is the No.1 hurdle in business: How do I get my product in front of the right people (at the right time)?

Short answer:

Everyone tells you to: “Educate people with your content” and to “provide value.”

And sure, you should.

But while vegetables are good for us, people don’t rush past the free ice cream stand to grab a plate of broccoli.

That’s why Katelyn suggests coating the nutritious nut part of your content (the educational bit) with a smooth, velvety chocolate layer (a fun, easy-to-consume bit).

This entices more people to actually read your stuff. Which means, your content performs better, and people get better outcomes.

As the saying goes: “Sell people what they want, then give them what they need.”

First, AI took em-dashes. And now it’s claimed these simple contrast patterns.

But here’s a workaround:

Instead of: “It’s not about going viral, it’s about consistency.”

Say: “I’ve posted 5x a week for 60 days. No posts cracked 10,000 views. But I still generated 14 inbound leads.”

Specific details turn generic, philosophical statements into novel, intriguing insights (that only you can write).

3 months ago, Cam Trew started taking LinkedIn seriously.

Since then, he’s:

"Building your personal brand doesn't need to be hard."

In the 5th episode of Creator Spotlight, our host Lara Acosta sits down with Cam to unpack how he thinks about getting started on LinkedIn, writing viral posts quickly, and more.

Here are 5 highlights worth bookmarking:

(Btw - We only scratch the surface below. Click here to watch the full 44-min episode on YouTube)

Cam is a self-proclaimed tech nerd. When he started posting, his posts only resonated with his techie peers. But he realised the people willing to pay for his services don't care about all the gritty details. So he now runs every post through the Mum Test: “If I write a post and I don't think that my mum could understand it, then it's probably too technical.”

Most people don’t want to appear cringe when they start posting on LinkedIn. Cam was no different. At first, he admits it felt icky. So he blocked almost all of his old managers and colleagues before he hit publish for the first time. This took some of the pressure off.

Cam’s learned that you shouldn’t bite your tongue just because you might be wrong or others may disagree. In fact, the opposite is true. You often get rewarded online for boldly sharing what you think. Being a bit scared and wanting to play if safe is only natural. Cam felt it too. But after posting daily for a while, he soon got over this fear.

Today, Cam uses Kleo to write all of his LinkedIn posts. He literally built the tool for this purpose. Kleo combines his background, expertise, and taste with Lara Acosta and Jake Ward’s winning content frameworks to help him write fully-fledged posts in minutes.

Btw - check out Cam’s dead-simple 7-step writing process on LinkedIn if you want to learn more.

It’s easy to take what you know for granted. Before posting on LinkedIn, Cam had years of experience doing all sorts in corporate tech. But it wasn’t until he intentionally sat down to write that he realised how much he had to say. This practice has not only sped up his learning, but it’s helped him figure out where he actually stands on the current issues in his space.

Thank you, Cam!

And thanks for reading. Until next week!

Did you miss it? I posted the 7 Best LinkedIn Hooks on LinkedIn earlier this week +4 other insightful posts.

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BTW – Ever struggle to ideate and write consistently on LinkedIn? 

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