📘 5-3-1: Outrage hooks, fast feedback, Ryan Musselman

Welcome to the 8th 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 dive in.

See Cam's image hook: "SaaS is dead."

By itself, this line sows fear and outrage in their community.

But when paired with a mountain of counter-evidence, this false claim collapses - leaving SaaS people feeling vindicated. Smug, even. The kind of smug that makes people repost and forward it to colleagues over Slack.

Here’s a template to get you started:

[Industry/concept] has been dying since [year].

Some notable "deaths" include:

- [Failed prediction 1]
- [Failed prediction 2]
- [Failed prediction 3]
- [Failed prediction 4]
- [Failed prediction 5]
- [Failed prediction 6]
- [Failed prediction 7]
- [Failed prediction 8]

So now... [current narrative/new threat]?

Here's the reality:

- [Data/observation that counters above narrative]
- [Data/observation that counters above narrative]
- [Data/observation that counters above narrative]

[Define thing people claim is dead].

[Reason why definition supports counter-narrative].

The "[threat]" narrative is wrong. [New thing] won't kill [industry/concept]. [New thing becomes a component/enabler of it].

In [specific date], [named figure] declared [bold prediction about the industry's collapse].

Don't be [him/her] in [this year].

[Industry/concept] is very much alive.

It's just evolving.

[Image that matches the post]

Fast feedback.

Below, Jess lets her audience decide which t-shirt design to print for an upcoming event. This shows a healthy respect for her reader’s opinion, which encourages more comments.

Most creators only share opinions. But why not ask for them?

Ask your audience.

Here’s a template to get you started:

We're about to [commit to a major production/business decision].

Help us not screw it up.

[Brand/company] is [doing something for the first time]: [name of initiative/product/event]

[One or two sentences describing what it is and who it's for].

And, as we all know, [category of thing] ain't [category of thing] without [desirable element].

So, which [option] would you want the most?

Comment [A, B, or C] to vote for your favorite.

We'll [share the result at a specific time] - and we'll pick one voter at random to [receive the reward].

[Image that matches the post - e.g. picture of 3 proposed options]

Here’s the underlying *problem* Nathan’s hook describes:

“Cash flow visibility is a challenge for founders."

Sure is. But this problem statement is lifeless. It ain’t hooking no one. Instead, Nathan focuses on a specific moment when this problem manifests: “...ever been surprised by a charge you thought you cancelled.”

Founders can instantly recognise themselves in these words. Because they’re real, not abstract.

Here’s a template to get you started:

If you've ever [experienced a specific painful consequence of a known problem], you know the feeling.

[Thing that was supposed to prevent it] said everything was fine.

Why? Because [root cause of the problem].

I've been obsessed with [solving this problem] for years.

[Proof of obsession - past attempts, companies built, methods tried].

Tried to close the gap. Got [partial result].

Last week I tried something different.

I tried [tool/method]. 

[Step(s) you took].

Got [specific result with concrete detail].

Tried the same thing with [incumbent/alternative]. Got [inferior result]. Useless.

The difference?

[New tool/method] was [briefly explain underlying mechanism].

Here's what clicked for me:

[Handle any obvious objection that arises - optional].

[Summarise the main benefit of new approach].

If you're a [target reader] still [living with the old problem], there's a better way now.

[Question for audience or call to action].

[Image that matches the post]

We’re 10 sentences deep before Lindsay mentions the product she’s endorsing. Her ad post is effective because it seamlessly blends into the feed like any other organic post.

Here’s a template to get you started:

my unpopular opinion for today: 

most [common activity] fails before [the part everyone focuses on] is even [seen/read/heard].

I learned this the hard way.

I was spending hours on [the visible, glamorous work].

[Action you took 1]. [Action you took 2]. Wondering why [nothing was working]?

The problem wasn't the [thing everyone blames]. It was [the upstream cause nobody talks about].

The [group] who win with [activity] aren't better [skill everyone obsesses over], but better [underrated skill].

They sort [the foundation] first and touch [the visible thing] second.

That's what I appreciate about [Product].

[Specific feature or behaviour that addresses the root cause].

[Outcome it produces before problems occur].

[Briefly give your personal take].

Lesson learned: [key takeaway].

Check it out at: [URL]

[Image that matches the post]

Use seeds of curiosity in your posts. 

Jeffrey uses a couple below:

Short phrases like this open a loop in the reader's mind, which makes them curious to read on. Here are some more:

Here’s a template to get you started:

You [over-optimised] [thing] so much it [negative metaphor].
Now it [negative consequence 1].

There's this quiet assumption in [industry/niche] that if it's [desirable quality], it's probably not [legitimising quality] enough.

So everything [negative consequence 2]. [Descriptor]. [Descriptor]. [Descriptor]. And technically... fine. But also [negative consequence 3].

The thing is, the [outcome you’re looking to unlock won’t come from this flawed approach]. It comes from [desirable alternative]. 

That's where the opportunity is.

The [brands/people/teams] that [unlock desirable outcome] aren't [louder/bigger/more expensive]. They're just [quality 1], a little more [quality 2], and a lot more [quality 3] about how they [do the thing]. They [achieve the goal others want]... just without [unnecessary obstacle].

And that difference adds up quickly.

Because when something is [easier to X], it's [easier to Y].
And when it's [easier to Y], it's a lot easier to [desired action].

So no, [category] doesn't have to be [the negative trait]. It just has to stop [with flawed approach].

[Image that matches the post]

The biggest trap as a content creator is getting sucked into scroll-holes.

You know you must:

But LinkedIn is like any other social media platform. It will steal your attention, time, and mental bandwidth.

So curate who you follow. Set a timer for engagement activities. And use a blocking app (like Opal) or delete the LinkedIn app from your phone to preserve your sanity.

Many people struggle with Writer’s Block. Why?

Because they forget writing is just the stacking of building blocks... tips, mistakes, reasons, lessons, steps, and so on. 

So whenever you write a LinkedIn post, start with a core idea. Then use Cole’s “10 Magical Ways” to expand that idea in any way you see fit.

Simple.

Most people’s default setting is: Consume.

It’s passive, easy, and dangerous.

Because over-consumption leads to a chaotic mind. Which leads to more consumption. And the cycle repeats. It fools us into thinking we’re making progress. When, in fact, we’re standing still.

Creation is active, hard, and invigorating. 

It brings order to our thoughts and quiets the mind.

Create something. Every day.

Ryan began posting 3x a day in 2022. He reached 6,000 followers in 90 days. 

Then burned out, went dark, and deleted every single post.

A few months later, Ryan decided to go again.

He quickly 2x’ed his following and saw his business ignite (like “a flaming sword of fire”). And since then, he’s:

All from using LinkedIn as the main driver. 

We posed Ryan a few questions. Here’s what he had to say:

Giving everything away for free because they're following echo-chamber advice that's out of context and not applicable to their situation.

This happens when people follow content creator advice, not proven business advice.

I extract what's already happening in my business (my own wins, progress, failures) or what's happening with my client’s business (in the context of their work with me), and I create Positional Content to outline why something matters, so people get vision into the process. 

I've dumped all other content ideas and strategies into the trash.

I chose to only maintain a content strategy that works for me. 

Currently, it's 3 posts per week and 1-2 emails per week. This changes if the season or business context requires it.

I study "why" I clicked on certain posts or why they intrigued me, then I adapt those hooks for my business context. 

The lesson here is to research and observe your own behaviors. 

I do this because my clients are "me" but a few steps behind me. This helps me stay on target by essentially speaking to a younger version of myself who wants to be where I'm at today with my business.

Being ok posting content my way vs frantically trying to emulate what was "working" for others. 

Sure, you can still learn lessons and get inspiration from others, but ultimately, it's your story that can't be repeated. So, when you combine this with a building-in-public approach, you tend to write pure and powerfully.

Follow this exact protocol:

1) Observe good content that makes you feel something (an urgency to buy, a curiosity to learn more, a desire to read every word),

2) Practice writing your own version of those posts, in your business context.

This is the fastest way to train yourself how to write imo. Forget everything else and try this for 90 days, THEN go and read a copywriting book to polish your new, raw skills.

Thank you, Ryan!

And thanks for reading. Until next week!

Did you miss it? I posted 9 cheatsheets every LinkedIn creator must see on LinkedIn earlier this week +4 other insightful posts.

Follow Kleo's Playbooks to never miss a post.

PS. Know someone who’ll enjoy this newsletter? Please forward it to them. It only takes 10 seconds. Writing it takes days.

PPS. If there are any creators, topics, issues, etc, you’d like us to cover in future, please REPLY with your ideas and suggestions.

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

If so, try Kleo - the #1 AI personal brand tool used by 1,000+ entrepreneurs, business owners, and LinkedIn creators to write faster, stay consistent, and sound like yourself.

And more...