📘 5-3-1: Viral secrets, PCP posts, Nausheen I. Chen

Welcome to the 9th issue of Content Playbook by Kleo.

This week you’ll get:

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Let’s dive in.

They serve as a pattern interrupt.

And frankly, there is no better example than Jean’s image below. A strong visual metaphor that captures her post’s core idea perfectly.

Here’s a template to get you started:

Just because you [fit/qualify/check the boxes], doesn't mean you [belong/should stay/are in the right place].

I'm a proud [identity that others might judge].

[That choice] changed my life:

- [Positive outcome 1]
- [Positive outcome 2]
- [Positive outcome 3]

I'm walking proof of what happens when you [make relevant choice].

But let me be clear: [briefly acknowledge objection].

[Handle objection by empathising with the difficulty of making said choice].

But you know what's worse?

[Sum up the risk of inaction].

I always fall back on this quote when I'm [struggling with trade-off of making said choice].

"[Pithy quote that has practical value]."

[Ask initial reflective question]?

I hope you choose [growth trajectory].

–

[X] questions to ask if you're [considering choice]:

1/ [Self-assessment question]?
2/ [Self-assessment question]?
3/ [Self-assessment question]?

[Motivating sign-off line].

[Image that matches the post]

Another heavy-hitting image here.

The Midwit meme almost never fails. People understand the logic behind it. So when you map a specific industry observation onto it - like Jake does - it helps maximize the number of eyes that see your post.

But unlike most viral meme posts on LinkedIn, Jake capitalizes on this extra attention to promote his upcoming webinar.

Here’s a template to get you started:

[Familiar concept] has been getting a rebrand for months.

[New name 1], [New name 2], [New name 3], ...

Then every week I read [content type] pushing new '[rebrand name]’ tactics.

"[Recycled advice 1]"
"[Recycled advice 2]"
"[Recycled advice 3]"
"[Recycled advice 4]"

The Midwit Razor kicks in:

Looking at these [rebrand name] tactics, what would the "idiot" and the "genius" both agree on?

Answer: "It's just [the original concept]"

That's 90% of the [rebrand name] advice out there.

These are [decades/years]-old [original discipline] tactics repackaged as revolutionary findings.

[Briefly share your take].

[Question for audience or call to action].

[Image that matches the post - e.g. Midwit meme with relevant annotations]

Posts that scream “THIS IS AN AD!” tend to get ignored. Instead, Jess uses the PCP framework so her ad post blends into the feed organically:

Here’s a template to get you started:

I [impressive achievement] in [short timeframe].

[Second proof point that escalates the first].

I'm really proud.

The coolest part is that I did all of this [context that raises expectations].

So you'd think [logical assumption about how I operate] would be immaculate.

It is not.

I recently [audited/reviewed/looked closely at] [area of business] and discovered I was [vivid description of the slow problem].

Not only am I [cost 1], [related cost 2].

I found:
- [Specific embarrassing example 1]
- [Specific embarrassing example 2]
- [Specific embarrassing example 3]

I realized the problem was never [the obvious scapegoat]. It was [the real underlying issue].

My [seasonal reset/audit/overhaul] isn't about [the surface-level fix everyone assumes]. It's about [the real structural change needed].

That's exactly what [Product] does. [One sentence on the mechanism and the outcome it creates]: [link]

[Image that matches the post]

Unless you’re in preschool, reading isn’t a group activity.

It doesn’t matter if you get 100,000+ impressions. Each of those impressions represents just ONE pair of eyes. That’s it.

As Joe explains: “There's never a crowd reading your post.”

So always write for ONE person.

Here’s a template to get you started:

Stop [doing the common thing]. Start [doing alternative thing].

We've become obsessed with [behaviour].

[Parallel phrase - e.g. “Chasing X instead of Y. Optimising for Z, not W”].

But [system] doesn't [work according to the story you’re telling yourself].
It doesn't [feel/see/value] your [human quality].

[Group/method] [do/does].

And here's what most people forget:

[Core reframe - a counterintuitive way of seeing the audience or the task].

[One sentence that makes the reframe concrete and visceral].

When you [do the wrong thing]:

- [Negative outcome 1]
- [Negative outcome 2]
- [Negative outcome 3]

When you [do the right thing]:

- [Positive outcome 1]
- [Positive outcome 2]
- [Positive outcome 3]

[System] will change tomorrow.
[The platforms/tools/rules] will change next quarter.

But [the human constant] remains constant.

And the best part?

When you stop [chasing the system] and start [doing alternative], [system] often rewards you anyway.

Because [platforms/markets/audiences] ultimately want: [simple thing].

[Key takeaway].

[Image that matches the post]

Provide evidence.

In the form of:

Here’s a template to get you started:

I remember being shocked that [people/brands] used to offer me [dollar figure] for [thing]. Now I charge a LOT more than that. Here's the full story:

[Year] was when I first saw [peers/others] [doing the new thing]. I told myself [dismissive rationalisation]. This would pass. That I didn't need to chase it.

I completely dismissed [trend/opportunity].

But [evidence kept coming]. I was being [offered/approached/shown results] every single week. I started [engaging with it] (still convinced it wouldn't last).

Then [next year] happened. That was the first year [the industry/market] really started [the shift].

I also [hit personal milestone] that year. [Briefly expand on impact that had on your life/business].

So yeah, I was wrong.

I firmly believe [industry shift] will only continue to gain traction.

[One or two sentences of market logic that explains why the trend has legs].

Being early gave me an advantage. I had [specific asset] and [specific positioning] when [the market] started looking.

Now in [year], I'm [current status with specific numbers].

I strongly believe that [the thing] is here to stay.

[Question for audience or call to action].

[Image that matches the post]

Dakota has 532K followers across platforms, and he swears by The What, Why, How framework:

A dead-simple way to create useful content.

All jokes aside, this isn’t a bad idea.

Here are 4 ways to repurpose your content:

A content calendar helps with this. You can set it and forget it.

12 years ago, Nausheen I. Chen quit her “meaningless” Fortune 500 job.

She was “successful.” But inside, she was crumbling. That’s when she realised it was time to lean into her passion.

And as of today, she’s:

All because she helps others show up as the best version of themselves when speaking in public.

"When you master how to speak to an audience, you master how to have impact at scale.”

In the 7th episode of Creator Spotlight, our host Lara Acosta sits down with Nausheen to discuss the overlap between public speaking and content creation, and how to communicate with confidence.

Here are 5 highlights worth bookmarking:

(Btw - We only scratch the surface below. Catch the full 39-min episode on YouTube)

Most people assume they’re either a confident person or they’re not. But as Nausheen explains: “building confidence intentionally comes down to creating a positive feedback loop.” This is where you turn limiting beliefs into empowering beliefs - e.g. “they’re going to judge me” becomes “they just want to learn something. All I need to do is share what I know.”

Nausheen used to post all sorts of images online. She had photo shoots, posted selfies, etc. But she soon realised: “The more intentional you are, the more you have control over how people perceive you.” For example: 

Show people you are who you say you are.

With so much AI slop online, trust is low. But people still trust social proof. That’s why Nausheen loves sharing testimonials. Recently, she shared a screenshot of a positive client email with one line that read: “I love my job.” That simple post booked her calls, and even signed her a new client.

Pro tip: Always get your client’s permission before you share their name or likeness.

Most people are conditioned to be modest, to downplay their achievements. But this undermines your authority and credibility. Nausheen gives her clients this reframe: “You’re not boasting. You’re not being arrogant. You’re simply sharing what you’ve done, and you are asking for the credibility you deserve.”

When Nausheen reached 20k followers, she became more risk-averse with her content. She began over-relying on what had worked in the past. As a result, her growth stagnated. She stopped having fun. Her breakthrough came when she started experimenting again. 

She played with new post formats (e.g. current news) and personal stories. She realised not every post had to be ROI-positive. That it’s ok to not take the results so seriously, and have some fun - which in turn keeps her motivated.

Thank you, Nausheen!

And thanks for reading. Until next week!

Did you miss it? I posted 8 Must-Listen Podcasts For LinkedIn Creators on LinkedIn earlier this week +4 other insightful posts.

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