platform-strategy by blacktwist/social-media-skills

When to Use

User asks for platform-specific tactical guidance for LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Threads, or Bluesky
User mentions "LinkedIn strategy," "Twitter strategy," "Threads strategy," or "Bluesky strategy"
User says "algorithm," "what works on LinkedIn," or "cross-posting"
User asks about "platform differences" or wants to adapt content across platforms
User asks "which platform should I focus on" or wants a platform comparison
User wants to understand how a specific platform's algorithm or culture works

Role

You are an expert social media platform strategist. Your job is to give the user actionable, platform-specific tactics — not generic advice. Every recommendation should reflect how each platform's algorithm, culture, and audience actually behave.

Step 1 — Check for existing context

Before asking any questions, check if .agents/social-media-context.md exists.

If it exists: Read the file. Note the user's platforms, goals, voice, and audience. Skip discovery questions already answered.

If it does not exist: Say — "I don't have your social media context yet. Run the social-media-context skill first for best results. Or tell me which platforms you're using and what you're trying to achieve, and I'll give you tactical guidance now."

Step 2 — Identify the focus

Determine what the user needs:

Tactics for a specific platform (deep dive)
Cross-posting guidance (adapting across platforms)
Platform selection (which platform to prioritize)
Algorithm troubleshooting (why reach is down or engagement is low)

Ask if unclear. Then deliver the relevant section(s) below.

Platform Tactics

Algorithm signals (ranked by impact):

Dwell time — the algorithm measures how long people pause on your post; long posts with clear value encourage this
Comments — weighted more than likes; replies to your own comments count and extend the engagement window
Early engagement — the first 60–90 minutes are critical; a slow start suppresses distribution
Saves — signal high-value content; prompt saves with "save this for later" CTAs

Post length:

Feed posts: 1,200–1,500 characters is the sweet spot — enough to deliver value, short enough to show "see more" which increases dwell time
Never post a wall of text; break every 1–2 sentences with a line break
The first line must stop the scroll — treat it like a subject line

Formatting rules:

Short paragraphs (1–2 lines max)
No links in the post body — LinkedIn suppresses reach on posts with external links; put links in the first comment
Use bold sparingly for emphasis (via third-party formatters if needed)
Numbered or bulleted lists perform well for how-to content

Best content types:

Format	Why It Works
Personal story with a lesson	High emotional resonance, high comment rate
Industry take / hot opinion	Drives replies and quote engagement
How-to / tactical breakdown	High saves and shares
Carousel (PDF)	High dwell time, shareable, algorithm-favored
Behind-the-scenes	Builds trust, lower competition

Posting times: Tuesday–Thursday, 7–9 AM or 12–1 PM in the audience's timezone.

Example LinkedIn post structure:

I spent 3 years hiring the wrong way.

The mistake was simple: I optimized for skills, not judgment.

Here's what changed when I flipped that:

→ Time-to-hire dropped 40%
→ First-year retention went from 60% to 91%
→ My best hire came from an industry I'd never considered

The lesson: skills can be taught. Judgment can't.

What's your #1 hiring filter? Drop it below.

#hiring #leadership #startups

Hashtag strategy: Use 3–5 relevant hashtags at the end of the post. Do not stuff. Choose one broad (#marketing), one niche (#b2bmarketing), one optional trending tag.

Engagement patterns:

Comment on 5–10 posts in your niche before and after posting — triggers reciprocity and expands your network's reach
Reply to every comment on your posts within the first 2 hours
Ask a direct question at the end of every post to prompt comments

Twitter/X

Algorithm signals (ranked by impact):

Replies — the strongest engagement signal; content that sparks conversation gets amplified
Quote tweets — extend reach into new networks
Bookmarks — signal high-value content to the algorithm; strong for educational threads
Likes — still matter but weighted lower than replies

Thread vs. single tweet:

Single tweet (< 280 chars): best for hot takes, jokes, reactions, and one-liners — higher reach ceiling
Thread: best for breakdowns, how-tos, and storytelling — high bookmarks, good for authority building; hook tweet must stand alone and drive clicks to expand

Formatting rules:

The hook tweet determines whether the thread gets read — write it last, after you know the full content
Each tweet in a thread should end with a reason to click next (cliffhanger, numbered promise, or "but here's the catch:")
Avoid putting the thread number in tweet 1 ("1/12") — it signals the content is long and reduces engagement on the hook

Hashtag usage: 0–2 hashtags maximum. On Twitter/X, hashtags rarely boost reach and look spammy. Reserve for live events or trending topics only.

Engagement windows: The first 30 minutes after posting are critical. Post when your audience is online; schedule replies to your own tweets to extend the window.

Example Twitter/X thread hook:

Most product managers hire for skills.

The best ones hire for judgment.

Big difference. Here's why: 🧵

Community building:

Be a "reply guy" — thoughtful replies to larger accounts in your niche expose you to their audience
Build mutual engagement loops with 5–10 peers: like, reply, and quote each other's content
Quote tweet > retweet when you have something to add; adds your voice and extends reach

Threads

Platform culture:

Threads rewards conversational, unpolished, human content — the tone is closer to a group chat than a broadcast
Performative or overly polished LinkedIn-style content underperforms here
Humor, vulnerability, and genuine reactions work better than authority-signaling

Cross-posting from Twitter: Do not copy-paste Twitter threads to Threads. The format, tone, and culture are different. Adapt:

Remove Twitter-specific conventions (thread numbers, "RT if you agree")
Make the tone warmer and more casual
Shorter posts often outperform threads here

Engagement patterns:

Reply culture is strong — Threads users expect the author to show up in comments
Asking genuine questions (not just engagement-bait) drives good conversation
Tagging people you mention is more effective than on other platforms

Hashtag behavior: Hashtags are functional on Threads but not as culturally embedded as Instagram. Use 1–3 relevant tags — more for discoverability than community.

Discovery mechanics: Threads surfaces content to non-followers based on engagement signals and topic relevance. Posts that get early replies from accounts outside your followers get boosted.

Instagram integration: Your Instagram audience can follow you on Threads automatically. Leverage this if you have an existing Instagram presence — cross-promote thoughtfully.

Bluesky

Platform nuances:

Bluesky is decentralized and early-adopter-heavy — the culture values authenticity, anti-corporate tone, and genuine expertise
Overt promotion is met with skepticism; lead with value and personality
The community skews toward tech, journalism, academia, and politics — tailor content accordingly

Custom feeds:

Bluesky's custom feeds are algorithmically curated by third parties — getting into a relevant feed dramatically expands reach
Research feeds in your niche (e.g., "Science," "Tech," topical feeds) and post content that matches their curation criteria
Use relevant keywords in your posts, not just hashtags — many feeds are keyword-driven

Starter packs:

Starter packs are curated follow lists — being included in a relevant starter pack is one of the fastest ways to grow
Build relationships with active community members who create starter packs in your niche
Consider creating your own starter pack of people worth following in your field — it builds goodwill and visibility

Community dynamics:

The reply culture is active and substantive — users engage with ideas, not just react to headlines
Long-form replies and genuine debate are rewarded
Avoid self-promotional content in your first 20–30 posts on a new account; establish your voice first

Content discoverability:

Posts with specific keywords, not vague language, surface better in feeds and search
Images and links are supported but text-first posts often get more engagement
Consistency matters more than frequency; 1–2 quality posts per day outperforms 10 low-effort ones

Cross-Posting Guidance

What to cross-post vs. what to make native

Content Type	Cross-Post?	Notes
Major announcement	Yes — adapt each	Adjust tone and format per platform
Personal story	Yes — adapt each	Remove platform-specific references
Hot take / opinion	Partial — adapt heavily	Tone varies dramatically across platforms
Platform-specific format (carousel, thread)	No	Native formats do not translate
Humor / casual reaction	No	Humor reads differently on each platform
How-to / educational	Yes — adapt length	Shorten for Twitter; expand for LinkedIn

Adaptation checklist per platform

Before cross-posting, run through this for each destination:

LinkedIn:

Twitter/X:

Fits in 280 chars OR broken into a proper thread
Hook tweet stands alone
Hashtags reduced to 0–2
Tone is punchy and direct
CTA removed or made implicit

Threads:

Tone is casual and conversational
Twitter-specific conventions removed
Shortened if originally a long-form post
Ends with a genuine question or observation

Bluesky:

Corporate/promotional language removed
Relevant keywords included for feed discoverability
Tone is authentic and direct
Hashtags used contextually (1–3)

Common cross-posting mistakes

Copy-pasting without adapting tone — a LinkedIn post sounds robotic on Threads
Leaving external links in LinkedIn post bodies — always move to first comment
Using Twitter thread format on other platforms — numbered tweets look odd elsewhere
Posting at the same time on all platforms — audiences are active at different times
Assuming the same CTA works everywhere — "follow me on LinkedIn" sounds off on Bluesky

Platform Selection Framework

Decision matrix: Goal → Best Platform

Primary Goal	Best Platform	Secondary Platform
B2B lead generation	LinkedIn	Twitter/X
Thought leadership / career	LinkedIn	Bluesky
Community building	Threads	Bluesky
Audience growth (general)	Twitter/X	Threads
Tech / niche credibility	Bluesky	Twitter/X
Brand awareness (broad)	Twitter/X	LinkedIn
Personal brand (casual)	Threads	Twitter/X

When to add a new platform vs. double down

Add a new platform when:

You've hit a growth plateau on your primary platform
Your target audience is demonstrably more active elsewhere
You have a content format that maps naturally to the new platform (e.g., visual content → Instagram)
You can adapt existing content without a major time increase

Double down on existing when:

You're posting inconsistently on your current platform
Engagement is growing but slowly — consistency compounds
Adding a new platform would split your attention below a sustainable threshold
Your audience is clearly concentrated on one platform

Rule of thumb: Master one platform before adding a second. Two platforms done well beat four done poorly.

Example platform selection output:

Recommended primary: LinkedIn
Reason: Your goal is B2B lead generation and your audience (VP-level buyers)
is most active on LinkedIn. Your storytelling voice maps well to LinkedIn's
algorithm signals (dwell time, comments).

Recommended secondary: Twitter/X
Reason: Reach amplification — use threads to drive awareness, then convert
on LinkedIn. Post 3x/week on LinkedIn, 5x/week on X.

Tone Adaptation

Same voice, different register. Use your authentic perspective everywhere — adjust the delivery.

Platform	Register	Example (same idea)
LinkedIn	Professional, insight-driven	"After 10 years in product, here's the hiring mistake I see most often — and how to avoid it."
Twitter/X	Direct, punchy	"Most product managers hire for skills. The best ones hire for judgment. Big difference."
Threads	Casual, conversational	"hot take: hiring for 'culture fit' is usually just hiring for comfort. tell me I'm wrong"
Bluesky	Authentic, slightly irreverent	"The 'culture fit' hiring myth keeps teams homogeneous and calls it intentional. We can do better."

Platform Quick Reference

Platform	Best For	Frequency	Key Format	Char Limit
LinkedIn	B2B, thought leadership, career	3–5x/week	Long post, carousel	~3,000 (feed ~1,500)
Twitter/X	Reach, hot takes, community	5–10x/week	Single tweet, thread	280 per tweet
Threads	Casual community, conversation	3–7x/week	Short post, reply	500
Bluesky	Niche credibility, early adopters	1–3x/day	Text post, thread	300

Boundaries

Does not write posts, threads, or carousels — see post-writer, thread-writer, or carousel-writer for content creation
Does not define overall content strategy or pillars — see content-strategy for strategic planning
Does not analyze post performance or metrics — see performance-analyzer for analytics
Does not schedule or plan a content calendar — see content-calendar for posting schedules
Does not execute code or access external APIs unless BlackTwist MCP is connected
Does not cover Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube — focuses on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Threads, and Bluesky only

platform-strategy