LinkedIn Content Creator

Purpose

Transform OpenEd source content into high-performing LinkedIn posts by matching concepts to proven frameworks, then adapting freely based on the principles that make each format work.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Creating LinkedIn posts from podcast episodes or clips
• Transforming daily/weekly newsletter content for LinkedIn
• Repurposing blog posts or deep dives for social
• Building Ela's or OpenEd's LinkedIn presence

The Workflow

SOURCE → CONCEPT → CATEGORY → FRAMEWORK → ADAPT → POST → MULTIPLY (SCAMPER)

Step 1: Discern the Concept

Before choosing a format, deeply understand what you're working with.

From the source content, extract:

• The core insight or idea (one sentence)
• The emotional hook (what feeling does this evoke?)
• The target reader (who needs to hear this?)
• The transformation (what changes for the reader after consuming this?)

Example:

• Source: Podcast clip where guest describes letting her 18-month-old use a butter knife
• Core insight: Low-stakes failures early build confident kids later
• Emotional hook: Permission to let go of perfectionism
• Target: Parents who helicopter out of love but sense it's backfiring
• Transformation: Relief + actionable framework for calculated risk-taking

Step 2: Match to Category

Each category works for different psychological reasons. Match your concept to the category whose principle fits best.

Selection question: "What's the primary job this post needs to do?"

• Start a conversation → Engagement
• Make them feel something → Story
• Give them something useful → List/Tips
• Challenge what they believe → Contrarian
• Establish credibility → Authority
• Build relationships → Community

Step 3: Load the Right Reference File

IMPORTANT: Only load ONE category file at a time. Each is 3-6k words. Don't load all of them.

Once you've matched a category in Step 2, load ONLY that reference file:

To search across all categories without loading:

grep -i "keyword" references/*.md

Framework counts:

• Engagement (16) - polls, agree/disagree, crowdsource, fill-in-blank
• Story (24) - failure, transformation, day-in-life, values
• List (17) - tips, 10 ideas, DOs/DONTs, skills lists
• Contrarian (20) - hot takes, call BS, state opposite, rants
• Authority (26) - how-to, quotes, screenshots, secret sauce
• Community (15) - shoutouts, connect, welcome, comedy

Step 4: Adapt Based on Principles

Templates are starting points, not constraints.

Each framework reference includes:

• The template - The structural skeleton
• Why it works - The psychological principle
• Example - How it's been executed

Your job: Use the principle to adapt the template to your specific content. Combine elements from multiple frameworks if that serves the message better.

Adaptation questions:

• Does this template amplify my core insight, or dilute it?
• What would I cut? What would I add?
• Does this sound like OpenEd/Ela, or like a template?

Step 5: Apply OpenEd Voice

Before posting, run through the voice checklist:

• No correlative constructions ("isn't just X, it's Y")
• Hyphens with spaces for breaks - like this - not em dashes
• No emojis (or minimal, strategic use only)
• Specific details over generic claims
• Permission-giving tone, not preachy
• Would Sarah (our target reader) feel seen?

For deeper voice guidance, invoke ghostwriter skill.

Framework Quick Index

Engagement (drive participation)

Story (emotional connection)

List/Tips (scannable value)

Contrarian (pattern interrupt)

Authority (build credibility)

Community (relationship building)

Example Transformation

Source: Daily newsletter about letting kids fail at low-stakes tasks

Step 1 - Concept:

• Core insight: Helicopter parenting backfires; kids need early failures
• Emotional hook: Permission to stop protecting
• Target: Anxious parents who over-help
• Transformation: Framework for calculated risk-taking

Step 2 - Category Match: This is a Contrarian take (challenges helicopter parenting norm) with Story elements (the guest's example).

Step 3 - Framework Options:

• "State The Opposite" - "Stop helping your kids"
• "I Call BS" - "I call BS on 'safety first' parenting"
• "Transformation" - "From helicopter to landing pad"

Step 4 - Adapted Post:

Unpopular opinion: Your kid should fail more.

Not at the big stuff. At the small stuff.

Let the 3-year-old spill the milk.
Let the 7-year-old burn the toast.
Let the 12-year-old miss the deadline.

Here's what I've learned from talking to hundreds of homeschool families:

The parents who "protect" their kids from every small failure?
They're raising adults who can't handle any failure.

The parents who let kids stumble early - when the stakes are low?
They're raising adults who know how to recover.

One mom on our podcast let her 18-month-old use a butter knife.
Her kids are now confident, capable teenagers.

Coincidence? I don't think so.

What's one thing you let your kid fail at this week?

Step 5 - Voice Check:

• ✓ No correlatives
• ✓ Hyphens with spaces
• ✓ No emojis
• ✓ Specific details (18-month-old, butter knife)
• ✓ Permission-giving tone
• ✓ Sarah would feel seen

Step 6: Multiply with SCAMPER (Optional)

One good post can become seven. Use SCAMPER to generate variations:

Example - Original post:

"The NYT published two articles 3 weeks apart. One asks if schools cause mental health crises. The other calls for more homeschool oversight. The Times is arguing with itself."

SCAMPER variations:

• S: Replace NYT with "mainstream media" pattern
• C: Add "When my mother-in-law sent me this article..."
• A: Turn into 4-part thread with screenshots
• M: "NYT: 'Schools might hurt kids.' Also NYT: 'Watch the homeschoolers.' Pick one."
• P: Reframe for teachers who are questioning the system
• E: "The NYT is arguing with itself. Read Nov 24. Then Dec 14."
• R: "What if the homeschool critic accidentally proved the opposite?"

When to use SCAMPER:

• After a post performs well - multiply the winner
• When you need volume - 7 posts from 1 concept
• When testing angles - see which frame resonates

Related Skills

• ghostwriter - Voice and anti-AI patterns
• hook-and-headline-writing - Opening lines and headlines
• social-content-creation - Multi-platform content (includes SCAMPER deep dive, Human Desires, Vision/Anti-Vision)
• video-caption-creation - For video posts with captions