Add reverse engineering viral content framework to social-content skill
Adds 6-step framework for data-driven content creation: - Niche identification and creator research - Scraping posts at scale (Apify, Phantom Buster) - Pattern analysis (hooks, formats, CTAs) - Playbook codification with examples - Voice layering principles (specificity, brevity, emotion) - Conversion strategies Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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Corey Haines
@@ -595,6 +595,198 @@ Engagement isn't just responding—it's actively participating:
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---
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## Reverse Engineering Viral Content
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Instead of guessing what works, systematically analyze top-performing content in your niche and extract proven patterns.
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### The 6-Step Framework
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#### 1. NICHE ID — Find Top Creators
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Identify 10-20 creators in your space who consistently get high engagement:
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**Selection criteria:**
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- Posting consistently (3+ times/week)
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- High engagement rate relative to follower count
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- Audience overlap with your target market
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- Mix of established and rising creators
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**Where to find them:**
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- LinkedIn: Search by industry keywords, check "People also viewed"
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- Twitter/X: Check who your target audience follows and engages with
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- Use tools like SparkToro, Followerwonk, or manual research
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- Look at who gets featured in industry newsletters
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#### 2. SCRAPE — Collect Posts at Scale
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Gather 500-1000+ posts from your identified creators for analysis:
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**Tools:**
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- **Apify** — LinkedIn scraper, Twitter scraper actors
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- **Phantom Buster** — Multi-platform automation
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- **Export tools** — Platform-specific export features
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- **Manual collection** — For smaller datasets, copy/paste into spreadsheet
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**Data to collect:**
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- Post text/content
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- Engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares, saves)
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- Post format (text-only, carousel, video, image)
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- Posting time/day
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- Hook/first line
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- CTA used
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- Topic/theme
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#### 3. ANALYZE — Extract What Actually Works
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Sort and analyze the data to find patterns:
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**Quantitative analysis:**
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- Rank posts by engagement rate
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- Identify top 10% performers
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- Look for format patterns (do carousels outperform?)
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- Check timing patterns (best days/times)
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- Compare topic performance
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**Qualitative analysis:**
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- What hooks do top posts use?
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- How long are high-performing posts?
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- What emotional triggers appear?
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- What formats repeat?
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- What topics consistently perform?
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**Questions to answer:**
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- What's the average length of top posts?
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- Which hook types appear most in top 10%?
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- What CTAs drive most comments?
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- What topics get saved/shared most?
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#### 4. PLAYBOOK — Codify Patterns
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Document repeatable patterns you can use:
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**Hook patterns to codify:**
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```
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Pattern: "I [unexpected action] and [surprising result]"
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Example: "I stopped posting daily and my engagement doubled"
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Why it works: Curiosity gap + contrarian
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Pattern: "[Specific number] [things] that [outcome]:"
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Example: "7 pricing mistakes that cost me $50K:"
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Why it works: Specificity + loss aversion
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Pattern: "[Controversial take]"
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Example: "Cold outreach is dead."
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Why it works: Pattern interrupt + invites debate
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```
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**Format patterns:**
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- Carousel: Hook slide → Problem → Solution steps → CTA
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- Thread: Hook → Promise → Deliver → Recap → CTA
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- Story post: Hook → Setup → Conflict → Resolution → Lesson
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**CTA patterns:**
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- Question: "What would you add?"
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- Agreement: "Agree or disagree?"
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- Share: "Tag someone who needs this"
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- Save: "Save this for later"
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#### 5. LAYER VOICE — Apply Direct Response Principles
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Take proven patterns and make them yours with these voice principles:
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**"Smart friend who figured something out"**
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- Write like you're texting advice to a friend
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- Share discoveries, not lectures
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- Use "I found that..." not "You should..."
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- Be helpful, not preachy
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**Specific > Vague**
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```
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❌ "I made good revenue"
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✅ "I made $47,329"
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❌ "It took a while"
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✅ "It took 47 days"
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❌ "A lot of people"
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✅ "2,847 people"
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```
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**Short. Breathe. Land.**
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- One idea per sentence
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- Use line breaks liberally
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- Let important points stand alone
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- Create rhythm: short, short, longer explanation
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```
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❌ "I spent three years building my business the wrong way before I finally realized that the key to success was focusing on fewer things and doing them exceptionally well."
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✅ "I built wrong for 3 years.
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Then I figured it out.
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Focus on less.
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Do it exceptionally well.
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Everything changed."
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```
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**Write from emotion**
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- Start with how you felt, not what you did
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- Use emotional words: frustrated, excited, terrified, obsessed
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- Show vulnerability when authentic
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- Connect the feeling to the lesson
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```
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❌ "Here's what I learned about pricing"
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✅ "I was terrified to raise my prices.
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My hands were shaking when I sent the email.
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Here's what happened..."
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```
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#### 6. CONVERT — Turn Attention into Action
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Bridge from engagement to business results:
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**Soft conversions:**
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- Newsletter signups in bio/comments
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- Free resource offers in follow-up comments
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- DM triggers ("Comment X and I'll send you...")
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- Profile visits → optimized profile with clear CTA
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**Direct conversions:**
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- Link in comments (not post body on LinkedIn)
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- Contextual product mentions within valuable content
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- Case study posts that naturally showcase your work
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- "If you want help with this, DM me" (sparingly)
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### Output: Proven Patterns + Right Voice = Performance
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The formula:
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```
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1. Find what's already working (don't guess)
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2. Extract the patterns (hooks, formats, CTAs)
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3. Layer your authentic voice on top
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4. Test and iterate based on your own data
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```
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### Reverse Engineering Checklist
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- [ ] Identified 10-20 top creators in niche
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- [ ] Collected 500+ posts for analysis
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- [ ] Ranked by engagement rate
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- [ ] Documented top 10 hook patterns
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- [ ] Documented top 5 format patterns
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- [ ] Documented top 5 CTA patterns
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- [ ] Created voice guidelines (specificity, brevity, emotion)
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- [ ] Built template library from patterns
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- [ ] Set up tracking for your own content performance
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---
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## Questions to Ask
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If you need more context:
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