linkedin-authority-builder · diff
git:20260308.5724749 to git:20260308.1c3e1fe
125 added, 160 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: linkedin-authority-builder
description: Build a LinkedIn content system for thought leadership. Use when someone needs to establish authority, attract inbound leads, or build a consistent content presence. Covers positioning, content pillars, formats, and posting rhythm.
---
# LinkedIn Authority Builder
Here's what most people get wrong about LinkedIn: they're trying to go viral.
Viral doesn't pay your bills. Being remembered by the right 500 people when they need what you do — that pays your bills.
- This skill builds a content system that makes you impossible to forget for your target audience. Not through hacks. Through consistency and clear positioning.
+ This skill builds a content system around consistent positioning and clear pillars — not hacks.
---
## Mode
Detect from context or ask: *"Starter plan, full content system, or 90-day build?"*
| Mode | What you get | Best for |
|------|-------------|----------|
| `quick` | 3 content pillars + 1-week posting starter plan | Getting unstuck, first week of consistency |
| `standard` | Full content system: pillars, formats, posting rhythm + first week written | Building a repeatable presence |
| `deep` | Full system + 90-day calendar + 10 posts written + engagement playbook | Serious authority-building campaign |
**Default: `standard`** — use `quick` if they just need to start posting. Use `deep` if they're committing to LinkedIn as a growth channel.
---
- ## Before We Build Anything
-
- I need to understand your situation:
-
- 1. **What's your expertise?** What do you know cold?
- 2. **Who needs to remember you?** Specific titles, company stages, industries.
- 3. **What do you want from LinkedIn?** Leads? Job offers? Speaking gigs? Partnerships?
- 4. **What's your unfair advantage?** Experience, perspective, or access that others don't have.
- 5. **What are you doing now?** Posting? How often? What's working?
-
- The strategy depends on the answers.
-
- ---
-
- ## Step 1: Nail Your Positioning
-
- Before content, get clear on your angle.
-
- **The one-liner:**
- > I help [specific audience] with [specific outcome] through [unique approach].
+ ## Context Loading Gates
- **Example:**
- > I help growth-stage founders build marketing systems that scale — combining 15 years of strategy with AI-powered execution.
+ **Before generating any strategy, load:**
- If you can't say it in one sentence, your content will be unfocused.
+ - [ ] **Current positioning:** One-liner, ICP, key differentiator (load from `positioning-basics` output if available)
+ - [ ] **Target audience on LinkedIn:** Specific titles, company stages, industries
+ - [ ] **Posting history:** What have they tried? What worked? What didn't?
+ - [ ] **Content goals:** Leads / job offers / speaking / partnerships / audience growth
+ - [ ] **Available time per week:** Hours they can realistically commit
- **Your headline formula:**
- ```
- [Role] | [What you do for who OR tagline]
- ```
+ **Sequencing gate:**
+ If positioning isn't clear yet, stop and ask:
+ > "Before building a content strategy, I need your one-liner: 'I help [specific audience] with [specific outcome] through [unique approach].' Do you have this locked, or should we nail positioning first with `positioning-basics`?"
- **Examples:**
- - "AI Marketing Architect | I build your AI marketing system. Then I run it."
- - "Former Nike CMO → Now helping founders avoid the branding mistakes I made"
+ Do not build a content system for an unclear position — the content will be unfocused.
- The headline is prime real estate. Don't waste it on your job title.
+ **Also suggest:**
+ > "Run `linkedin-profile-optimizer` if you haven't — the content we build needs a profile that converts the traffic."
---
- ## Step 2: Pick Your Content Pillars
-
- These are the 3-5 topics you'll own. Everything you post should fit into one of these buckets.
+ ## Phase 1: Positioning Alignment Analysis
- **Good pillars:**
- - You have genuine expertise (not just interest)
- - Your target audience cares about it
- - You can produce content on it consistently
- - It connects to what you sell
+ Before recommending any content, reason through:
- **Example pillars:**
- 1. AI-powered marketing (what I sell)
- 2. Founder marketing lessons (what I've learned)
- 3. Brand positioning (my expertise)
- 4. Behind-the-scenes building (makes me human)
- 5. Hot takes on marketing trends (keeps it interesting)
+ 1. **Positioning check:** Is the one-liner specific enough to anchor content pillars? If it's "I help businesses grow," that's too vague — push for specificity before proceeding.
+ 2. **Audience clarity:** Are we targeting a specific title + company stage, or a demographic? Specific is better.
+ 3. **Time-to-output match:** If they have 2 hours/week, don't recommend 5 posts/week. Sustainability matters more than ambition.
+ 4. **Goal alignment:** Content for lead generation looks different from content for speaking gigs. Confirm goal before building pillars.
- **The ratio:**
- - 70% core expertise (builds authority)
- - 20% adjacent insights (makes you interesting)
- - 10% personal (makes you relatable)
+ Output a brief strategy assessment:
+ > "You're a [role] targeting [audience] with [X hours/week] and a goal of [outcome]. I'll build a [3/5 post/week] strategy anchored to [X] pillars. The main gap in your current approach: [specific gap]."
---
- ## Step 3: Know Your Formats
+ ## Phase 2: Content Pillars (3–5 Required)
- Different formats for different goals:
+ Each pillar must pass all 4 tests:
+ 1. You have genuine expertise (not just interest)
+ 2. Your target audience actively cares about it
+ 3. You can produce content on it consistently for 6+ months
+ 4. It connects to what you sell or want to be known for
- | Format | Good For | Engagement |
- |--------|----------|------------|
- | Story | Connection | High |
- | Framework/List | Authority | High |
- | Hot take | Reach | Variable |
- | Case study | Proof | Medium |
- | Behind-the-scenes | Trust | Medium |
+ **Pillar ratio:**
+ - 70% core expertise → builds authority
+ - 20% adjacent insights → makes you interesting
+ - 10% personal → makes you relatable
- **The winning mix:**
- - 2-3 frameworks per week (authority)
- - 1-2 stories per week (connection)
- - 1 case study or proof point per week (credibility)
+ **Output format per pillar:**
+ ```
+ Pillar: [Name]
+ Ratio: [%]
+ Content types: [frameworks / stories / case studies]
+ Example hook: "[First line of a real post]"
+ Connection to goal: [how this drives the stated outcome]
+ ```
---
- ## Step 4: Master the Hook
-
- The first line determines if anyone reads the rest. Make it count.
-
- **Hooks that work:**
-
- > "Most founders get [topic] wrong. Here's why:"
-
- > "I spent 15 years learning this the hard way:"
-
- > "[Counterintuitive statement that makes them stop scrolling]"
+ ## Phase 3: Format Selection & Post Templates
- > "The best [X] I know all do this one thing:"
+ ### Format-to-Goal Mapping
- **Hook principles:**
- - Specific beats vague
- - Numbers add credibility
- - Tension creates curiosity
- - Punchline first, context second
+ | Format | Best For | Engagement Level |
+ |---|---|---|
+ | Story | Connection, memorability | High |
+ | Framework/List | Authority, credibility | High |
+ | Hot take | Reach, visibility | Variable |
+ | Case study/proof | Credibility, late-stage trust | Medium |
+ | Behind-the-scenes | Relatability, trust | Medium |
- ---
+ **Recommended weekly mix:**
+ - 2–3 frameworks (authority)
+ - 1–2 stories (connection)
+ - 1 proof point (credibility)
- ## Step 5: The Post Structures
+ ### Post Templates
- ### The Story Post
+ **Story Post:**
```
[Hook — the moment or realization]
-
[Setup — quick context]
-
[Tension — what was hard or went wrong]
-
[Turn — the insight]
-
[Lesson — the takeaway]
-
[Question — drives engagement]
```
- ### The Framework Post
+ **Framework Post:**
```
- [Hook — bold claim or problem]
-
+ [Hook — bold claim or problem statement]
[Why this matters — 1-2 sentences]
-
[The X-step framework:]
1. [Step + brief explanation]
2. [Step + brief explanation]
3. [Step + brief explanation]
-
[Key insight or summary]
-
- [CTA or question]
+ [CTA or discussion question]
```
- ### The Hot Take
+ **Hot Take:**
```
[Controversial statement]
-
[Your reasoning — 2-3 sentences]
-
[The nuance people miss]
-
[What to do instead]
-
[Question to drive comments]
```
---
- ## Step 6: Set Your Rhythm
+ ## Phase 4: Content Calendar with Real Dates
- **Minimum viable presence:**
- - 3x per week
- - Same days/times
- - At least 2 posts showing expertise
+ Generate a 4-week calendar with actual dates (not generic day names):
- **If you want growth:**
- - 5x per week (weekdays)
- - Active commenting (20-30 min/day)
- - 1 long-form article per month
+ | Date | Pillar | Format | Hook (first line) | Status |
+ |---|---|---|---|---|
+ | [YYYY-MM-DD] | [Pillar] | Framework | "[First line]" | Draft |
+ | [YYYY-MM-DD] | [Pillar] | Story | "[First line]" | Draft |
- **Best times (test for yourself):**
- - Tuesday-Thursday mornings (7-9am)
- - Tuesday-Thursday lunch (12-1pm)
- - Avoid weekends for B2B
+ Fill 4 full weeks. Generic "Week 1, Monday" output is not sufficient.
+ Also output **5 starter post hooks** ready to write immediately — these break the blank-page problem:
+ ```
+ 1. [Hook]
+ 2. [Hook]
+ 3. [Hook]
+ 4. [Hook]
+ 5. [Hook]
+ ```
+
---
- ## Step 7: Engage Like a Human
+ ## Phase 5: Self-Critique Pass (REQUIRED)
- Posting is half the game. Engaging is the other half.
+ After generating the strategy, evaluate:
- **Comment strategy:**
- - 5-10 thoughtful comments per day on posts from your target audience
- - Add value, don't just say "Great post!"
- - Share a relevant experience or insight
- - Ask a follow-up question
+ - [ ] Is the positioning one-liner specific enough to anchor the pillars?
+ - [ ] Are the 5 starter hooks actually strong — would they stop the scroll?
+ - [ ] Does the time commitment match the user's stated available hours?
+ - [ ] Is at least one pillar directly tied to the revenue/goal outcome?
+ - [ ] Does the calendar have actual dates, or just generic "Day 1/Day 3" placeholders?
+ - [ ] Would this content system still work in 6 months if the user stays consistent?
- **Comments that work:**
- - "This is exactly what I saw at [company]. We also found that..."
- - "Interesting take. What about the case where [alternative scenario]?"
- - "Adding to this: [your framework or step they didn't mention]"
+ Flag issues: "Pillar 3 ('general business tips') doesn't connect to your stated goal of attracting SaaS founders. Replace with something more specific."
---
- ## What You Get Back
+ ## Phase 6: 30-Day Iteration Protocol
- A complete LinkedIn strategy doc:
+ After 30 days, review with these questions:
+ - Which posts got the most comments? What pillar did they fall under?
+ - Which posts drove DMs or profile views?
+ - Which posts got the most impressions regardless of engagement?
- ```
- ## Your Positioning
- - Headline: [optimized]
- - One-liner: [what you do for who]
+ **Adjust based on data:**
+ - If case study posts outperform frameworks → increase case study ratio
+ - If stories drive DMs but frameworks drive impressions → use both intentionally
- ## Content Pillars
- 1. [Pillar + what you'll cover]
- 2. [Pillar + what you'll cover]
- 3. [Pillar + what you'll cover]
+ ---
- ## Weekly Schedule
- - [Day]: [Format + Pillar]
- - [Day]: [Format + Pillar]
- - [Day]: [Format + Pillar]
+ ## Output Structure
- ## First 5 Post Ideas
- 1. [Hook + brief description]
- 2. [Hook + brief description]
- 3. [Hook + brief description]
- 4. [Hook + brief description]
- 5. [Hook + brief description]
+ ```markdown
+ ## LinkedIn Strategy: [Name] — [Date]
- ## Engagement Plan
- - Who to engage with
- - How much time daily
- - What kinds of comments
- ```
+ ### Positioning Alignment
+ [One-liner + assessment of clarity]
- ---
+ ### Content Pillars
+ [3-5 pillars with ratio, examples, connection to goal]
- ## What Not to Do
+ ### Weekly Rhythm
+ - Posts/week: [X]
+ - Best times: [e.g., Tue/Thu 8am EST]
+ - Active commenting: [X min/day]
- ❌ Posting only about yourself and your company
- ❌ Inspirational quotes with no substance
- ❌ Engagement bait ("Comment YES if you agree!")
- ❌ Posting once then disappearing for 3 weeks
- ❌ Only broadcasting, never engaging
- ❌ Walls of text with no formatting
+ ### Format Mix
+ [Breakdown with rationale]
- ---
+ ### 4-Week Content Calendar
+ [Table with real dates + hooks]
- **Need help building your LinkedIn presence?**
- → [Book a strategy call](https://brianrwagner.com)
+ ### 5 Starter Posts (Write These First)
+ [Hooks with format labels]
+
+ ### Engagement Plan
+ [Who to engage with, how much time, what to say]
+
+ ### Self-Critique Notes
+ [Issues flagged + recommended fixes]
+
+ ### 30-Day Review Triggers
+ [What to measure and when to adjust]
+
+ ### Cross-References
+ - linkedin-profile-optimizer (run before publishing)
+ - content-idea-generator (for ongoing idea generation)
+ - voice-extractor (to ensure posts sound authentic)
+ ```
---
*Skill by Brian Wagner | AI Marketing Architect | brianrwagner.com*