BrianRWagner/social-card-gen

Social Card Generator

Transform one source message into platform-ready social copy for Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and Reddit.

This skill works two ways:

• With Node.js: Use generate.js for deterministic, automated output
• Without Node.js: Manual generation path built directly into this skill (no dependencies required)

---

Mode

Detect from context or ask: "One platform, all platforms, or all platforms with variants?"

| Mode | What you get | Best for | |------|-------------|----------| | quick | 1 platform (user picks), optimized variant | Testing a single channel | | standard | All 3 platforms: Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit | Standard cross-platform post | | deep | All platforms + 3 variants each + A/B test guidance | Campaign testing, maximizing reach |

Default: standard — use quick if they specify a platform. Use deep if they're running a content campaign and want options.

---

⚠️ MANDATORY: 4-Question Intake Before Generating

Ask these before writing a single word of copy:

1. Source message: What's the core idea, update, or story? (Paste raw text or describe it.)
2. Tone goal: Informative? Provocative? Humble brag? Conversational? Educational?
3. Audience: Who needs to see this? (Founders, marketers, developers, general public?)
4. CTA: What do you want readers to do? (Visit link, reply, follow, share, start a conversation?)

Without these answers, you'll get generic output that won't land on any platform.

---

Platform Reasoning Rules (Built In — No External Script Needed)

🐦 Twitter/X

• Character limit: 280 characters (single tweet) or threaded for long-form
• Tone: Punchy, direct, opinionated. Twitter rewards brevity and conviction.
• Hook structure: Lead with the most surprising or specific claim. No warm-up.
• Hashtags: Max 1-2 directly relevant tags. Never stuff.
• CTA style: Short and embedded. "What's your take?" or "Link in reply."
• What kills Twitter posts: Long intros, passive voice, corporate speak, hashtag walls.
• Example hook pattern: "[Counterintuitive claim]. Here's why: [1-2 sentence reason]. [Engaging question]."

💼 LinkedIn

• Character limit: 3,000 characters for posts. First 2 lines before "See more" are critical.
• Tone: Professional but personal. Thought leadership with a human angle.
• Hook structure: First line must create curiosity or state a bold truth — not "excited to share."
• Hashtags: 3-5 max, at the end. Never in the body copy.
• CTA style: Invite discussion. "What's your experience with this?" works well.
• Opener rule: NEVER start with self-promotional language. Lead with a lesson, story, or observation.
• What kills LinkedIn posts: Cringe openers ("I'm humbled to announce..."), excessive hashtags, no line breaks.
• Format tip: Short paragraphs (1-2 lines). White space is your friend.

🔵 Reddit

• Character limit: No hard limit, but long posts need clear structure with headers.
• Tone: Authentic, curious, community-first. Reddit readers have a finely tuned BS detector.
• Hook structure: Situational — frame as a question, lesson learned, or genuine experience.
• Hashtags: Never. Not a thing on Reddit.
• CTA style: End with an open question that invites the community to share their take.
• Self-promotion rule: Never lead with your own promotion. Frame everything as a contribution to the community.
• What kills Reddit posts: Obvious marketing, lack of genuine insight, "check out my [thing]" openers.

---

Manual Generation Path (No Node.js Required)

Follow this process exactly:

Step 1: Distill the Core Message

From the source input, extract:

• The ONE key insight or fact
• The "so what" — why does this matter to the audience?
• The evidence or story behind it

Step 2: Generate 3 Platform Variants

Twitter/X variant:

[Bold claim or surprising fact — max 1 sentence]

[1-2 sentences of supporting context]

[Engaging question or CTA]

[1-2 relevant hashtags max]

Check: Under 280 chars for single tweet? If not, decide: cut or thread.

LinkedIn variant:

[First line hook — create curiosity, not announcement]

[1-2 line context paragraph]

[Core insight or framework — 2-4 short paragraphs]

[Personal angle or reflection]

[Discussion CTA — question for the audience]

[3-5 hashtags at the end only]

Check: Does the first line work before "See more"? Does it NOT start with "I'm excited to..."?

Reddit variant:

[Title: specific, searchable, not clickbaity]

[Opening: frame as experience, question, or lesson — community-first]

[Body: genuine story or insight with specifics]

[Closing question to invite community input]

Check: Would this feel at home in the target subreddit? No hashtags?

---

With Node.js (Automated Path)

npm install

# text input
node generate.js --text "We reduced onboarding time by 35% with a checklist." --stdout

# file input
node generate.js --file examples/input-example.md --outdir examples

# URL input (when network is available)
node generate.js --url https://example.com/post --platforms twitter,linkedin --stdout

If generate.js is unavailable, use the Manual Generation Path above — same quality, just manual.

---

Quality Self-Review Pass (REQUIRED After Generating)

After generating all 3 variants, run this review before delivering:

| Check | Twitter | LinkedIn | Reddit | |---|---|---|---| | Hook strong? (Would you stop scrolling?) | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ | | CTA present and clear? | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ | | Platform fit? (Tone matches platform norms) | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ | | Guardrails pass? (See below) | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ | ✅/❌ |

Flag the weakest variant and explain why: "The Reddit variant is the weakest because it still reads like a LinkedIn post — too polished, not community-first."

---

Guardrails (Never Violate)

❌ No identical copy cross-posted — every platform variant must be meaningfully different in tone and structure ❌ No hashtag spam on LinkedIn — max 5, always at the end, never in the body ❌ No self-promotional openers on Reddit — community value first, always ❌ No vague hooks — "I have some thoughts on X" is not a hook ❌ No copy that assumes platform context — Reddit readers don't know your LinkedIn audience

---

Iteration Loop

After delivering the 3 variants:

1. Ask: "Which variant feels most off? What's not landing?"
2. If hook is weak → rewrite the first line using a different angle (counterintuitive, numerical, story-led)
3. If CTA is weak → try a question instead of a directive
4. If platform fit is off → re-read the platform rules and rewrite from scratch for that platform

---

Output Format

Deliver:

## Twitter/X
[Final copy — ready to paste]
Character count: [X]/280

## LinkedIn
[Final copy — ready to paste]

## Reddit
Title: [Post title]
[Body — ready to paste]

## Quality Review
- Strongest variant: [Platform] — because [reason]
- Weakest variant: [Platform] — [what to improve if needed]
- All guardrails passed: Yes / No — [note any issues]

---

Skill by Brian Wagner | AI Marketing Architect | brianrwagner.com