📈 The post format that works for any niche

Read time: 4 minutes

Quick heads up - I'm going deeper on LinkedIn strategies on YouTube now. Yesterday's video covered three post formats that drive leads.

But right now, let me show you the ONE format you can use tomorrow to get engagement.

Yesterday, I was looking through Saywhat’s inspiration database and saw a stupidly simple post format.

And better yet, you can write a version for literally any niche.

It is the “harsh truths” post.

Why does it work?

Because we are like moths to a flame for harsh truths.

We want to feel something.

And when we see the words “harsh truths” it’s like watching a scary movie.

We want to look away, but can’t help looking back to see what happens next.

Curiosity gets the better of us.

The Harsh Truths Framework

Most creators see posts like “harsh truths every leader needs to hear” and think “not another one…”

But what is amazing about this post format is that it is incredibly flexible.

You can create a version for basically any target audience.

The formula is stupidly simple:

"Harsh truths of [YOUR SPECIFIC AUDIENCE]"

That's it.

Just replace the word “leader” with whoever your target audience is…

• Harsh truths of parenting

• Harsh truths of consulting

• Harsh truths of selling your company

• Harsh truths every data center owner needs to hear

This is a great top of funnel post format - it attracts relevant new followers into your universe.

Here are some good examples I found yesterday:

• Harsh truths about consulting (1,024 likes)

• Harsh truths of data governance (701 likes)

• Harsh truths about perfectionism (600 likes)

• Harsh truths every project manager needs to hear (317 likes)

• Harsh NHS realities (167 likes)

• Harsh PhD thesis truths (131 likes)

How To Create Your Own Harsh Truths Post

Good versions of this post have three things in common:

1. They name their target audience in the title.

This works because if you tell people a post is for them they listen.

Let’s take Clare’s post on harsh truths of data governance - when people who work in data governance see their profession in the title, they know this post is for them.

This means you attract relevant followers, not just any old followers.

2. They have a visual - typically a carousel or infographic.

These posts nearly always have a visual. I’ve seen both infographics and carousels do well.

Have a big clear title as always.

3. The first couple of points make people feel something.

If we go with the example of “Harsh truths of Data Governance”, the first two points “Good governance is invisible” and “Data ownership is never clear” both make me think “that’s so true”.

That’s what most top performing content does - it makes you feel something.

Anyway, give it a try this week and let me know how it goes.

See you next time,

Will

P.S. I found all the examples in Saywhat's inspirational content database. I just searched for “harsh truths” from the last 90 days. You can get started here.

Will McTighe

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