Caption pack

Caption Pack

Same content + same caption everywhere = mediocre engagement on everywhere. This skill writes platform-specific captions, each tuned to that platform's culture and length conventions.

Instructions for Claude

Step 1: Gather Inputs

Ask for:

1. Content — what's the post? (Paste the script, describe the video, or summarize the carousel)
2. Platforms — which ones? (default: all)
3. CTA — what should the viewer do?
4. Voice profile (optional) — load a saved brand voice if mentioned
5. Audience (optional) — who's this for? Helps tune hashtags and tone

Step 2: Identify the Single Most Quotable Line

Before writing platform-specific captions, extract the ONE line from the content that would stop a scroll. This becomes the core of every caption — re-framed per platform.

Display:

**The line I'm building captions around**: "[line]"

If this isn't the right line, tell me which is.

Step 3: Generate Platform-Specific Captions

Instagram (post or Reel)

## Instagram caption

**[Hook line — usually the quotable line, or a curiosity-gap reframe]**

[1–3 short paragraphs separated by blank lines.]
[Build with line breaks — IG truncates after ~125 chars; the hook line must do its job before "more".]

[Optional: a list of 2–4 short bullet points or short lines.]

[CTA paragraph — one short line.]

.
.
.

#hashtag1 #hashtag2 #hashtag3 [...8–15 total]

IG hashtag strategy: 8–15 hashtags. Mix of:

• 2–3 broad (millions of posts)
• 4–6 medium (10k–500k posts)
• 3–6 niche (under 10k)

Place hashtags at the bottom with . line breaks above them, OR in the first comment. Don't pepper them through the caption.

---

TikTok caption

## TikTok caption

[1–2 sentences max. The first 3–5 words must hook because TikTok cuts off captions hard.]

[Optional: 1 short CTA line.]

#hashtag1 #hashtag2 #hashtag3 [3–5 total]

TikTok hashtag strategy: 3–5 hashtags. Keep it focused. Trending hashtags only if genuinely relevant — TikTok algo punishes irrelevant trends.

---

LinkedIn caption / post

## LinkedIn post

[Hook line — story-open or contrarian usually outperforms]

[Empty line]

[Setup paragraph — 2–4 sentences. Specific, narrative, first-person.]

[Empty line]

[Body — could be short paragraphs OR a 3–7 line bulleted/numbered list. Don't mix without reason.]

[Empty line]

[Lesson / takeaway — 1–2 lines]

[Empty line]

[Final line — often a question that invites comments, OR a single-line CTA]

[0 hashtags, OR 3 max — appended at the end on their own line]

LinkedIn hashtag strategy: 0 or 3 max. The algorithm doesn't reward stuffing. Use #ContentMarketing #BuildInPublic #SaaS — broad professional tags only.

LinkedIn length: ~600–1300 chars is the sweet spot. Too short = low dwell. Too long = "see more" cuts off.

---

X / Twitter

## X / Twitter (single tweet)

[≤240 chars. The tweet IS the caption. No hashtags.]

If a thread is more appropriate:

## X / Twitter (thread)

**Tweet 1** (hook): [≤240 chars]
**Tweet 2**: [≤240 chars]
[... 3–7 tweets total]

X hashtag strategy: 0 hashtags by default. They reduce engagement on X. Exception: a single, branded, or live-event hashtag is fine.

---

YouTube Shorts

## YouTube Shorts caption

[2–3 sentences. More descriptive than TikTok — YT is a search platform, so include searchable language.]

[CTA line.]

#hashtag1 #hashtag2 #hashtag3 [3–5 total, plus #shorts]

YouTube hashtag strategy: Include #shorts always. 3–5 other hashtags. Searchable keywords matter more than trends here.

---

Step 4: Output

Group all captions in a single output, clearly labeled per platform:

# Caption pack

**Content**: [1-line description]
**Quotable line**: "[the line]"
**Voice profile**: [name or "default"]

---

## Instagram
[caption]

---

## TikTok
[caption]

---

## LinkedIn
[caption]

---

## X / Twitter
[caption]

---

## YouTube Shorts
[caption]

---

## Notes

- [Any platform-specific note — e.g., "LinkedIn version emphasizes the lesson; TikTok version emphasizes the moment"]
- [Hashtag rationale if non-obvious]

Hard Rules

1. Different captions per platform. Don't paste the same caption across platforms. If a platform's caption could be lifted to another, you haven't done the work.

2. Honor character / length norms.

   • IG: long-ish OK, but hook in first 125 chars
   • TikTok: 1–2 sentences max
   • LinkedIn: 600–1300 chars
   • X: ≤240 per tweet
   • YouTube Shorts: 2–3 sentences

3. Hashtag conventions per platform (see strategies above). Don't stuff hashtags on LinkedIn or X. Don't under-tag on IG.

4. Use the voice profile if loaded. Apply tone, sentence patterns, vocabulary signatures.

5. Don't fabricate details. If the user said the video is about "switching from Webflow", don't invent a specific dollar amount they saved unless they told you.

6. CTAs must be specific. "Like and follow" is dead. "Comment 'starter pack' for the Notion template" or "Save this for later — you'll forget" works.

Voice Profile Loading

If user mentions a saved voice (e.g., "in my mintlooks voice"):

cat .claude/brand-voices/[brand].md 2>/dev/null || cat ~/.claude/brand-voices/[brand].md

Apply the voice across all platforms. The voice's rules don't change per platform — only the format does.

Error Handling

Content description too vague:

"My new video" isn't enough to write captions around. Tell me:
- The hook (what's said first)
- The core idea (what the viewer learns / feels)
- One specific moment or detail

I'll write platform-specific captions from there.

User wants the same caption everywhere:

You can do that — but you'll lose engagement. Each platform's audience expects
different framing. Want me to:
1. Generate one caption you can paste everywhere (lower performance)
2. Generate platform-specific captions (recommended)

Integration with Other Skills

• Before: /repurpose-planner to plan the actual content per platform — captions follow naturally
• Voice: /brand-voice to load the brand profile