sherazade/references/platforms.md

Platform-specific rules

Instagram Reels

• Duration: 30-90 seconds (sweet spot: 45-60s)
• Hook must land in first 1.5 seconds
• Captions: use line breaks, no walls of text
• Hashtags: 3-5 relevant, avoid generic ones
• Cover image: use text overlay with part number and series name
• Post spacing: 24-48h between parts for algorithm favor
• Pin the first part of the series to the profile grid

TikTok

• Duration: 30-60 seconds (can go longer if retention is high)
• Hook in first 1 second — TikTok swipe-away is faster than Instagram
• Use trending sounds when they fit (don't force it)
• Text on screen: large, readable, high contrast
• Post spacing: 12-24h between parts (TikTok rewards frequency)
• Use the "series" feature if available for your account
• Reply to comments on part 1 with a link/mention to part 2

X / Twitter

• Thread format: each tweet is one "part" or break a series into separate threads
• First tweet must be self-contained and compelling (it's the hook)
• Thread length: 5-12 tweets per thread, 3-5 threads per series
• End each thread with a cliffhanger pointing to the next thread
• Quote-tweet the previous thread when posting the next one
• Use a consistent opening pattern: "Part X of the [topic] series:"
• Pin the thread index to the profile

YouTube Shorts

• Duration: 30-58 seconds (under 60s to qualify as Short)
• Vertical format (9:16)
• Hook in first 2 seconds with text overlay + voice
• End screen: "Part 2 is on my channel — subscribe so you don't miss it"
• Upload all parts within a tight window (1-3 days) to ride the algorithm wave
• Use playlists to group the series

LinkedIn

• Text posts: 1,200-1,500 characters for optimal engagement
• Document/carousel posts: 8-12 slides, text-heavy, one idea per slide
• First two lines are the hook (visible before "see more")
• Post spacing: 48-72h (LinkedIn penalizes high frequency)
• No hashtags or max 3
• End with a question to drive comments

Carousel (Instagram/LinkedIn)

• 8-12 slides optimal
• Slide 1: bold hook, no logo, no "swipe right"
• Slides 2-N: one idea per slide, progressive build
• Second-to-last slide: cliffhanger for the next carousel
• Last slide: CTA (follow, save, share)
• Use consistent brand colors and fonts across all slides in the series
• Save the "best" insight for slide 5-7 (the ones who swipe that far are your core audience)