A quick pre-publish check for social posts that feel too generic

A lot of social posts fail before the algorithm ever has a chance to judge them. They read like something that could have been written by any brand in the category.

The check I use before publishing is simple: remove the logo and ask whether a customer, teammate, or competitor could have posted the exact same thing.

If the answer is yes, I try to add one of these five details before it goes live:

1. A specific moment Instead of saying "we care about customer service," describe the moment that proved it. A weird request, a common objection, a behind the scenes decision, or a small tradeoff makes the post feel grounded.

2. A real constraint Good content often comes from limits. Budget, time, staffing, weather, inventory, approval process, client expectations, platform quirks. Constraints make advice more useful because people can see the actual situation.

3. The thing most teams would leave out This is usually the messy part. The version that did not work. The caption that was too clever. The shoot that looked good but had no hook. The idea that got engagement from the wrong audience.

4. One sentence only your team would say If the post has a sentence that sounds like your sales calls, support inbox, founder, creator, or customers, it usually feels less generic immediately. If every sentence sounds like a headline, the post is probably too polished.

5. A clear reader takeaway Not a CTA. Just the point someone should leave with. For example: "show the process before the result" is stronger than "consistency matters."

The best quick fix is usually not making the post more clever. It is adding more context.

A practical workflow: draft the post, highlight the most generic sentence, then replace it with a detail from a real conversation, screenshot, customer question, or decision your team made this week.

That one swap often does more for trust than rewriting the whole caption.