Format, attachments, and the graphic prompt

The format gates are non-negotiable. A post that fails one gets fixed before it reaches the exec.

Format gates

• Short. Six lines or fewer per post, and that is stretching it. Draft tight from the first pass; do not write long and trim.
• An attachment on every post. One of: a shared news or article link, a repost of another post, or a graphic. Never a bare text post - bare text underperforms and reads as low-effort from an exec account.
• Three ranked options per exec, one of each type, each with a one-line "why" and a suggested post order:
  1. an article or industry-news share plus the exec's comment
  2. a repost (a company-page post from the last week, or a relevant industry post the exec would plausibly amplify)
  3. a thought-leadership piece plus a graphic
• Close on a thought or a question, never a plug or a deadline pitch.

Choosing image versus carousel for the thought-leadership slot

• Single image when there is one idea, one number, or one visual metaphor. Most exec posts.
• Carousel when the point is a sequence or a small framework the reader steps through. Use sparingly; a carousel demands more from the reader.

The image-generation prompt

Hand the exec a ready-to-paste prompt, not a vague description. A good prompt specifies:

• the visual style, matched to the brand's established look (name it concretely - the render style, the palette by hex, the recurring motif), not a generic flat illustration
• the exact minimal headline text to appear, spelled out, with an instruction to reproduce it exactly
• the aspect ratio (a portrait ratio such as 4:5 / 1080x1350 suits the feed)
• hard constraints: no logos in the generated image, no invented data or fake chart numbers, and no text other than the specified headline

Generate the image logo-free and overlay the real brand logo afterward. This keeps the logo crisp and avoids the mangled-logo look image models produce.

Why these gates exist

The length gate protects the exec from posts that read as ghostwritten essays. The attachment gate protects reach. The style-match gate protects the exec's visual identity - a post that looks off-brand undoes the credibility the copy earns. The close-on-a-question gate is what separates thought leadership from an ad; an exec who ends every post selling stops being read as a voice worth following.