Claude Code Setup for Content Creators

# CLAUDE.md — Content Creator
> Version: 2026-02-17 | Difficulty: beginner

## What Your AI Can Now Do
- Turn one blog post into LinkedIn, Twitter, newsletter, and email versions automatically
- Draft a scroll-stopping LinkedIn post with your voice and hooks in under 5 minutes
- Track which content formats and topics drive the most engagement across all platforms
- Generate a week of content ideas pulled from audience signals and trending topics
- Write a long-form newsletter essay from just a topic or rough outline

---

## Quick Start
1. Paste this file as `CLAUDE.md` in your content project root
2. Add 3-5 of your best-performing posts to `voice/style-guide.md` so Claude learns your voice
3. Check `content/ideas/` before generating new topics — avoid duplicates
4. Run `/linkedin` with a topic to draft your first AI-assisted post
5. After publishing, run `/repurpose` to turn that one piece into 5 platform formats

---

## About Me
Content creator publishing across LinkedIn (daily), newsletter (weekly), blog (2x/month), and Twitter/X (daily). Voice is provocative, concise, with pattern-interrupt hooks. No corporate speak. Every post earns attention — nothing gets published just to fill a calendar.

---

## Pre-Built Commands

| Command | What It Does |
|---------|-------------|
| `/linkedin [topic]` | Drafts a LinkedIn post: hook, body, CTA — 150-250 words with your voice and formatting |
| `/newsletter [topic]` | Writes a long-form essay (800-1500 words) from a topic or outline — original thinking, not summaries |
| `/repurpose [post-url]` | Takes one published piece and creates versions for LinkedIn, Twitter, newsletter, email, and blog |
| `/content-ideas` | Generates 10 topic ideas from audience questions, trending signals, and gaps in your content calendar |
| `/analytics-review` | Pulls performance data and identifies what resonated, what flopped, and what patterns to repeat |

---

## How Claude Connects to Your Tools

| Tool | Why You Need It |
|------|----------------|
| Google Analytics | Track which content drives actual traffic and conversions — not just likes |
| AnySite (LinkedIn) | Research trending topics, competitor content, and engagement patterns in your niche |
| Google Workspace | Newsletter management, content calendar, and organizing reader replies |
| Memory | Tracks what resonates, audience preferences, and your evolving voice over time |

### Setup
```bash
# Required in .env
GOOGLE_ANALYTICS_PROPERTY_ID=your-property-id
GOOGLE_WORKSPACE_CREDENTIALS=your-credentials
MEMORY_STORAGE_PATH=./memory
```

---

## Content Rules
- **MUST:** First line is the hook — if it does not stop the scroll, nothing else matters
- **MUST:** One idea per post — trying to cover two things means covering zero things well
- **MUST:** Always attribute sources — never present others' ideas as your own
- **SHOULD:** Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences max) — walls of text get skipped
- **MUST:** Banned words: "leverage", "synergize", "optimize", "In today's fast-paced world", "Game-changer", "Here's the thing"
- **SHOULD:** Use specific numbers and examples, not vague generalities
- **SHOULD:** End posts with a question or provocative statement, not a summary
- **MUST:** LinkedIn posts stay between 150-250 words — white space matters
- **SHOULD:** Newsletter essays need original thinking — if it could be a ChatGPT summary, it is not good enough

---

## Project Structure
```
content/
  drafts/              # Work in progress
  published/           # Final versions with URLs and dates
  ideas/               # Topic backlog, audience questions, research notes
  templates/           # Post structures that work (hook patterns, frameworks)
voice/
  style-guide.md       # Tone, banned phrases, example posts that performed
  swipe-file/          # Great hooks and structures from others (for inspiration only)
analytics/
  performance.md       # What resonated, why, and patterns to repeat
memory/
  patterns/            # Content formulas that consistently perform
  audience/            # Who reads, what they care about, common questions
```

### What These Folders Mean
- **content/** — Everything in the pipeline. Claude checks `ideas/` before suggesting new topics and logs to `published/` after posting.
- **voice/** — Your style DNA. Claude reads `style-guide.md` before drafting anything to match your tone and avoid banned phrases.
- **analytics/** — Performance data. Claude references this when suggesting what to write more of (and less of).
- **memory/** — Long-term audience intelligence. Builds over time as Claude tracks what works.

---

## Automation

| When | What Happens | If It Fails |
|------|-------------|-------------|
| Post published | Auto-logs to `published/` with URL, date, and platform | Manually add the post details to `published/` after posting |
| Monday morning | Surfaces this week's content calendar and drafts due | Check `content/drafts/` and your calendar manually |
| Post gets 50+ likes | Flags for repurposing into newsletter or blog format | Review your top-performing posts weekly and repurpose the best one |
| Newsletter sent | Triggers analytics check 48 hours later | Run `/analytics-review` manually 2 days after sending |
| Friday afternoon | Generates weekend content ideas based on the week's trending topics | Run `/content-ideas` manually when you need fresh topics |

---

## Gotchas
- **MUST:** Never publish without reading aloud — if it does not sound like talking, rewrite it
- **MUST:** Hooks are non-negotiable — no hook means no readers, no matter how good the body
- **SHOULD:** Screenshots over links on LinkedIn — the algorithm punishes external links, use native content
- **SHOULD:** Do not chase trends blindly — only comment on trends you have genuine experience with
- **MUST:** Check `content/ideas/` before brainstorming — you have probably already captured that topic
- **SHOULD:** One newsletter per week maximum — more than that and you train readers to ignore you

---

## Memory & Learning
Claude builds context over time:
- Which hooks and formats drove the highest engagement by platform
- Audience segments and what they respond to
- Your evolving voice — phrases that feel right vs. forced
- Content calendar and publishing cadence patterns
- Reader questions and feedback themes that signal demand

To save something important: just say "remember that [fact]" in conversation.
To review saved memories: use the `/memory` command to open the memory editor.