The 3-Step Framework for Writing Viral Thought Leadership Posts
This is a full guide, not just a mere small framework, and it works well if you are a life coach or self-improvement creator!
Do you want to become the top writer or creator in your industry?
Let me give you a harsh truth: it’s not just about sharing ideas.
It’s not just about consistency and writing what your story or experiences are. It is also not only about writing randomly or when you want to.
If you want to attract an engaged audience, get more opportunities, and stand out in your niche, you need a system for thought leadership content.
And before we jump right into how to write a viral thought leadership post with systemize writing, I’ll share with you what thought leadership content is first.
What is a thought leadership post?
Thought leadership content is high-quality content that shows someone is an expert at that topic and knows a lot about that topic.
It’s not just about sharing ideas.
It’s not just about talking experience.
It’s not just about having relatable problems.
Thought leadership content is about all of those in one.
You combine those into high-quality content, which not only makes you become an expert but also makes people love to consume your content.
And I’ll help you with that.
Why should you listen to me?
After writing for over 1.5 years and growing my audience to 67K followers on Medium and 2.4K+ subscribers on Substack, I’ve found that viral thought leadership posts follow a repeatable structure.
And I will share with you a 3-step framework that works well for your content.
Here’s the 3-step framework I use to write posts that:
Position me as an expert → Talking about “viral”
Connects with my audience → Talking about “relate”
Get shared across platforms → Talking about “engagement”
Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Start With a Strong Hook (Don’t Let Them Run Away in the First 3 Seconds)
Most people skim content.
Your opening must grab their attention immediately.
We are talking about engaging, extreme, interesting conflicts.
✅ State a bold claim: “Most people fail at personal branding because they skip this one step.”
How does it feel when you read it? It feels powerful and interesting. When you read it, you might feel like “this guy knows something.”
✅ Ask a relatable-struggle question: “Are you struggling to stay consistent with content?”
This one makes me feel like “this guy knows my problem. I want to start reading”. That’s how you hook people to read your stuff!
✅ Share a surprising fact. “80% of online creators quit because they don’t have a system.”
Wait, what? Yeah. It is, and it’s not just an example. Writing without a proper system will kill your consistency. And yeah, reading the example makes me want to read the full article.
✅ Use contrast → “I used to spend 10 hours a week writing. Now I do it in 2.”
This one is interesting. How can you write for only 2 hours and make full content for a week? That’s impossible. I want to learn how.
That’s how you make a strong hook.
I’ll give you another example to close this step:
🚫 Weak Hook: “Content creation is important for personal branding.”
✅ Strong Hook: “Building a personal brand without content creation is a dead fish! Here’s how to build one!”
Once you hook the reader, they’ll keep reading.
Step 2: Deliver Actionable & Unique Insights (Engaging and Not Boring)
Your content should provide real value—not generic advice that’s already out there.
“Building a personal brand is important.”
Yeah, then what? What makes it important? Why is it important? How do I make a personal brand?
Give practical advice, actionable ones.
Give unique insights, not just generic advice that people know.
Use this formula for actionable and unique insights:
1. Share a personal experience → “I spent months struggling with content consistency until I found a repeatable system.”
When people relate to this, they might say, “Wow, this guy has the same problem but has been struggling for months. Longer than me!” This will make the reader feel personal and relatable.
2. Break down a proven method → “Here’s a 3-step process to repurpose content across platforms.”
This helps the readers know that they don’t just give generic advice but practical ones. Advice that they can implement and then share with the author about it, whether it works or not.
3. Back it up with examples → “Here’s how I turned one article into five LinkedIn posts.”
This is a specific example. Not just “How I turned an article into a LinkedIn post.”. Give an example, but be specific. How much? How many? How long?
Example Post Structure:
Hook: “Most people fail at content consistency because they don’t have a system.”
Main insight: “I follow a simple 3-step process to create high-impact content in 2 hours per week.”
Breakdown:
Step 1: Research & outline ideas
Step 2: Write the article
Step 3: Repurpose into short-form content
CTA: “Reply ‘system’ if you want the full framework.”
The key? Be specific.
Avoid vague, overused advice like “just post consistently” or “engage with your audience.”
Instead, show how you actually do it.
Step 3: End With a Clear Call-to-Action (Get Engagement & Shares)
Every viral post tells the reader what to do next.
The clearer and more engaging your CTA, the higher your engagement.
📌 Question CTA→ “What’s your biggest struggle with writing content?”
📌 Action CTA: “Try this method for a week and tell me how it goes.”
📌 Engagement CTA→ “Reply ‘framework’ if you want a full breakdown.”
📌 Resource CTA→ “DM me ‘strategy,’ and I’ll send you my free guide.”
Example CTA:
🚫 Weak CTA: “Hope you found this helpful.”
✅ Strong CTA: “Want the full content repurposing system? Comment ‘system’ and I’ll send it to you.”
This not only boosts engagement but also helps you connect with potential clients and followers.
Make This a Repeatable System
Now that you have the 3-step framework for viral thought leadership posts:
Hook your reader with a bold, attention-grabbing opening.
Deliver unique & actionable insights that make your content valuable.
End with a clear CTA for engagement and growth.
Consistency beats perfection.
The more you refine this system, the better your results will be.
If you want to shortcut the process, I help life coaches & creators write high-quality thought leadership content like this with systemize writing specifically made for you.
Not only do I write them content, but I also make the system for them that they can use repeatedly in the long term.
Let’s have a call!
🚀 Struggling to stay consistent with content?
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But without a system, your content won’t attract clients or build authority.
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✅ Write in a clear and effective way
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✅ Turn your content into client-attracting posts
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