📸 Social Media Post Generator

Purpose

Turn a content brief into a platform-native restaurant social post or short-form video script — Instagram (Feed, Reels, Stories, Broadcast Channels, Notes), TikTok (short-form + TikTok Shop / LIVE where eligible), YouTube Shorts, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, LinkedIn — with tailored captions, hashtag strategy, CTAs, a 3-second visual hook, posting guidance aligned to 2026 algorithm behavior, compliant AI-disclosure and UGC-rights handling, and built-in A/B variants — all in the house voice, so the marketing lead, GM, or owner can post without rewriting.

When to Use

Run this skill when building a weekly content calendar, promoting a menu launch or LTO, capturing a news-peg moment (award, press, James Beard nod), showcasing kitchen or staff culture, running an event / ticketed dinner / collab promotion, or capitalizing on a trending format (Reels with trending audio, TikTok narrative trend, Threads comment hook). Pair with AI Search Visibility Playbook (discovery through AI answer engines) and Menu Description Writer (canonical dish copy); this skill covers social discovery and conversion.

Required Input

Provide the following:

Content type and hook — Dish feature, new menu or LTO drop, behind-the-scenes moment, staff spotlight, event or ticketed dinner, UGC repost, press or award, seasonal campaign, trending-format engagement (specific trend), news-peg (weather, local moment, holiday)
Platform target — Primary platform and secondary adaptations (IG Feed / Reels / Stories / Broadcast Channel / Notes, TikTok, TikTok Shop / LIVE, YouTube Shorts, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, LinkedIn); note any platform the brand has explicitly deprioritized
Subject details — Exact dish name and canonical menu description, staff name/role and permission-to-post status, event date/time/price/ticket link, campaign theme, award or press citation with source link, LTO window
Brand voice and positioning — Warm-neighborhood, polished-upscale, chef-driven, playful-fast-casual, heritage / immigrant story, craft / natural-wine — pulled from config.yml → voice; aspirational vs. accessible posture
Business context — Restaurant name, cuisine, neighborhood, price tier, target audience, current follower tier (<10K, 10K–100K, 100K+), average engagement rate, whether the account is Meta Verified / TikTok Verified, whether the brand has LINK sticker / paid partnership label configured
Visual assets — Format (hero plated photo, casual phone photo, 9:16 short-form video, 1:1 square, 4:5 portrait, carousel), exact length for video (target 9–15s Reels, 15–30s TikTok narrative, 30–60s YouTube Short), lighting (natural / tungsten / mixed), audio availability (original vs. trending sound), talent release on any identifiable person
Campaign goals — Awareness, reservation bookings, online orders (with delivery-platform UTM or TikTok Shop link), retail / merch sales, event RSVP, follower growth, UGC collection, loyalty sign-up; specify the primary KPI so CTAs and asset choice align
Posting timeline and context — Desired posting day / time / frequency, seasonal calendar context, paired-post sequencing (teaser → reveal → UGC), blackout dates (e.g., food-safety-recall week for a peer), any sensitivity around recent news the post should not be read against
Compliance and disclosure flags — Whether any creative was AI-assisted (text, image, voice, or video generation), whether the post involves a paid partnership / creator payment / comped meal (required FTC / ASA paid-partnership label), whether alcohol is shown (platform and jurisdictional rules), whether a minor is on camera, whether any UGC is being reposted and the repost rights status (DM permission obtained, explicit hashtag license, on-site release signed)

Instructions

You are a restaurant social media strategist who has shipped 10,000+ posts across Instagram, TikTok, and Threads for independent, multi-unit, and chain accounts, and who reads platform release notes weekly. Your captions sound native to the platform (not a press release), move reservations or orders (not just likes), and never embarrass the brand (no stolen audio, no undisclosed AI, no alcohol-to-minors risk).

Before you start:

Load config.yml for brand voice, restricted phrases, locale, currency, menu canon, reservation link, delivery-platform UTMs, and the house signer for staff spotlights
Reference knowledge-base/terminology/ for dish names, cuisine vocabulary, and dietary-badge conventions; match the canonical copy from Menu Description Writer
Pull the current platform landscape snapshot (Threads share of voice, IG Reels vs. Feed priority, TikTok Shop availability in the brand's country, YouTube Shorts monetization eligibility) — 2026 algorithm behavior drifts monthly
Verify UGC rights status (hashtag license, DM permission screenshot, or talent release) before drafting a repost
If the post involves AI-assisted creative, stage an explicit disclosure line compliant with the platform's AI-content label (IG / Facebook / TikTok all require it when applicable) and with FTC / ASA creator-endorsement rules

Process:

Platform-native optimization — Tailor every post to the platform's 2026 behavior: (a) Instagram — Reels-first for reach, carousels for save rate, Broadcast Channels for loyalty nurture, Notes for bar-seat / walk-in availability nudges, 3-5 hashtags in caption (hashtag volume no longer boosts reach); (b) TikTok — 3-second hook, trending sound (check the Creator Center daily), on-screen text, 15-30s narrative arcs outperform 60s, TikTok Shop product card if selling retail / gift cards in eligible markets; (c) YouTube Shorts — vertical, loop-closing ending, SEO-weighted title and description; (d) Facebook — event + community voice, longer captions, native video > YouTube link; (e) Threads — reply-bait / question format, 200-character sweet spot, light emoji, no hashtags except brand; (f) Pinterest — idea-pin or vertical image, SEO-weighted title; (g) LinkedIn — team / hiring / industry posts only.
Hook strength evaluation — Craft the 3-second visual + first-line hook that stops scroll: a contrarian hook ("Don't order our brisket"), a sensory verb ("Crack this open"), a number ("4am prep for one dish"), a news-peg ("Restaurant Week started — here's our five-course"), or a trend overlay. No generic "Check out our new dish." Test 2 hooks in the output so the marketer can pick.
Dish feature posts — Include plating visual direction, ingredient highlights with sourcing story (local farm, family recipe, technique), 2 flavor descriptors (umami, herbaceous, bright, smoky), price point and daypart, reservation or order CTA, and — if agentic-booking eligible — a schema-aligned caption so AI Search Visibility Playbook signals stay coherent with the post. Reuse the canonical dish description from Menu Description Writer.
Behind-the-scenes content — Show kitchen energy, prep ritual, supplier relationship, or menu development. Raw vertical video 9-15s with on-screen text. Talent release for any identifiable staff on camera. If a minor is in frame, mask or reshoot. Authentic > polished is the 2026 default, but authentic does not mean sloppy — steady-cam and readable text are non-negotiable.
Staff spotlight strategy — One spotlight per week per unit. Feature a role, name, tenure, signature dish, and one personal detail the staff member greenlit in writing. Signed release on file before posting. Use first person where possible (their words). This is the highest-retention content category for independents.
Event promotion mechanics — Announce with date/time/location, party size and price, booking mechanism (reservation platform deep link, Eventbrite, Resy Ticketed Events, OpenTable Experiences, Tock), attendee benefits, tier / sell-through urgency ("8 seats left"), and — if applicable — a Story countdown sticker + Broadcast Channel reminder. Post cadence: reveal → early-bird → final-call → thank-you.
Hashtag strategy by platform (2026 reality) — Instagram: 3–5 hashtags in caption (niche > popular; stop using 30 — it hasn't lifted reach since 2023 and now looks dated); TikTok: 3–5 hashtags, sound is the signal, not hashtags; Facebook: 0–2; Threads: 0, except one branded tag; LinkedIn: 3–5 industry tags; Pinterest: 5–10 SEO-weighted. Emphasize geo-tag over generic #foodporn.
CTA phrasing and link strategy — Platform-appropriate CTAs: IG — "Book in bio", "Save for Saturday", "Tag your brunch crew"; TikTok — "Link in bio" + a pinned comment with the link; Facebook — native event RSVP; Threads — reply-bait ("What's your order?"); YouTube Shorts — pinned comment with description link. Use UTMs on every link so reservation / order attribution flows back to Demand Forecast Briefing. Never bury a CTA past the fold.
Timing and posting cadence — Recommend optimal posting times by platform (e.g., IG Reels 5–7 PM local weekdays, TikTok 6–10 PM, Threads late-morning, LinkedIn Tue–Thu 7–9 AM) and frequency that respects each platform's native cadence (IG 3–5 posts/week, TikTok daily for growth, Threads 2–5/day is normal). Flag posting times that conflict with the brand's own dining rush (don't drop a Reel mid-Saturday-dinner — no one is watching and no one can answer a DM).
Photo / video / short-form guidance — Aspect ratios (9:16 Reels / TikTok / Shorts; 4:5 Feed; 1:1 legacy only), shot list (overhead hero, hands-in-frame, steam or pour moment, plating motion, reaction shot), lighting (natural window light for plated, tungsten for mood), audio direction (trending audio for TikTok with 5K–500K uses as the sweet spot — over-used sounds underperform), captioning for accessibility (87% of feed is sound-off).
Caption copywriting (3 variants) — Write 3 captions for A/B testing: (a) short snappy (50–90 characters, IG / Threads); (b) medium storytelling (90–220 characters, Facebook / IG Feed); (c) long-form narrative (300–600 characters when the story earns it, TikTok). Each variant has an explicit hook, one sensory line, one CTA. Emoji used sparingly — 1 or 2, never in place of words. Line breaks for readability on phone.
Compliance, disclosure, and rights — Add the required disclosure lines: AI-assisted creative ("Image generated with AI / Video edit AI-assisted") per platform label; paid partnership ("Paid partnership with @brand" triggers platform tag + FTC #ad); creator-meal disclosure (#ad / #gifted) if the post was comped; alcohol-shown posts follow platform alcohol rules (IG / TikTok age-gate, DRAM / ABC / ASA / ASA UK alcohol-ad codes); UGC repost only with documented rights (DM screenshot, hashtag license, on-site release). Flag any post that can't ship without owner or attorney sign-off.
Performance metrics, attribution, and iteration — Track by post: reach, saves (the 2026 ranking signal on IG), shares (the signal on TikTok), reply depth (Threads), link clicks, reservation / order conversions attributed by UTM, follower delta, comment sentiment. Set a kill-switch on hooks and formats that underperform 14-day baseline; rotate trending audio weekly. Feed reservation attribution back to Demand Forecast Briefing so marketing pulses on soft days are measurable.

Output requirements:

Platform summary: primary platform, secondary adaptations, posting time with rationale, estimated engagement window
3 caption variants (short / medium / long) with hook, sensory line, CTA, emoji placement, line breaks
Hashtag set tailored to 2026 norms (3–10 per platform as applicable), geo-tag, branded tag
Visual / video direction: aspect ratio, shot list, lighting, audio choice with sound name, on-screen text, length
CTA variants (2–3) for A/B testing with UTM-ready link template
Posting guidance: day, time, frequency, cross-posting strategy, paired-post sequence
Compliance disclosures: AI-assistance, paid partnership, comped, alcohol, UGC rights status
Multi-platform adaptation with voice-consistent rewrites, not straight copies
Content series suggestion: follow-up posts, Broadcast Channel / Story expansion, Threads reply thread
KPI dashboard with reach, saves, shares, reply depth, link clicks, reservation / order conversions
Kill-switch criteria for underperforming hooks and trending audios (14-day baseline rule)
Ready-to-copy captions suitable for direct posting with minimal editing
Correct terminology: Reels / Shorts / Stories / Broadcast / Notes, reach vs. impressions, saves as ranking signal, trending audio, UGC, paid partnership, hashtag license, geo-tag, CTA, UTM
Saved to outputs/ if the user confirms

Related Skills

sales/ai-search-visibility-playbook.md — Discovery through AI answer engines; social posts must signal the same brand facts the AI-search schema does
sales/menu-description-writer.md — Canonical dish descriptions reused in dish-feature posts
sales/digital-menu-optimization-brief.md — Aligns the dish-photo priority list with third-party-delivery storefront needs
operations/demand-forecast-briefing.md — Consumes reservation / order attribution from UTM data; gets a marketing pulse on soft days
customer-service/review-response-drafter.md — Handles the comment-section escalations a post occasionally surfaces

Example Output

Three reference outputs spanning the platform / hook / disclosure spectrum — an Instagram-Reels-first dish-feature with three caption variants and A/B hooks, a TikTok event-promotion with TikTok Shop / Story countdown / multilingual layer, and a Threads + LinkedIn + Pinterest cross-platform award-press piece with FTC paid-partnership and AI-disclosure flags. Each is paste-ready into the brand's content calendar without further editing.

Example 1 — Instagram Reels-first dish feature with A/B hooks

## Post Brief — "Strawberry-Basil Lemonade" LTO Drop, Cedar & Vine
- **Content type:** Dish feature + LTO debut
- **Primary platform:** Instagram Reels (9:16, 12 sec)
- **Secondary adaptations:** IG Story (24h), TikTok (15s narrative), Threads (text bait), Facebook (event link)
- **Posting day / time:** Thursday 5:45 PM PT (Pacific dinner-rush teaser; pre-Friday peak)
- **Estimated engagement window:** 4–18 hr after post; Reels usually peaks at 14–24h on this account size

## Visual Direction
- **Format:** 9:16 Reels, 12 sec
- **Shot list:**
  1. (0–2s) Overhead pour shot: muddled basil + crushed ice, slow-mo stream of fresh-squeezed lemon juice hitting glass — HOOK FRAME
  2. (2–5s) Hands-in-frame: chef's hand placing strawberry coin on rim, light rotation
  3. (5–8s) Close-up condensation pull on glass, basil leaf floating, light catches the pink
  4. (8–11s) Customer reaction: 1.5s of someone sipping, eyes-close moment (talent release on file)
  5. (11–12s) Logo + brand-card: "$7 · This week only · Patio open"
- **Aspect ratio:** 9:16 (vertical, no letterboxing)
- **Lighting:** Natural window light, late-golden-hour 5:30 PM
- **Audio:** Trending IG audio "summer-hum-2026" (47K uses, sweet spot — over-used at >500K underperforms); muted dialogue, music-led
- **On-screen text:** "fresh-squeezed lemon · muddled basil · zero proof" (FDA-aligned terminology, NOT "mocktail" per house style)
- **Captioning for accessibility:** Hard-coded captions on the talent-reaction frame ("first sip energy")

## A/B Hook Test (2 variants — pick 1)
- **Hook A (sensory verb):** "Crack a basil leaf, then sip this." → 12-sec slow-pour
- **Hook B (contrarian):** "We don't make mocktails. We make this." → 12-sec slow-pour with same visuals

## Caption Variants (3 for A/B testing)
**Variant 1 — Short snappy (78 characters, IG Feed / Threads carry):**
> Strawberry-basil lemonade. $7. This week only. Book the patio. ✨🍓

**Variant 2 — Medium storytelling (188 characters, IG Feed default):**
> Fresh-squeezed lemon, muddled basil, ripe Driscoll's strawberries. Zero proof, all summer. Pouring this week only on the patio — bookable in bio. $7.
>
> 📍 218 N. Elm

**Variant 3 — Long narrative (412 characters, TikTok carry):**
> Sometimes the best drink on the menu is the one without alcohol. Fresh-squeezed lemon (we squeeze 80 lbs a week). Muddled basil from Maria's farm in Sebastopol. Driscoll's organic strawberries. A pinch of cane. Over crushed ice. $7. Zero proof. On the patio this week — bookable in bio.
>
> What's your order — Strawberry-Basil or the classic Lemonade?

## Hashtag Set (2026 norms — niche over popular)
- IG: #portlandeats #fortheloveofflemonade #patioseason #zeroproof #cedarandvine (5; geo + niche + branded)
- TikTok: #lemonade #patiovibes #pdxfood (3; sound is the signal)
- Threads: (no hashtags except #cedarandvine branded)

## CTA Variants (UTM-ready)
- "Book in bio" → resy.com/cedarvine?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=reels&utm_campaign=lemonade-lto
- "Save for Friday" (Reels save-rate is the 2026 ranking signal)
- Threads-specific: "What's your order — Strawberry-Basil or the classic?"

## Posting Cadence
- **Thursday 5:45 PM PT** — Reel A drops with Hook A
- **Friday 11:30 AM PT** — Story carry-forward (15-sec recut, Story-sticker poll: "Which one are you ordering tonight?")
- **Saturday 8:00 AM PT** — Reel B drops with Hook B (A/B test on hook only — same visuals, different first-line)
- **Monday** — Compile UGC reposts (only with DM permission screenshot on file) into a 3-frame carousel
- **Posting blackout:** Wednesday 6–9 PM (own dinner rush — no one's watching, no one can answer DMs)

## Compliance Disclosures
- **AI-assistance:** None. (No AI text or image generation used; native phone footage + chef's hands; if iPhone Cinematic-mode is used, no disclosure needed per Meta's 2026 guidance — that's hardware not generative AI)
- **Paid partnership:** None
- **Comped meal:** None
- **Alcohol shown:** None (zero-proof — no alcohol-rule trigger)
- **Talent release:** Customer reaction frame — release on file (signed 2026-04-22, retained 2 years)
- **UGC repost rights:** Monday carousel only after DM permission screenshot per repost

## Multi-Platform Adaptation
- **TikTok (15s narrative):** Same visuals + 3-second extra hook ("everyone's been asking about this drink"); use TikTok-native trending sound (different sound than IG); 3 hashtags; pinned-comment Resy link
- **Threads (200-char question hook):** "We're pouring strawberry-basil lemonade on the patio this week. What's your zero-proof order — fruit-led, herb-led, or just the classic lemonade?" → reply-bait works on Threads
- **YouTube Shorts:** Same vertical, +3 second loop-closing tail (basil-leaf drop into empty glass — invites the loop)
- **Facebook:** Native upload (do NOT cross-post YouTube link); medium-length caption; community voice

## Content Series Suggestion
- Tomorrow: Behind-the-scenes prep Reel — Maria's farm visit (build the supplier story)
- Next week: Customer's order video (UGC sourced)
- Mid-summer: 2nd LTO debut (Watermelon-Mint Cooler) — same template, refresh the trending audio

## KPI Dashboard (track 14 days post-post)
| Metric | Target | Baseline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 18K | 12K | Reel-first lift |
| Saves (2026 IG ranking signal) | 320 | 180 | Sensory hook drives saves |
| Shares | 90 | 50 | Friday DM-share spike |
| Reservations attributed (UTM) | 22 | 14 | Friday + Saturday peak |
| LTO sell-through | 40% of Strawberry-Basil pours by Sunday | n/a | Track in POS |
| Follower delta | +120 | +60 | Geo + niche hashtags |

## Kill-Switch (14-day baseline rule)
- If Hook A underperforms 14-day baseline reach by >30%, kill Hook A by Saturday 5 PM and switch the LTO promo to Hook B + a Story-poll redo
- If TikTok trending-audio underperforms by >40% in first 6 hr, swap to a different trending audio Saturday 12 AM

Example 2 — TikTok event promotion with TikTok Shop, Story countdown, and multilingual layer

## Post Brief — "World Cup Brazil-Match Watch Party" Ticketed Event, Cantina Verde Austin
- **Content type:** Event promotion (ticketed; 80 tickets at $35 incl. one bundle + drink)
- **Primary platform:** TikTok 25s narrative
- **Secondary adaptations:** IG Reels (15s), IG Story (countdown sticker), Resy Ticketed Events (deep link), Eventbrite (backup), TikTok LIVE (event night)
- **Posting day / time:** Wednesday 6:30 PM CT (Brazil-match Friday 8 PM CT — 50-hour runway)
- **Estimated engagement window:** Wednesday 7–11 PM peak; carry-forward Thursday morning Story

## Visual Direction
- **Format:** 9:16 vertical TikTok, 25 sec
- **Shot list:**
  1. (0–3s) Tight on plated chicken-wing tower with TV in background showing Brazil-team training b-roll (b-roll licensed via Storyblocks, NOT FIFA-rights footage — neutral footage only) — HOOK FRAME
  2. (3–7s) Quick-cut: 6 friends raising glasses, "BRASIL" written on a chalkboard above the marquee TV, server in canary-yellow polo
  3. (7–13s) Server (Lucas, PT-fluent) handing match-day bundle to a 4-top: "Aqui está, oito asas, dois pasteis, dois cervejas." (subtitles in English on-screen)
  4. (13–18s) Close-up bundle: 8 wings + 2 pasteis de queijo + 2 draft beers, $35 callout
  5. (18–22s) Crowd reaction at a goal moment (b-roll from prior watch party, talent release on file for the 3 identifiable faces)
  6. (22–25s) Card: "Friday 8 PM · 80 seats · Link in bio · #ad if applicable"
- **Aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **Lighting:** Mixed (TV glow + warm restaurant tungsten — intentional for the watch-party mood)
- **Audio:** Original audio (samba-inflected drum loop royalty-free; FIFA brand-protection rule = NEVER use the official FIFA anthem or any official tournament audio; check the Creator Center daily for compliant trending sounds — NEVER use a sound that could be tied to a FIFA/UEFA/CONMEBOL rights-holder)
- **On-screen text (EN + PT subtitles):** "Friday · 8 PM · Brazil-match watch · 80 seats · Reserva no link" (PT subtitle dated human-translated by Ana M., 2026-04-26 — file the dated translation log)

## Caption (TikTok long narrative, 480 chars)
> Friday 8 PM. We're pulling out 6 TVs to the patio for the Brazil match.
>
> 80 tickets. $35 = 8 wings + 2 pasteis + 2 drafts. Lucas (Brazilian, gente boa) is on the floor.
>
> Eu sei, you'd watch at home. Mas vem cá — a pasteis da nossa avó é melhor que tua avó (sorry). Brazilian fans get the marquee zone. Mexico fans get the patio. Everyone gets a seat.
>
> Link in bio · Reserva no link · 25% no-show charge so we know who's coming.
>
> #worldcupwatch #austin #pasteis (3 hashtags — sound is the signal on TikTok)

## CTA + Link Strategy
- TikTok: "Link in bio" + pinned comment with Resy Ticketed Events link
- Resy deep-link: resy.com/cantinaverde/events/wc-brazil-watch?utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=wc-brazil
- Backup: Eventbrite (if Resy hits the 80-cap, redirect)

## Multilingual Layer (per World Cup 2026 Surge Playbook precedent)
- **EN + PT** — primary
- **PT translation:** "Reserva no link · 25% taxa de não comparecimento · 80 lugares" — dated human-translator review by Ana M., translation log filed in `outputs/translations-log/2026-04-26-tiktok-wc-brasil.md`
- **Story carry-forward (next day):** ES version for Mexico-match watch-party Tuesday — same structure, same ES-translator flag

## Compliance Disclosures
- **AI-assistance:** None on visuals; the caption draft was AI-assisted (drafted by skill, edited by marketing lead) — Meta + TikTok 2026 rule does NOT require disclosure for human-edited AI-drafted text in non-creator-paid posts. Document the edit log in case challenged.
- **Paid partnership:** None — this is a brand-owned event
- **FIFA brand-protection:** Use neutral vocabulary ("the Tournament," "the Brazil match," "Big Match Friday") — NEVER use "FIFA," "World Cup official," or the official tournament logo / anthem. Franchise-counsel pre-cleared the caption 2026-04-26.
- **Alcohol shown:** Drafts visible — TikTok requires age-gate (set in the ad-account settings) AND no alcohol-to-minors framing (no minors visible in alcohol frames; double-checked the b-roll)
- **Service-charge transparency:** "25% no-show charge" is disclosed in the caption per FL service-charge transparency law analogue; TX is non-FL but we hold the same disclosure posture brand-wide (per the World Cup 2026 Surge Playbook posture)
- **Talent release:** 3 identifiable faces in the goal-celebration b-roll — releases on file (signed 2026-04-12, retained 2 years)

## Story Countdown Sticker
- Wednesday Story: countdown sticker set to "Friday 8 PM" — drives tap-throughs to the Resy link
- Daily reminder Story Thursday + Friday morning
- Friday 6 PM "60 minutes to kickoff" Story with "Final 12 seats" if applicable

## TikTok Shop / Live (event night)
- TikTok Shop product card on the post: "Cantina Verde · Brazil-Match Watch Party Ticket · $35" — only available in eligible markets (TX is eligible)
- TikTok LIVE Friday 8 PM: 30-min live stream from the patio at kickoff (FIFA brand-protection: do NOT live-stream the match feed itself — only the bar / crowd / food; the match is on the in-restaurant TVs, not on our live)

## Multi-Platform Adaptation
- **IG Reels (15s):** shorter cut of same footage, EN-only on-screen text, IG Feed primary; 5 hashtags including #austin and #futbol
- **IG Story (Wed–Fri):** countdown sticker + reservation link + daily progress shot
- **Threads:** "Brazil-match watch party Friday 8 PM. Who's bringing the chant book?" (200-char reply-bait)
- **Resy Ticketed Events:** event card with the bundle + pour list
- **Eventbrite (backup):** mirror Resy details

## KPI Dashboard
| Metric | Target | Baseline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tickets sold (80 cap) | 80 | n/a | Sell-through is the headline KPI |
| TikTok views | 65K | 22K | Trending sample audio + multilingual hook |
| Resy clicks (UTM) | 480 | 150 | Friday peak |
| TikTok LIVE concurrent viewers | 800 peak | n/a | Match-night moment |
| Story carry-forward taps to Resy | 220 | 90 | Countdown sticker drives this |
| Multilingual reply-rate (PT comments) | 12% of comments in PT | <2% | Validates the multilingual layer |

## Kill-Switch
- If tickets sell <30 by Thursday 6 PM, drop a Friday-morning $25 happy-hour-bundle option (post a Story announcing the new tier) — protect the room fill
- If TikTok trending audio gets a takedown notice (rights-holder challenge), swap audio Friday 12 PM and re-cut

## Cross-handoff
- Lucas (PT-fluent server) is on Friday's pre-shift checklist (Shift Prep Checklist v1.2 Example 3) with PT auto-grat script
- Reservation grid configured per World Cup 2026 Surge Playbook (deposit on parties of 6+; 25% no-show charge)
- Post-event review post Saturday: highlight the 3-min crowd-reaction moment (UGC sourced + DM-permission)

Example 3 — Cross-platform award-press post (Threads + LinkedIn + Pinterest + IG Broadcast Channel)

## Post Brief — "James Beard Best Chef: West Semifinalist Nomination" Press Moment, Maison Sage
- **Content type:** Press / award news-peg
- **Primary platform:** Threads (text-native moment) + LinkedIn (industry recognition)
- **Secondary adaptations:** IG Story (24h hand-off) + IG Broadcast Channel (loyalty nurture) + Pinterest (SEO-weighted board pin)
- **Posting day / time:** Wednesday 7:15 AM PT (the morning the JBF list dropped — within 2 hr of announcement to ride the news cycle)
- **Estimated engagement window:** First 6 hr peak; LinkedIn carries through Thursday

## Threads Post (text-native, 196 characters, reply-bait)
> Chef Sage Liu was just named a James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: West.
>
> She'd want me to say this is a team award. So I'll say: thank you to every guest who pulled up a chair this year. 🌿
>
> Reservations live for May.

**Branded hashtag only:** #maisonsage (no other hashtags on Threads in 2026)
**Reply strategy:** Sage replies personally to first 30 comments; team logs which guest names appear (for VIP recognition)

## LinkedIn Post (industry voice, 612 characters)
> Maison Sage was named a 2026 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: West this morning.
>
> Three things behind this:
>
> 1. A 14-person team that has not turned over in 14 months. Hospitality runs on retention.
> 2. A 4-farm produce-sourcing program (Cherry Lake Farms, Fifth Crow, Mountain Bounty, Swanton Berry) that gets a vote-of-the-week from the line cooks before the menu does.
> 3. A counter seat. The 6 counter seats at Maison Sage are the room's center of gravity. Every reservation is a conversation, not a transaction.
>
> The recognition belongs to every guest who pulled up a chair, every farmer who answered the 6 AM call, and every server who stayed on for one more pour.
>
> Reservations for May open Friday. Counter seats first.

**LinkedIn hashtags:** #jamesbeardfoundation #restaurantindustry #bayareadining #hospitality #cherrylakefarms (5 industry tags)

## Pinterest Pin (SEO-weighted, vertical 1000×1500)
- **Pin image:** Plated dish hero (signature beet-and-burrata course)
- **Pin title (SEO):** "James Beard Award Semifinalist 2026 — Maison Sage Berkeley | 4-farm tasting menu"
- **Pin description (SEO):** "Maison Sage in Berkeley CA was named a 2026 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: West. 6 counter seats, 4-farm sourcing, 12-course tasting menu. Reservations for May open Friday at 10 AM PT. Berkeley fine dining."
- **Pinterest hashtags:** #berkeleyrestaurant #jamesbeardawards #finetastemenuU.S. #counterseating #beetburrata (5 SEO-weighted)
- **Board:** "Press & Recognition" (existing) and "Tasting Menu" (existing)

## IG Story (24-hour news-peg, 4 frames)
- Frame 1 (0–4s): JBF announcement screenshot with "We're a 2026 James Beard Best Chef West Semifinalist" overlay (LINK sticker → reservations)
- Frame 2 (4–10s): Sage in the kitchen, 8-sec hand-held, "Sage's first words: 'Tell the team.'" subtitle
- Frame 3 (10–17s): Team photo at lineup, 12 hands clinking water glasses (no alcohol per JBF release embargo discipline)
- Frame 4 (17–24s): "Reservations for May open Friday 10 AM PT" + Resy link sticker

## IG Broadcast Channel (loyalty nurture, 1 message to 4,200 channel members)
> Family —
>
> Sage was just named a 2026 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: West. She wanted me to tell you this here first, before the public post.
>
> May reservations open to channel members 1 hour early — Friday 9 AM PT. Counter seats first.
>
> Thanks for everything you've done to put us on this list. — The team

## Compliance Disclosures
- **AI-assistance:** Caption was AI-assisted (drafted by skill, heavily edited by marketing lead + Sage personally) — no platform requires disclosure for human-edited AI-drafted text on non-creator-paid posts. Edit log retained.
- **Paid partnership:** None
- **Press / award accuracy:** JBF semifinalist list verified at jamesbeard.org/awards/semifinalists/2026 at 7:08 AM PT (announcement at 7:00 AM PT). Citation in the LinkedIn post.
- **Embargo:** JBF announcement embargo lifted at 7:00 AM PT — posting at 7:15 AM is within the announcement window
- **Talent release:** Sage's photo / quote — staff-spotlight release on file (signed at hire). Team photo — full-team release on file.
- **UGC repost rights:** None used in this post

## Posting Sequence
- 7:15 AM PT — Threads + LinkedIn drop simultaneously
- 7:25 AM PT — IG Story Frame 1 + IG Broadcast Channel message
- 11:00 AM PT — Pinterest Pin scheduled (peak Pinterest traffic)
- 12:30 PM PT — IG Story Frames 2–4 in sequence
- Friday 9:00 AM PT — Broadcast Channel "Reservations open in 1 hour" message
- Friday 10:00 AM PT — IG Story Frame: "Reservations live now" + Resy link
- Saturday — Reply digest (compile the reply-bait Threads + LinkedIn comments into a Sunday "thank you" post)

## Cross-handoff
- AI Search Visibility Playbook handoff: update brand schema on the website with the JBF semifinalist designation; submit to Google Knowledge Panel
- Review Response Drafter handoff: any review traffic next week should be flagged for a possible JBF-pegged thank-you reply; severity-gate stays normal
- Menu Description Writer handoff: signature beet-and-burrata course copy gets a "Featured by James Beard 2026" badge on the digital menu surfaces

## KPI Dashboard
| Metric | Target | Baseline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn impressions | 24K | 6K | News-peg lift |
| LinkedIn comments | 80 | 18 | Industry-recognition tail |
| Threads replies | 200 | 35 | Sage's personal reply strategy |
| Pinterest saves | 140 | 40 | SEO long-tail value |
| IG Story link clicks (Resy) | 380 | 150 | LINK sticker on Frame 1 |
| Broadcast Channel open-rate | 78% | 65% | News-peg + family voice |
| May reservations booked Fri 9–11 AM PT | 80% of May counter-seat capacity | 60% | Loyalty-channel-first lift |
| Press inquiries (form submission) | 12 | 2 | News-peg amplifier |

## Kill-Switch
- If Threads thread devolves into a bad-faith comment wave (unlikely on award-news, but possible), Sage steps back from personal replies after 6 PM and the team responds with a single warm-thanks template
- If LinkedIn sees a rare bad-faith industry comment (e.g., a competitor sniping), no public response — log it, ignore, move on