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Checklist · 3 min read

The pre-publish checklist.

Sixty seconds, nine checks. Copy it into your notes app and run it every time. Most posts that flop fail at least one.

The opening

  • Something happens in the first second. A word, a movement, a cut. Not a fade.
  • The opening line is on screen as text, in the top third, readable on a phone at arm's length.
  • There is no intro. No name, no logo, no "hey guys." Those live in the caption.

The file

  • It's the right shape. 9:16 for Reels, Shorts and TikTok. 4:5 or 1:1 for feed. Not a landscape video with black bars.
  • It's under the limit and still sharp. Check the size before you upload, not after the platform crushes it.
  • Captions are burned in if there's speech, because most people are on mute.

The ask

  • The last frame asks for one thing. Save, share, comment, or follow. Not all four.
  • The caption's first line stands on its own, because that's all anyone sees before "more".
  • You know what would count as a win. Saves, shares, replies, clicks. Decide now, so you can tell later whether it worked.

Then post it

Before you do, run the file through the tools below: under the size limit, the right shape, captions ready. It takes a minute, costs nothing, and it is the part of the checklist most posts skip.

Tools for this