Content Pillars & Topic Bank¶
Parent doc: VELLOCITY_MEDIA_GROWTH_STRATEGY.md Created: 2026-03-30 Updated: 2026-03-31 — Revised with Metricool 2026 Study insights (added Facebook, Threads; updated LinkedIn to carousel/poll-first; updated IG to carousel-first)
The 5 Content Pillars¶
Each pillar maps to a trust-building objective. Content rotates across pillars to keep the feed varied while building authority on all fronts.
| # | Pillar | Trust Signal | Phase 1 Safe? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cloud Marketplace GTM Mastery | "This person knows how to win in marketplaces" | ✅ (use general framing) |
| 2 | AI/ML in the Real World | "Certified, technical, not just hype" | ✅ |
| 3 | Building in Public | "Authentic, transparent, relatable" | ✅ |
| 4 | Creator/Studio Craft | "This production quality signals serious" | ✅ |
| 5 | Founder Frameworks & Lessons | "Strategic thinker, not just a builder" | ✅ |
Pillar 1: Cloud Marketplace GTM Mastery (35% of content)¶
The bread and butter. This is what makes you the go-to voice in the niche.
YouTube (Long-Form) — 35 videos¶
"Marketplace GTM Playbook" Series (15 episodes) 1. Why 90% of marketplace listings never generate pipeline 2. The 3 stages of marketplace GTM (List → Launch → Scale) 3. What ISVs get wrong about co-sell (and how to fix it) 4. How to write a marketplace listing that actually converts 5. A/B testing your marketplace listing — why nobody does this 6. The GTM campaign calendar every ISV partner needs 7. Content marketing for cloud marketplace products (not SaaS, marketplace) 8. How to find your ideal co-sell partner (the ICP overlap framework) 9. Private offers vs. public listings — when to use each 10. How to measure marketplace content attribution to pipeline 11. The partner marketing budget breakdown (where to spend first) 12. Marketplace SEO — ranking your listing in cloud marketplace search 13. Why "getting listed" is 10% of the work 14. The funding programs most ISVs don't know about 15. Building a GTM engine with a team of 1-3
"GTM Teardowns" Series (10 episodes) 16. Teardown: I reviewed 50 marketplace listings — here's what I found 17. Teardown: Best co-sell campaign I've ever seen (anonymized) 18. Teardown: Why this ISV went from 0 to $2M marketplace revenue 19. Teardown: The worst marketplace listing mistakes (and fixes) 20. Teardown: How top partners structure their partner pages 21. Teardown: Email sequences that drive marketplace pipeline 22. Teardown: Landing pages that convert marketplace traffic 23. Teardown: Social proof strategies that work for B2B cloud 24. Teardown: How to position against competitors in your listing 25. Teardown: The case study format that closes enterprise deals
"Industry Pulse" (10 episodes) 26. State of cloud marketplaces in 2026 — what's changed 27. Why every SaaS company will sell through marketplaces by 2028 28. Multi-cloud marketplace strategy — AWS + Azure + GCP 29. The rise of CPPO and what it means for partners 30. How committed spend is reshaping B2B software buying 31. AI agents in GTM — what's real vs. what's hype 32. The marketplace ecosystem map (build vs. sell vs. market) 33. What re:Invent announcements mean for ISV partners 34. Cloud marketplace consolidation — who survives 35. Predictions: marketplace GTM in 2027
TikTok/Reels — 50+ clips from above + standalone¶
Quick-hit standalone formats (authenticity > polish): - "One thing ISVs get wrong about..." (30-60s) - "If I were launching a marketplace listing today..." (60s) - "Stop doing this in your marketplace listing" (15-30s) - "The GTM playbook nobody talks about" (60s) - "POV: You just got listed on a cloud marketplace and have zero pipeline" (comedy/relatable)
Instagram — 35 posts (carousel-first)¶
- Carousels (20): Convert YouTube frameworks into 5-8 slide decks — "The 3 stages of marketplace GTM", "A/B testing your listing", co-sell ICP framework. Carousels get 30,810 impressions (2x Reels) and 795 interactions.
- Reels (15): Repurpose TikTok clips as secondary format
LinkedIn — 25 posts (carousels + polls)¶
- Carousels (15): Turn YouTube frameworks into slide decks — "The 3 layers of marketplace GTM" (5-8 slides), "We analyzed X listings — here's what top performers do differently", step-by-step playbooks
- Polls (5): "What's your #1 GTM challenge after listing?" / "How many people run your marketplace GTM?" / "Which matters more: co-sell or content?"
- Text posts (5): Hot takes ("Your marketplace listing is not your GTM strategy"), lessons learned
Format rationale (Metricool 2026): LinkedIn carousels get 247% more interactions than average. Polls get 158% more impressions. Video is the weakest LinkedIn format — avoid.
Facebook — 50 cross-posts¶
- Cross-post all TikTok clips from this pillar to Facebook (same files, same captions)
- Facebook video reach grew +44% YoY with +22% interactions — zero-effort amplifier
Threads — 12 cross-posts¶
- Cross-post LinkedIn text posts and hot takes to Threads
- Threads gets 89% more impressions per post than LinkedIn
Substack — 8 posts¶
- Deep-dive versions of the best YouTube scripts
- "The Marketplace GTM Newsletter" positioning
- Exclusive frameworks not shared on social
Pillar 2: AI/ML in the Real World (20% of content)¶
Leverage your 2 AI certifications. Teach what others only speculate about.
YouTube — 20 videos¶
"AI Certification Path" Series (8 episodes) 1. Why I got 3 AWS certifications (and which 2 matter most) 2. How to pass the AWS AI Practitioner exam — real study guide 3. How to pass the AWS ML Engineer Associate — what to actually know 4. What AWS AI certifications teach you that YouTube videos don't 5. The difference between AI hype and AI engineering 6. Building AI into a real product — lessons from 35+ capabilities 7. Bedrock vs. OpenAI — an honest technical comparison 8. AI agents explained: what they actually are (not what LinkedIn says)
"AI Applied" Series (12 episodes) 9. How I use AI to generate GTM campaigns (live demo, Phase 2) 10. AI-powered content attribution — connecting content to revenue 11. Building responsible AI: guardrails, bias, and enterprise trust 12. The credit-based AI pricing model (why per-seat is dead) 13. Multi-model AI architecture — when to use which model 14. AI for partner matching — the ICP scoring algorithm explained 15. How AI reads marketplace contracts (agreement intelligence) 16. No-code AI agents — what's possible in 2026 17. AI-generated funding applications — automating PoC/MDF requests 18. The future of AI in B2B go-to-market 19. RAG architecture for GTM — how knowledge bases power better AI output 20. AI cost optimization — running 35+ capabilities without going broke
TikTok/Reels — 30 clips (authenticity > polish)¶
- "AI certification tip of the day"
- "What this AI feature actually does" (demystify)
- "AI agents are not chatbots — here's why"
- "The AI model I'd pick for [X task]"
- Hot takes on AI news
Instagram — 20 posts (carousel-first)¶
- Carousels (12): "AWS AI Practitioner study guide" (slide-by-slide), "Bedrock vs. OpenAI" (comparison slides), "AI agents explained" (visual breakdown), certification timeline
- Reels (8): Repurpose TikTok AI clips as secondary format
LinkedIn — 15 posts (carousels + polls)¶
- Carousels (10): "How to pass the AWS AI Practitioner exam" (slide-by-slide study guide), "Bedrock vs. OpenAI — honest comparison" (side-by-side slides), certification journey stories as visual timelines
- Polls (3): "Which AI certification is most valuable?" / "Bedrock or OpenAI for B2B?" / "Is the AI Practitioner cert worth it?"
- Text posts (2): "What I'd tell my past self about AI engineering", technical but accessible insights
Facebook — 30 cross-posts¶
- Cross-post TikTok AI clips to Facebook
Threads — 6 cross-posts¶
- Cross-post LinkedIn text posts to Threads
Substack — 5 posts¶
- AWS AI certification study guides (lead magnets)
- Deep technical breakdowns of AI architecture decisions
Pillar 3: Building in Public (20% of content)¶
Transparency creates trust faster than any marketing. Show the real journey.
YouTube — 20 videos¶
"Building Vellocity" Series (Phase 2 primarily, but framework Phase 1) 1. Why I'm building a media company, not a software company 2. Month 1 revenue report (the honest numbers) 3. How I chose my niche (and why I said no to everything else) 4. The decision to go AWS-native (and what it cost me) 5. My tech stack and why I chose each piece 6. How I built 35+ AI capabilities as a solo founder (with AI) 7. The pricing model that took me 30+ partner conversations to figure out 8. My content creation workflow (studio tour + process) 9. What 4 months of customer research taught me before writing code 10. The features I cut (and why saying no is the hardest part) 11. Hiring my first team member — what role and why 12. My monthly operating costs (real numbers) 13. The fundraising question — bootstrapped vs. funded 14. Customer zero — how I got my first paying user 15. The rebrand story (from [old name] to Vellocity) 16. My daily routine as a solo founder 17. Tools I use to run everything (not just the software) 18. Mistakes I've made building Vellocity (honest post-mortem) 19. Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4 retrospectives 20. The 1-year update — what worked, what didn't
TikTok/Reels — 30 clips (authenticity > polish)¶
- "Day in the life" format
- Quick wins and milestones
- "I just shipped [feature] — here's why it matters"
- Real-time reactions to metrics/milestones
- "Things nobody tells you about building a SaaS"
Instagram — 20 posts (carousel-first)¶
- Carousels (12): Monthly metric dashboards as slides, "My tech stack" (logo-per-slide), milestone timelines, "Features I cut and why" (before/after slides)
- Reels (8): Repurpose TikTok "day in the life" and milestone clips
LinkedIn — 15 posts (carousels + text)¶
- Carousels (8): Monthly metric dashboards as slide decks, "The real P&L of a bootstrapped SaaS" (numbers as slides), milestone timelines
- Polls (2): "Bootstrap or raise?" / "What's your biggest solo-founder struggle?"
- Text posts (5): Milestone announcements, lessons learned, vulnerability/honesty posts (these perform best on LinkedIn)
Facebook — 30 cross-posts¶
- Cross-post TikTok building-in-public clips to Facebook
Threads — 6 cross-posts¶
- Cross-post LinkedIn vulnerability/honesty text posts to Threads — authentic content resonates on Threads
Substack — 5 posts¶
- Monthly/quarterly deep retrospectives
- "The real P&L of a bootstrapped SaaS"
- Strategic decisions explained in full
Pillar 4: Creator/Studio Craft (10% of content)¶
Your studio setup is an asset. Use it to attract a broader audience that funnels into your niche content.
YouTube — 15 videos¶
- My home studio tour — 4 setups for different content types
- Canon C70 for YouTube — is it overkill? (honest review)
- Canon R6 II — the best B-cam for creators
- My 9-mic collection — which ones I actually use and when
- DJI Osmo Nano — adding drone B-roll to business content
- Lighting setup on a budget vs. what I use now
- How I batch record 6 videos in one day
- My editing workflow (tools, process, delegation)
- Audio quality: why most business YouTubers sound terrible
- The teleprompter setup that changed my content
- How to set up a podcast studio at home
- Gear I regret buying (and what I'd buy instead)
- How to make B2B content look like B2C content
- The thumbnail strategy I use (tools + psychology)
- Content repurposing workflow — 1 video → 8 pieces of content
TikTok/Reels — 20 clips (authenticity > polish)¶
- Quick gear comparisons
- "POV: switching from iPhone to Canon C70"
- Studio ASMR / setup shots
- "The mic that made me sound professional"
- Behind-the-scenes of recording day
Instagram — 15 posts (carousel-first)¶
- Carousels (10): Studio setup walkthroughs (photo-per-slide), gear comparison charts, "My 9 mics ranked" (slide deck), lighting before/after
- Reels (5): Repurpose TikTok gear/studio clips. Studio ASMR does well as Reels too.
LinkedIn — 8 posts (carousels + text)¶
- Carousels (5): "My 4-studio setup explained" (photo slides), gear comparison charts, "1 video → 8 pieces of content" workflow as slides
- Text posts (3): "Why I invested in a real studio for B2B content", gear recommendation threads
Facebook — 20 cross-posts¶
- Cross-post TikTok gear/studio clips to Facebook — gear content performs well in broader audiences
Threads — 3 cross-posts¶
- Cross-post LinkedIn gear recommendation text posts
Substack — 3 posts¶
- Complete gear guide with links
- Studio setup guide for B2B creators
Pillar 5: Founder Frameworks & Lessons (15% of content)¶
Dan Martell energy — teach frameworks that make people think and share.
YouTube — 10 videos¶
- The "Media Company with Software" framework — why I'm doing this backwards
- Why timing beats talent in SaaS (the AI window)
- The niche-down playbook — how specificity wins
- Credit-based pricing vs. seat-based — the math that changed my mind
- The Dan Martell Buy Back Your Time principle applied to solo founding
- How to validate a B2B SaaS idea with zero code
- The "Build | Sell | Market" framework for cloud marketplaces
- Why I chose to bootstrap (for now)
- The 80/20 of SaaS metrics — what actually matters early
- What corporate taught me that founder Twitter won't
TikTok/Reels — 20 clips (authenticity > polish)¶
- "The framework that changed how I think about X"
- Quick founder lessons (30-60s)
- Contrarian takes
- "If I were starting a SaaS in 2026..."
Instagram — 10 posts (carousel-first)¶
- Carousels (7): Framework slide decks — "The Media Company with Software framework" (5 slides), "Credit-based vs. seat-based" (math slides), "The 80/20 of SaaS metrics"
- Reels (3): Repurpose TikTok founder lesson clips
LinkedIn — 10 posts (carousels + polls)¶
- Carousels (6): Framework posts as slide decks — "The Media Company with Software framework" (5 slides), "The niche-down playbook" (step-by-step slides), "Credit-based vs. seat-based — the math" (comparison slides)
- Polls (2): "Bootstrap or raise first?" / "What's the #1 skill for a solo founder?"
- Text posts (2): "Unpopular opinion" format, contrarian takes
Facebook — 20 cross-posts¶
- Cross-post TikTok founder lesson clips to Facebook
Threads — 3 cross-posts¶
- Cross-post LinkedIn hot takes and contrarian text posts to Threads
Substack — 4 posts¶
- Long-form framework breakdowns
- "What I'd tell a first-time founder in the cloud ecosystem"
Topic Allocation Summary¶
| Pillar | YouTube | TikTok | IG | Threads | Substack | Podcast | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Marketplace GTM | 35 | 50 | 50 | 25 | 35 | 12 | 8 | 15 |
| 2. AI/ML Real World | 20 | 30 | 30 | 15 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 8 |
| 3. Building in Public | 20 | 30 | 30 | 15 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| 4. Studio Craft | 15 | 20 | 20 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 5. Founder Frameworks | 10 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Total | 100 | 150 | 150 | 73 | 100 | 30 | 25 | 32 |
Format guidance per channel: - LinkedIn: ~50 carousels, ~12 polls, ~11 text posts. Carousels are the #1 interactions driver (247% above average). Polls dominate impressions. Avoid video. - Instagram: Prioritize carousels (~2/week) over single images and Reels. Carousels get 30,810 impressions and 795 interactions — 2x Reels. Reels are secondary. - Facebook: 100% cross-posts from TikTok clips. Zero incremental production cost. Facebook video reach is up +44% YoY. - Threads: 100% cross-posts from LinkedIn text. Zero incremental production cost. 89% more impressions than LinkedIn. - TikTok: Prioritize authenticity over polish. Quick, unplanned clips outperform edited content (Metricool expert insight). Volume > perfection.