Mercury SkillsMercury Skills
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Social Post

Generate engaging social media content for a shop or restaurant — daily specials, behind-the-scenes, customer features, and promotional posts. Adapts tone to the platform (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X), schedules posts, and tracks engagement.

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Social Post#

Core Principles#

For a local shop or restaurant, social media is the most cost-effective marketing channel you have — but only if the content is consistent, authentic, and platform-appropriate. A single great photo of today's special can bring in more customers than a $500 ad. This skill helps you create content that sells without feeling like advertising.

The Four Content Pillars for Shops & Restaurants#

  1. The Hero Shot — Beautiful, mouth-watering photos/videos of your product. This is your lead generator.
  2. Behind the Scenes — The team, the kitchen, the prep process. Builds trust and human connection.
  3. Social Proof — Customer reviews, user-generated content, sold-out signs. Shows demand and validates quality.
  4. Promotions & Events — Specials, happy hours, live music, holidays. Drives immediate action.

Platform Cheat Sheet#

PlatformBest ForContent StylePosting Frequency
InstagramVisual appeal, discoveryHigh-quality photos, Reels, Stories1 feed post/day + 2-3 Stories
TikTokViral reach, authenticityRaw video, trends, behind-the-scenes1-2 posts/day
FacebookCommunity, events, older demosEvents, shareable posts, reviews1 post/day
X (Twitter)Real-time updates, local buzzDaily specials, quick updates2-3 posts/day
NextdoorHyperlocal awarenessNeighborly posts, opening updates2-3x/week

Skill Workflow#

Step 1 — Establish Brand Voice#

Ask the user a few quick questions to define tone:

  • "Describe your shop/restaurant in 3 words" (e.g., "cozy, creative, local")
  • "What kind of customer do you attract?" (e.g., "busy professionals, young families")
  • "Is there a personality you want to project?" (e.g., "fun and cheeky" vs "warm and welcoming")
  • "Any hashtags or handles you always use?"

Based on answers, set the tone guide:

Brand voice: Warm, conversational, slightly playful. Use "we" and "you." Avoid corporate jargon. Mention team members by name. Emoji use: moderate (🍝☕✨ but not 😂💯🔥).

Step 2 — Generate Post Ideas Based on Context#

Ask the user what they want to post about, or suggest based on the day:

Daily prompts:

  • "What's today's special?"
  • "Any new items on the menu/shelves?"
  • "Any customer wins or milestones?"
  • "Is there a holiday or event today?" (National Pizza Day, Local Game Night)

If the user has no specific request, suggest a content mix:

"Here are 5 post ideas for this week:

  1. 📸 Monday: Hero shot of the new seasonal drink
  2. 🎬 Tuesday: 15-sec Reel of the prep process (satisfying content)
  3. 💬 Wednesday: Customer review screenshot + thank you
  4. 🎉 Thursday: "It's almost Friday" special announcement
  5. 👥 Friday: Team photo with a fun caption"

Step 3 — Draft Platform-Optimized Posts#

Instagram (Feed):

📸 [Image: hero shot of the dish/product]

[Restaurant Name]'s new [item name] is here ✨

Handmade with [key ingredient] from [local source], finished
with a touch of [special touch]. Available today while supplies last!

📍 [Location]
⏰ Open [hours]

# [LocalHashtag] #[RestaurantName] #[FoodCategory]

Instagram Story:

[Full-screen photo or 15-sec video]
Text overlay: "NEW ALERT 🔔"
Swipe up: "Today's special — [name] — $[price]"
Add: Location sticker + Poll sticker ("Have you tried it?")

TikTok:

[15-30 sec video — raw, natural lighting, fast cuts]
Concept: "POV: Making our most popular dish in 15 seconds"
Audio: Trending sound OR original voiceover
Caption: "This is how we do [dish name] 🍝 #behindthekitchen #[RestaurantName]"

Facebook:

📌 [Photo or short video]

We've got something new at [Restaurant Name]! 🎉

Introducing our [item name] — [brief description]. Our regulars
have been asking for this and we finally nailed the recipe.

Come try it this week! Tag a friend you'd bring along. 👇

[Link to website/menu]

X (Twitter):

Today's special: [Name] — $[Price]
Available until we sell out.
[Link to menu/order]

Nextdoor:

Hi neighbors! 👋 We're [Restaurant Name] on [Street/Location].

Excited to share our new [item] — made with [local ingredient].
Stop by this week and mention this post for [small offer, e.g.,
"10% off your first order"].

We love being part of this community!

Step 4 — Visual Guidance#

Since the AI can't take photos, provide specific briefs:

Photo brief for today's special:

  • Subject: The burger, shot from 45° angle (3/4 view)
  • Styling: Show the bun slightly lifted to reveal the patty and melted cheese
  • Background: Neutral, wooden table, slight blur (portrait mode)
  • Lighting: Natural window light from the side, no flash
  • Props: A side of fries and a napkin — keeps it real
  • Do NOT: Use fluorescent overhead light, include clutter, over-edit filters

Step 5 — Posting Schedule & Calendar#

Build a content calendar for the week:

📅 SOCIAL MEDIA CALENDAR — Mar 10-16
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

MON 10   📸 IG Feed: New seasonal drink hero shot
         📱 Stories: Behind-the-scenes of morning prep

TUE 11   🎬 TikTok: 15-sec Reel — plating the signature dish
         📱 Stories: Customer poll — "Which dessert should we bring back?"

WED 12   💬 FB: Customer review spotlight + team thank you
         📱 Stories: "Midweek special" countdown sticker

THU 13   📸 IG Feed: Behind-the-scenes — team prep shot
         🐦 X: "Almost Friday" special announcement

FRI 14   👥 IG Feed: Team photo with fun caption
         📱 Stories: Weekend reservation link

SAT 15   🎬 TikTok: Busy Saturday night vibe — fast montage
         📱 Stories: Real-time "we're packed but moving fast"

SUN 16   📸 IG Feed: Calm Sunday morning setup
         📱 Stories: "See you next week" wrap-up

Step 6 — Engagement Tracking#

After posts go live, check in on performance:

📊 Post Performance — Last 7 Days

PostPlatformReachLikesSavesCommentsNotes
New burger ReelIG2,4001876412Best performer — burger content wins
Team photoIG8907285Solid, personal content
Review shareFB420183Low reach — boost for $10?

Recommendations:

  • Post more Reels (2x/week minimum) — they get 3x the reach of photos
  • Try a TikTok duet with a local food creator
  • Boost the top-performing post with $10-20 for 3 days

Trigger Phrases#

PhraseWhat Happens
"Write a post about [item/event]"Generates platform-specific post drafts
"I need content ideas for this week"Suggests 5-7 post ideas based on business context
"Create an Instagram post for today's special"Drafts an Instagram feed post + story ideas
"Make a TikTok video concept"Generates video concept, script, and audio suggestion
"Build a content calendar for this week"Creates a day-by-day calendar with post types
"Post about our [review/award/milestone]"Drafts social proof content around the achievement
"How did my posts perform?"Analyzes recent engagement and recommends improvements

Key Instructions Summary#

  1. Establish voice: Define brand personality, tone, and platform presence
  2. Generate ideas: Suggest content based on business context, day of week, and events
  3. Draft posts: Platform-optimized content with captions, hashtags, and CTAs
  4. Brief visuals: Specific guidance for photos/videos (angle, lighting, styling)
  5. Build calendar: Weekly content schedule with platform mix
  6. Track engagement: Post-performance analysis with actionable recommendations

Common Mistakes#

  1. Posting without a photo. A post without an image gets 10% of the engagement. Always lead with visuals.
  2. Same content, every platform. A Facebook post doesn't work on TikTok. Adapt format and tone per platform.
  3. Inconsistent posting. Posting 5 times in one week then nothing for 2 weeks kills algorithmic momentum. Consistency beats intensity.
  4. Selling too hard. "COME IN NOW! 50% OFF!" gets tuned out. Entertain, educate, inspire — then sell.
  5. Ignoring comments and DMs. If someone takes the time to comment, reply. Every interaction is a relationship builder.
  6. No call to action. Every post should answer: "What do I want them to do?" — Visit? Tag a friend? Order? Share?

"Your social feed is your digital storefront. Make it look as good as the real thing."

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