Platforms don’t pay you in effort. They pay you in retention.
👋 Welcome back to Content to Commas, your weekly playbook for turning content into authority, consistency, and growth.
… “wOrK sMaRtEr NoT hArDeR” …
ugh, I hate using jargon but this guide offers some of the smartest plays I've ever come across.
The algorithm only cares about one thing … usage.
Who can keep people watching just a bit longer.
Who can earn just one more tap, save, or share.
That is where these cheat codes come in.
Not bots. Not comment pods. Not engagement farming.
I am talking about psychological shortcuts that make your content easier to say yes to and binge.
Today, I want to show you how to ethically cheat social media so you can outsmart the feed.
📌 In this issue:
5 Social Media Cheat Codes that actually work
The psychology behind why each one works
A Video Marketing Guide to get out your own way
Simple plays you can use this week to test them in your content
Let’s go build,
Brandon Smithwrick 🧠
The most useful video marketing guide you’ll read this year.
Video has become the default language of the internet, but most teams still approach it like a side project … complicated, expensive, and something they “should get to” when there’s more time.
VEED created The Ultimate Guide to Video Marketing to remove that barrier.
The guide brings together research, expert conversations, and real workflows from teams that rely on video every day.
It explains what audiences respond to, how expectations have shifted, and why marketers no longer need studio setups or long timelines to create effective content.
Inside the guide, you’ll find:
A breakdown of how video consumption has changed in 2025
Why polished brand videos are losing
How marketing teams are using simple frameworks to produce more video
A clear look at how AI fits into planning, scripting, editing, and scaling content
Practical examples from B2B and B2C brands turning video into growth
If you wants to take video seriously but need a simple resource to build from, this is the most grounded starting point you’ll find.
🤫 My 5 Cheat Codes of Social
Before we dive into the first tip, let's clarify something.
When I say "cheat," I don't mean using bots, fake giveaways, or anything that makes you feel gross.
I am talking about understanding how people think, how platforms behave, and lining your content up with those realities instead of fighting them.
Everyone is posting … the key is knowing how to borrow attention, lower friction, and train specific skills that make your content easier to say yes to.
Alright, let’s start with the first one.
Cheat Code 1: Borrow visibility.
Viral clips prove that it works and audiences love it, USE THAT!
Borrowing visibility means the viral clip earns the first 3 seconds. Your perspective earns the next 30 with a stitch.
But why?
Viewers think, “I know this clip,” which lowers their decision cost to keep watching. Their brain stops treating it like a brand new choice. You sneak in through the “oh, this again” door.
Social proof. If it went viral once, they assume it is safe to spend attention on again.
Try this
Pick a viral clip that lives in your niche, not just what is trending.
Trim it so the first 3 to 5 seconds are the hook.
Use that hook to flow seamlessly into your unique content.
Cheat Code 2: Meme marketing
Memes are not just “fun content.” Used right, they are Trojan horses for serious points.
A generic meme is an engagement stunt.
A niche meme is a signal that says, “this person lives in my world.”
But why?
Memes mix novelty and familiarity. Known visual, new punchline.
People share memes to say “this is so us.” Your message rides on that instinct.
Humor drops defenses so your next post or next slide can go deeper.
Try this
Turn one painful client or customer scenario into a meme that only your niche would get.
Cheat Code 3: The Hook Vault
Copying topics is lame. The cheat code is copying structure.
When a hook hits you in the chest, you are seeing a pattern that works.
Your job is to capture that pattern, not steal the exact sentence.
a screenshot of my hook IG save folder
But why?
You always start from a proven opening instead of a blank page.
You train your eye to spot what stops the scroll across niches, not just your own.
Over time, you build a bank of “first lines” that you can remix for anything you sell.
Try this
This week, build a Hook Vault:
Every time you stop scrolling, screenshot or save the post.
Drop the hook into a single doc, Notion page, or just your save folder.
Once a week, take 3 hooks and rewrite them for your niche.
Cheat Code 4: Curate to the top
You don’t need to create everything from scratch. You could just notice what matters.
Reposting is “look at this.”
Curation is “look at this, here is why it matters, and here is what to do with it.”
But why?
You become the person who spots patterns early.
Your audience learns, “If something important happens in this space, I will hear it from you.”
You save time while still publishing high value content.
Try this
Tag the original creator. Being generous with credit makes people trust your curation more, not less.
Cheat Code 5: The Signature Series
Single posts get lucky. Series build habit.
A signature series tells your audience, “This is a thing we do here.”
Once someone discovers part 4 and likes it, their next move is to hunt down parts 1 to 3.
But why?
Binge behavior. One strong episode pulls views to your whole back catalog.
Positioning. People start describing you by your series: “the person who does X breakdowns every week.”
Try this
Design a 5-part series this month:
Pick one pain point in your niche that never goes away (something hyper relatable)
Map your five parts:
Part 1: the core problem.
Part 2: common mistakes.
Part 3: a live example or teardown.
Part 4: the system you use.
Use the same cover visual so people recognize it in the feed.
If you remember anything, remember this
You do not beat social media by grinding harder.
Borrow visibility, but make your perspective the part people remember.
Use memes and series as vehicles for real insight, not just engagement stunts.
Build systems around hooks, curation, and repurposing so your creativity has structure.
You only need one or two cheat codes at a time. Master one, then layer in more.
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📌 ICYMI…
Each week, I share simple tips on branding, making money, growth strategies, and useful tools that you might have missed. You can catch up in just a few minutes.
Keep reading
🔨 How to Build the Killer Content Habit: Turn posting from a mental chore into a simple daily system → Build the habit
🤖 What to Automate vs What to Protect: Decide what your tools can handle and what still needs your fingerprints → Draw the line
📧 The First 1,000 Subscriber Playbook: Step-by-step path to a high-quality email list that actually wants to hear from you → Get the playbook
😴 The Anti-Burnout Content Plan: Design a content schedule that grows your brand without draining your energy → Protect your energy
Tools I love
🎓 Teachable: Build, sell, and scale your course or digital product all in one place. Start for free and turn your knowledge into income → Start creating
🔍 Stanley: Try my LinkedIn AI coach free for 3 days, get weekly post insights → Test it now
📰 Beehiiv: Newsletters plus websites, podcast hosting, and link-in-bio. Use my link for 20% off 3 months → Start on Beehiiv
🎬 OpusClip: Turn long video into shorts with smart cuts and captions → Clip it now
💬 ManyChat: Turn comments into automatic DMs that convert → Build the flow
🗂️ Notion: My HQ for projects, content calendar, and deal CRM → Duplicate my workspace
🏦 Mercury: Business banking that stays clean. Deposit $10K in 90 days and get $250 → Open an account
📋 Typeform: Beautiful forms that convert and stay on brand → Start for free
From LinkedIn This Week
These posts hit hard — worth the scroll.
How to Implement an EGC Strategy: Why employee-generated content is the future of brand trust → Read the breakdown
The AI Prompt I Use Every Week: The single prompt that 10x’d my ideation workflow → Steal the prompt
10 Ways to Build in Public (Without Oversharing): Grow your audience without giving away your life → Read the list
A Crash Course in Being a Creator: What I wish I knew before building my brand → Take the crash course
The 2025 Holiday Unwrap Report by Intuit Mailchimp: What this season’s campaigns say about brand storytelling → See the report
Why Your Brand Needs a Creator Advisory Board: The smartest brands don’t just work with creators, they build with them → See why
Resources For You
🎥 VEED Ultimate Guide to Video Marketing: Everything you need to plan, shoot, and edit content that converts → Get the guide
📘 Teachable’s Playbook for Course Creators: Build and sell an online course with expert-backed strategies → Read the playbook
🧰 Ultimate Creatorpreneur Toolkit: 70+ tools I used to build a six-figure business, with exclusive discounts → Grab the toolkit
🪝 250 Proven LinkedIn Hooks: Copy, tweak, grow your brand faster → Get the hooks
🤝 How to Land a Brand Deal: Zero-fluff guide to inbound and outreach that works → Learn the playbook
📆 2025 Goals and Habits Tracker: Get ahead for 2026 with a system you’ll stick to → Start planning
Brandon Smithwrick, Creator of Content to Commas™
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