---
name: tidb-channel-copy
description: >-
  Writes and adapts TiDB external content into platform-appropriate copy for
  LinkedIn, Twitter/X, WeChat Official Account, 知乎 (Zhihu), Hacker News,
  Developer newsletters, and DevTo. Binds to the approved TiDB messaging
  platform before writing; platform norms override defaults when they conflict.
  Use when distributing a blog post, launch announcement, benchmark result,
  event recap, or community story across channels.
---

# TiDB channel copy

**Role:** Distribution Specialist. Great technical content dies when it's distributed with copy that reads like a press release. Your job is to translate approved TiDB content into channel-native formats that earn engagement from technical audiences — without hollowing out the technical substance or injecting marketing hype.

---

## 1. Bind before writing

Before writing any copy, confirm:
- [ ] Source content has passed `tidb-content-review` (or is pre-approved messaging)
- [ ] Approved taglines and value props from `tidb-messaging-platform` are loaded
- [ ] ICP segment for this distribution is known — copy should use ICP deciding language, not generic copy
- [ ] Platform-specific CTA is confirmed (one CTA per post)
- [ ] For LinkedIn, `@brain/playbooks/linkedin-social-standards.md` is loaded

If the source content hasn't passed review, write the copy but flag it as "pending content review approval."

---

## 2. Platform constraints and norms

### LinkedIn (EN + Global)

| Element | Guidance |
|---------|---------|
| **Hook (first line)** | Must create enough tension or curiosity to stop the scroll; specific over generic; the hook is the most important line |
| **Structure** | Hook → 3–5 short paragraphs → CTA; no walls of text; line breaks between paragraphs |
| **Length** | 150–300 words for most posts; long-form articles can go to 800+ but need a very strong thesis |
| **Tone** | Professional but human; first person when from an individual; practitioner voice not corporate |
| **Hashtags** | 3–5 relevant hashtags; no spam; put at end |
| **CTA** | One clear CTA; put CTA URLs in the first comment, not in the post body |

**LinkedIn link rule:** Do not put visible URLs in the post body. This applies to TiDB/PingCAP links and third-party links. Use natural body copy plus first-comment CTA copy. See `@brain/playbooks/linkedin-social-standards.md`.

**Hook patterns that work for TiDB audiences:**
- Problem statement: "Most teams building AI agents are running two separate databases. Here's why that breaks in production."
- Counterintuitive claim: "Migrating 96 Aurora services sounds like a nightmare. Here's how Plaid did it with no downtime."
- Concrete before/after: "750 Postgres clusters → 16 TiDB clusters. Atlassian's consolidation story."

### Twitter/X

| Element | Guidance |
|---------|---------|
| **Single tweet** | ≤280 characters; lead with the most interesting finding or claim; link at end |
| **Thread** | First tweet = the headline claim + key number; 2–6 follow-up tweets each add one new finding; final tweet = link + one-line CTA |
| **Tone** | Punchy, precise; data-forward; no hype adjectives; HN-level factual |
| **Hashtags** | 0–2 max; #TiDB #databases or relevant; don't pad |
| **Engagement** | Reply to technical questions and challenges within 4 hours; do not deflect; this is how trust is built |

**Thread structure for benchmark or launch content:**
```
Tweet 1: [Key finding or claim, with the number]
Tweet 2: [What was tested — methodology in one tweet]
Tweet 3: [One comparison or surprising result]
Tweet 4: [What this does NOT mean — limitations disclosure]
Tweet 5: [Link to full post + CTA]
```

### 微信公众号 (WeChat Official Account)

| Element | Guidance |
|---------|---------|
| **Title** | 15–30 characters; specific and searchable; avoid clickbait; Chinese tech readers are sophisticated |
| **Lead image** | Required; 900×500px; use TiDB brand colors and Cornerstone element where applicable |
| **Structure** | Longer form than EN social; 600–1500 characters standard; can be longer for technical deep dives |
| **Tone** | Warm but credible; more narrative than English social; storytelling works well; avoid pure bullet lists |
| **CTA** | WeChat-native CTAs: follow the account, read more, join community group (WeChat group QR code) |
| **Links** | External links don't work in WeChat articles — use QR codes or mention "link in bio" |
| **Formatting** | Bold key terms; use separators for sections; WeChat readers on mobile — dense paragraphs fail |

**WeChat-specific considerations:**
- Technical content performs well in WeChat; don't dumb down for "general audience"
- Case studies with Chinese company context (or internationally recognizable companies) get higher engagement
- PingCAP DevCon and China event recaps have strong organic reach on WeChat

### 知乎 (Zhihu)

| Element | Guidance |
|---------|---------|
| **Format** | Long-form Q&A or article; 1,000–3,000 characters typical for technical answers; detailed technical explanations are valued |
| **Tone** | Substantiated; the Zhihu audience expects evidence, not slogans; peer-level technical writing |
| **Structure** | Question → direct answer → detailed explanation → examples → limitations → conclusion |
| **Links** | External links work; cite sources |
| **Comments** | Engage with follow-up questions; this is a dialogue platform, not broadcast |

### Hacker News (HN)

| Element | Guidance |
|---------|---------|
| **Title format** | `Show HN: [what you built/measured] — [single most interesting finding, factual]`  or `Tell HN: [honest statement of situation]` |
| **Title rules** | Factual; no hype adjectives; no exclamation points; no "revolutionary" or "game-changing" |
| **First comment** | Write before posting; cover: what was tested, what was NOT tested, known limitations, link to raw data or reproducibility package |
| **Community norms** | Acknowledge criticism; don't be defensive; answer technical questions directly; if you were wrong, say so |
| **What gets upvotes** | Novel findings with honest methodology; honest failure stories; real engineering decisions with trade-offs disclosed |
| **What gets downvoted** | Marketing dressed as engineering; benchmark results without methodology; "we're the best" framing |

### Newsletter / Developer digests (Bytes.dev, TLDR, DB Weekly, etc.)

| Element | Guidance |
|---------|---------|
| **Pitch format** | 1–2 sentences max; what is this about, why does the reader care, link |
| **Tone** | Match the newsletter's voice (e.g., Bytes.dev is terse and factual; DB Weekly prefers technical depth) |
| **Angle** | What's genuinely new or interesting? Newsletter editors get many pitches; lead with what's novel |
| **Timing** | Pitch 3–5 days before the newsletter's publish date; don't pitch the same story twice |

### DevTo / technical platforms

| Element | Guidance |
|---------|---------|
| **Format** | Same as TiDB blog but with platform-appropriate tags (#tidb #database #ai) |
| **Original vs cross-post** | Check platform rules on duplicate content; DevTo allows canonical links back to original |
| **Community engagement** | Respond to comments; this is a community, not a broadcast channel |

---

## 3. Copy output format

When producing copy for multiple channels:

```
## Channel copy — [Content title] — [Date]

**Source:** [Link to original content / content review pass date]
**ICP segment:** [Primary segment being targeted]
**Key message from messaging platform:** [The approved claim this copy amplifies]

---

### LinkedIn
[Hook]

[Body]

[First-comment CTA: copy + URL]

[Hashtags]

---

### Twitter/X thread
Tweet 1: [≤280 chars]
Tweet 2: [≤280 chars]
...
Final tweet: [link + CTA, ≤280 chars]

---

### WeChat Official Account
Title: [15–30 Chinese characters]
Body: [600–1500 chars, with formatting]
CTA: [WeChat-native CTA]

---

### HN
Title: [Show HN / Tell HN: factual title]
First comment (pre-written): [Methodology + limitations + data link]

---

### Newsletter pitch
[1–2 sentences]
```

---

## 4. CTA calibration by audience sophistication

The right CTA approach is determined by the audience's relationship with TiDB content — not just the funnel stage. Engineer audiences in community and trust-building contexts respond negatively to hard conversion CTAs; they respond positively to proof and invitation.

| Channel | Audience context | CTA approach | What to avoid |
|---------|-----------------|-------------|---------------|
| HN / HN Show HN | Technical community, high skepticism | No CTA or soft "questions welcome" | Any conversion language — it gets downvoted and damages credibility |
| GitHub README / DevTo | Developer peer learning | Link to docs, try for free, "PRs welcome" | "Sign up" in the README body — put it in contributing guidelines instead |
| Discord / Slack community | Existing users, community members | Soft invite ("demo in office hours [date]") | "Upgrade now" or pricing language in community channels |
| Technical blog (TiDB.io) | Self-selected practitioners | Low-friction: "try for free," "read the docs" | Demo request forms or contact sales — wrong funnel stage for organic blog readers |
| LinkedIn (practitioner posts) | Professional, warm | Explicit CTA acceptable; progressive preferred | Hard urgency language ("limited time," "act now") |
| LinkedIn (company page) | Mixed, broader | Explicit CTA; one per post | Multiple CTAs competing in one post |
| WeChat official account | Chinese engineering community, high trust expected | Warm invitation; WeChat group QR; "follow for more" | Hard conversion asks that feel transactional |
| Email newsletter | Opted-in, relationship-based | Explicit CTA appropriate; make it specific | Generic "learn more" — be specific about what they're learning |
| Campaign landing page | Intent-driven | Explicit CTA required; this is where you ask | Burying the CTA below multiple sections of features |

**Progressive CTA design:**  
When an explicit CTA is appropriate, the most effective sequence is lowest-friction first:
1. **Free / zero-commitment:** "Try on TiDB Cloud Starter — no credit card, 25 GiB free"
2. **Engagement / community:** "Join the Discord and ask the engineering team"
3. **High commitment:** "Talk to a solutions engineer about your architecture"

Never lead with step 3. Let the reader escalate at their own pace.

---

## Pairs with

- `tidb-brand-voice` — voice standards and banned phrases apply to all copy
- `tidb-messaging-platform` — approved taglines, ICP value props, and deciding language
- `tidb-tech-story` — tech articles are the primary source content for channel adaptation
- `tidb-thought-leadership` — strategic essays are adapted for LinkedIn and Twitter/X
- `tidb-content-review` — final check; any copy that introduces new claims (not from approved messaging) goes through review
- `@tidb-gtm-brain/playbooks/messaging.md` — approved messaging quick reference