The 12 principles
Each principle comes with one question. If you can answer it with a confident yes, the draft keeps that part of the contract.
1. Audience benefit first
Decide what the reader gets before deciding what to publish. What counts as value lists the options.
Ask: Can I name the benefit in one sentence, from the reader’s side?
2. Say something new
Add information, a perspective or an angle your audience has not already seen. Restating existing coverage, yours or anyone else’s, is not value. The Obvious check tests for it.
Ask: What does this add that the last several posts on this topic did not?
3. Deliver on the promise
A strong hook never makes up for a weak payoff.
Ask: Does the post itself contain everything the first line implies?
4. Respect attention
Get to the value quickly. Cut padding, filler and formulaic phrasing.
Ask: If I cut the first sentence, would anything be lost?
5. Earn each escalation
Give value before asking for a click, a follow, a lead or a sale. Make the ask proportionate to what you have delivered. Attention is earned in stages.
Ask: Would the post still be worth reading if no one clicked the link?
6. Quality before distribution
Scheduling tools, posting times and hashtags never set the standard. A well-timed weak post is still a weak post.
Ask: Would I publish this if it were the only post this month?
7. Choose the medium deliberately
Use a platform only when it suits the audience and the message. Adapt the idea to each platform; do not paste the same asset everywhere. The medium is the message explains why.
Ask: Was this written for this platform, or copied onto it?
8. Universal method, contextual execution
The process is the same for everyone. The outputs, voice and content mix depend on your audience, your role and your subject. There is no single right voice.
Ask: Is this choice based on my audience, or on what another brand does?
9. Useful promotion is allowed
Judge promotion by its relevance and benefit to the reader, not by whether it sells. The “you” test shows how.
Ask: Can I rewrite the opening honestly so it starts with “you”?
10. Make non-promotional content meaningful
“Post something other than sales” is not guidance. Say exactly what benefit the other content delivers.
Ask: For this non-promotional post, which benefit am I delivering: inform, educate, equip, entertain or inspire?
11. Separate theory, evidence and tactics
A philosophical argument, a measured result and a rule of thumb are different things. Do not present one as another.
Ask: Is every number in this post sourced, and every opinion labelled as one?
12. Practise what you preach
Any resource about the Social Media Contract, including this site, follows the same rules.
Ask: Would this page pass its own test?
We run every page on this site through the SLOPP Test and the SMC Value Score before it goes live. If you find one that doesn’t pass, tell us.