Ryan Simonson

organic + paid content strategy for founders

100M+ views & 250K+ followers across my accounts

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

10 years making short-form content... this is everything you need to know about visual hooks

Colors
- Avoid dull shots (especially in the first frame)
- Make sure there is at least one color popping off the screen
- Color theory, sensory contrast, and color psychology are all at play

Movement
- Constant movement throughout the video is key (physical movement, slow zooms, switching frames)

Text
- Position text strategically (don't block anything important, place in middle or upper middle of the screen)
- Use black and white texts/backgrounds, leave the color for the actual video elements

Layered Images/videos
- Pop up overlaid images or videos (only if you don't have physical objects acting as visuals)
- Split screens or reaction style is another way to incorporate more on the screen (less is not more)

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

I've listened to this 20+ times

Just gonna leave it here

Demolishes any advice you'll read on X today

Comment if you want my other go-to Earl Nightingale listen

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

POV: you understand that disguised faceless ads blow influencer testimonials out of the fkn water

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

Rule of thumb: if people are tweeting about it, it's too late

Learning content laws and creating your own world > jumping on a trend that is about to get extremely competitive

Same story with the Higgsfield creators... FADE IT

[Ayomide Adeji @Aygramm_]

410K followers in 7 days. Another page posting the same type of stickman animation made with Claude.

Stickman animations are the new gold rush.

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

I used to love the Alex Sedlaks and Alex Eubanks of the world, but now I see more posts of their cars than their advice

If you want to build a cult following, there are really only 2 steps

1. Give away so much value that people feel stupid not to follow you
2. Avoid temptation to turn into a lifestyle creator / soft flexer / course bro (i.e., don't stop giving value)

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

As promised, here are 3 hooks I've been gatekeeping

1. As promised, here is my [valuable system]
2. Nah cuz why the fuck is nobody talking about [underground value]😭
3. Gun to your head [intriguing question]

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

I've done 100M views on short form (4 separate accounts/niches)

I'll write a free script for any founder who comments or DM's me

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

slightly concerned at how willing companies are to pay us to make videos

we shame the big dogs for making addictive algorithms, but the second we can get paid to help them? all in

make sure you're feeding your soul, not your hands twin

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

1b/month view creator explains how to use props to make a viral video:

Send to your content team right fkn now😭

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

@polyinnovator Really lmao I'm still being flooded with them

Try searching for "hiring head of content"

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

"Hiring head of content"

I've read 20+ posts saying this in the past 48 hours

It's a tough position to hire, but here's what I'd do:

Scour IG for 50-250k follower faceless accounts. I'm talking meme pages, sports team fan accounts, etc.

Cold DM your offer (ideally from an authority account)

These people understand how to go viral + build community. They're probably lacking professional experience, but that's not a priority anymore

Bring them into the ecosystem and make them study the @kanekallaway's and @brian_blum1's of the world

The upside of this destroys any LinkedIn post

The best hires aren't searching for jobs; they're going ham on social

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

I wonder if this format is working...

I'm giving the rainbow letter rankings style a 4-month shelf life

Use it before it's overdone

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

Sensory contrast in content is your path to glory

You don't need to spend hours on a script if you can craft the right vibe...

Just last week I told my team
- "Wear colorful clothes"
- "Hang something weird on your walls"
- "Buy fun lighting"

This video has done $75k GMV, and it would've done $0 if it didn't have the ORANGE fire showing + the RED massager showing

Color salience to stop the scroll, then dim lighting + vibey audio to match the desired outcome🤌

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

I literally have 5 followers, so whoever sees this and DMs me (or comments) can have my Claude script writing skill

It's sauce

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

@Tristanrhee3 Both, it's industry dependant imo

Real UGC for beauty, wellness, tech

AI UGC for apparel, pet, outdoor

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

7. Reaction
- Loving this format, you will start to see it pop up more as attention spans shorten. Get on it now

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

7 organic styles of content I'm spamming for my clients

(15+ industries)

Send to your content team⬇️

[Ryan Simonson @RyanSimo_]

6. Educational
- Classic talking head, critical to establish yourself as an authority figure (preferably with visuals)