Module 3 · Level 1 · Foundations

Content Formats & Current Specs

Images, carousels, short video, live and text posts — and the current specs for each platform, always verified.

6 lessons · about 0.9 hours

Overview · 1:16 · captions on
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Image, carousel, Reel, Story, live, text. Same message, six ways to send it. Module 3 is how you choose.

Every format is good at something and bad at something else. Post the right one and the platform helps you. Post the wrong one and you're talking to a room that's already left. This is matching message to medium, with the specs to back it up.

Lesson 1 is the format map and a simple decision method. Then single images, still the workhorse: ratios, alt text, feed craft. Lesson 3 covers the swipeable formats: carousels, TikTok photo mode and LinkedIn documents. Lesson 4 is short-form video, Reels, TikToks and Shorts, with the three-second rule. Then Stories and live. And finally text posts, Threads and long-form.

Take how many slides an Instagram carousel can hold. It's on screen now, with the date we last checked it. Every spec in this module is verified weekly, against the platform's own documentation. When it moves, so does the lesson.

By the end, you can pick the right format for any message, know the current spec for each one, and make your first short video without guessing.

6 lessons. About 50 minutes. Level 1, module 3. Start with The Format Map: Matching Message to Medium.

What’s inside

  1. 01
    The Format Map: Matching Message to Medium

    The full menu of content formats, what each is naturally good at, and a simple decision method for choosing. · 8 min

  2. 02
    Single Images Done Well

    The oldest format still earns its keep — aspect ratios, feed craft, alt text and when one strong image beats everything else. · 8 min

  3. 03
    Carousels, Photo Mode and Document Posts

    The swipeable formats — Instagram carousels, TikTok photo mode and LinkedIn documents — and the slide-craft they share. · 9 min

  4. 04
    Short-Form Video: Reels, TikToks and Shorts

    The reach format of the decade — specs across platforms, the three-second rule, and a beginner's first video recipe. · 10 min

  5. 05
    Stories and Live: The Ephemeral Formats

    Content that disappears — how Stories build daily relationships, the interactive stickers that matter, and when going live earns its keep. · 8 min

  6. 06
    Text Posts, Threads and Long-Form

    Words as the content itself — where text posts thrive, platform limits, and when long-form video or writing beats short. · 9 min

Where this sits on your path depends on your assessment. Some people skip this module outright; others start here. The free placement assessment decides — and the first lesson of every module is free to read. Find your level →

Also at Level 1

1The Platform Landscape & the Language of Social
Every major platform, what it's for, and the vocabulary — feeds, Stories, Reels, DMs, hashtags, engagement — decoded properly.2Accounts, Profiles & Link-in-Bio
Personal vs creator vs business accounts, profile optimisation, and building a link-in-bio that converts.4Writing for Social 101
Hooks, captions, tone of voice, hashtags and calls to action — the fundamentals of words that stop the scroll.5Phone Photography & Design Basics
Composition, lighting, and free tools — make professional-looking visuals with the phone in your pocket.