On the third Thursday of every month, we hold something a little different at Salford Innovation Forum—a creative, collaborative session where small business owners, freelancers, and content creators come together to plan their content with purpose. Led by myself, Sarah (Customer Experience Assistant), and Artur (Business Innovator), the Content Creation Circle is all about cutting through the noise of social media advice and helping people actually start posting. This month, despite the scorching heat in Salford and our fear that no one might show, four brilliant attendees joined us. We explored how to use different post formats, how to get ChatGPT to do the heavy lifting, and how to repurpose just one story into a whole month’s worth of content.
What followed was a relaxed but powerful afternoon of shared ideas, practical tips, and surprising confidence breakthroughs. Here’s what we uncovered—and why showing up to a session like this might be exactly what your content (and confidence) needs.
It was 26°C and sunny in Manchester—the kind of day that makes you question any indoor plan. But just after 1 PM, the room at Salford Innovation Forum started filling up.
Deborah arrived first, then Benny, Pokey and Marcus. Some hadn’t posted on social media in years. Others came just to listen and learn. What brought them together wasn’t content calendars or viral formulas—it was the need for clarity, confidence, and community.
And that’s what the Content Creation Circle is about. Forget the generic advice you see online—“Post every day,” “Use this trending sound,” “Hook your reader in 3 seconds.” None of that works if you’re feeling stuck, invisible, or unsure where to start.
Here’s what we took away from just one afternoon of real talk, fresh ideas, and co-creating content together.
1. The real blocker isn’t content. It’s confidence.
“I struggle with blowing my own trumpet,” Deborah shared. She’s currently leading a multi-million-pound bid for a graphene facility in Greater Manchester. But like so many business owners, she second-guesses how much she should say.
At the Circle, we talked about this often-overlooked truth: Social media isn’t about showing off. It’s about showing up.
As Marcus put it, “I’ve tried everything. Now I just want to do things my own way. I don’t want to chase anything.” That mindset, grounded, human, and intentional, is what actually builds connection.
“Don’t write to go viral. Write because it matters to you.”
2. AI isn’t here to replace you. It’s here to coach you.
Most people open ChatGPT and ask it to write a post. But we found a better use: Ask it to ask you the right questions.
For a story-style post, we got GPT to prompt Deborah with three simple questions:
- What was your first reaction to the bid? — “Exciting, but overwhelming.”
- What made it personal? — “I know the people. I believe they’ll be successful.”
- What’s at stake? — “It would mean jobs, exports, growth for the region.”
Those three answers became a strong, human post—one that showed purpose, not polish.
3. Contrarian posts cut through the noise
We explored how to stand out on crowded feeds. One powerful way? Flip the script.
Instead of writing “Why social media workshops are worth your time”, we tested:
“Why social media workshops are mostly a waste of time.”
That unexpected angle pulled people in—and let us explain why this one was different. As Pokey said, “Controversy gets eyeballs.”
The same logic applied to a lively debate on Tesla stock. Benny made a bold prediction—“It’ll hit $500 by December.” ChatGPT helped him frame that into an analytical post, complete with supporting data and a counterpoint. That’s not just hot take posting—it’s conversation-starting content.
“Take a stance. If you don’t risk disagreement, you’re not saying anything worth hearing.”
4. You don’t need to post more. You need to repurpose smarter.
We helped Deborah turn her one LinkedIn post into 10 variations—quotes, questions, visuals, even a video idea.
That’s three months of content from one short story. No burnout. No pressure. Just structure and strategy.
Your voice has more value than you realise. You don’t need more content—you need more mileage from the content you already have.
5. There’s a format for every story—use them all
We shared seven types of social posts to keep things fresh:
- Story — Personal and authentic
- Listicle — Snappy and scannable
- Motivational — Uplifting and real
- Analytical — Sharing what you know (or are learning)
- Observation — Everyday insights
- Contrarian — Challenge the norm
- Promotional — Only once you’ve earned trust
When you mix formats, you show different sides of your business—and yourself. That’s what builds connection.
6. No one cares about your content… until they do.
Everyone who showed up thought they didn’t have anything “ready.” But by the end of the session:
- Marcus had a better setup and plan
- Deborah had a strong leadership post
- Benny had a timely take on market trends
- Pokey had a content list for Threads
That’s what the Content Creation Circle gives you: space to explore, people to bounce ideas off, and just enough structure to walk away with results.
Want to give it a try?
Here’s a 10-minute challenge to get started:
- Pick one moment from your week.
- Ask ChatGPT: “Can you help me turn this into a story post? Ask me three questions first.”
- Write a post from your answers.
- Add a photo. Post it. Forget it.
- Repeat next week.
“People don’t want more content. They want more connection.”
Why join our next Content Creation Circle?
Whether you’re starting from scratch or just need fresh energy, our monthly sessions help you:
- Build confidence in your own voice
- Create real posts you can actually publish
- Learn how to use tools like ChatGPT in your tone
- Bounce ideas off supportive people
- Leave with clarity, not more confusion
No fluff. No pressure. Just progress.
👥 Join the next session at Salford Innovation Forum.
📅 Third Thursday of every month
🔗 Click here to sign up for next months
We’d love to see what you’ll create.
Sarah Taylor
Customer Experience Assistant
