Social Media Creator User Guide

User Guide

Social Media Creator

Turn any article into a complete, ready-to-post social media pack in seconds — Facebook, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and more.

SettingsAnalytics
What Gets Generated
Facebook Post
Facebook Reel Script (15s)
Facebook Reel Script (30s)
Facebook Story Slides
Instagram Caption
Instagram Hashtags
YouTube Shorts Title
YouTube Shorts Description
Twitter/X Thread
LinkedIn Post
Voiceover Script (15s)
Voiceover Script (30s)
Hashtag Pack
5 Attention Hooks
Cover Text + CTA
Best Posting Time
Quick Start — 3 Steps
1

Open or save an article

Navigate to Admin → Articles and open any existing article, or create a new one and save it first. The Social Media Creator only appears on saved articles (it needs an article ID to store your generated pack).

2

Scroll to the Social Media Creator panel

In the article editor, scroll past the Facebook Post Generator. You'll see the Social Media Creator panel with a purple gradient header and the Sparkles icon.

If the article has a latest update, the generator will automatically base all content on that update — not the original article. This keeps your social posts current.

3

Click "Generate Full Social Pack"

Hit the big Generate Full Social Pack button. OpenAI will analyze the article and return all platforms in one shot — usually in 5–15 seconds depending on article length.

Once generated, each platform appears in its own tab. Click any tab to view, copy, or edit the content.

Understanding the Tabs
Facebook Tab
Facebook Post: A 1–3 paragraph post with a local hook, key facts, and a link prompt. Ready to paste directly into Facebook.
Reel Script (15s): A tight 15-second voiceover script for a Facebook Reel. Designed to hook viewers in the first 3 seconds.
Reel Script (30s): A fuller 30-second version with more context and a stronger call to action.
Reel Captions: 5 on-screen caption lines for overlaying text on your Reel video.
Story Slides: 3 short slide texts for a Facebook Story sequence.
Instagram Tab
Caption: Starts with a strong first line (the hook that shows before "more"), then expands with key facts. Optimized for engagement.
Hashtags: A curated set of local + topic hashtags. Combines your county-specific defaults with story-relevant tags.
YouTube Tab
Shorts Title: Under 60 characters — optimized for YouTube search and click-through.
Description: Full description with context, keywords, and a link back to the article.
Tags: Comma-separated tags for YouTube search discoverability.
Voiceover Tab
15s Script: A punchy 15-second script written in broadcast news style. Use this for Reels, Shorts, or TikTok.
30s Script: A fuller 30-second version with more story context.
Generate Audio: Click "Generate Audio" to create an actual MP3 voiceover using OpenAI TTS. The audio file is saved and a playback player appears.
Extras Tab
Hooks: 5 attention-grabbing opening lines you can use as post starters, video hooks, or email subject lines.
Cover Text: Short bold text (e.g. "TRAFFIC ALERT" or "COURT UPDATE") for overlaying on thumbnail images.
Hashtags: The full hashtag pack combining default, county-specific, and story-specific tags.
Best Posting Time: AI-suggested optimal posting window based on the story type and local audience patterns.
Template + Priority: Recommended content template (e.g. "Breaking News", "Arrest Report") and posting priority (Immediate / High / Normal / Low).
Safety Checks & Warnings

The AI is trained with strict editorial rules for local news. It automatically flags content that needs human review.

Safety Warnings

Triggered for arrests, crashes, deaths, juveniles, active investigations, or court stories. The pack status is set to

Needs Review
and warnings are shown at the top of the panel.

Fact-Check Warnings

Flagged when the AI detects potential ambiguity, missing context, or details that should be verified before posting. Always review these before publishing.

Editorial rule: The AI never calls anyone guilty unless the article explicitly states a conviction. It uses "accused of," "deputies said," and "according to officials" automatically for crime stories.
Regenerating & Version History

You can regenerate a pack as many times as you need. Each generation creates a new version — the version number is shown in the panel header (e.g.

v2
).

If the article has a latest update, the generator uses that update as the primary source. This means regenerating after adding an update will produce content based on the newest information — exactly what you want for developing stories.

Best practice: Add a latest update to the article first, then regenerate the social pack. Your Facebook post, voiceover scripts, and all other content will automatically reflect the update.

The Analytics page tracks every generation — version history, token usage, and estimated OpenAI cost per article.

Copying & Using the Content

Every content block has a Copy button in the top-right corner. Click it to copy the full text to your clipboard — ready to paste into Facebook, Instagram, YouTube Studio, or your scheduling tool.

For Facebook

Copy the Facebook Post → paste into your Page's "Create Post" box. Add your article link and the main image before publishing.

For Instagram

Copy the Caption + Hashtags → paste into Instagram. Use the Cover Text as your image overlay text in Canva or CapCut.

For YouTube Shorts

Use the Voiceover Script to record your narration. Copy the Title + Description + Tags into YouTube Studio when uploading.

For TikTok

Use the 15s Voiceover Script for your narration. Use the Instagram Hashtags (they work well on TikTok too).

AI Voiceover Audio

After generating a pack, open the Voiceover tab and click Generate Audio next to either the 15s or 30s script. OpenAI TTS will produce an MP3 file in the voice configured in your settings (default: Alloy).

The audio player appears directly in the panel. You can play it back, then download the file to use in CapCut, DaVinci Resolve, or any video editor.

Required disclosure: All AI-generated voiceovers include the disclosure "⚠️ This voiceover is AI-generated." Always disclose AI audio to your audience — it's both ethical and increasingly required by platform policies.

Available voices:

Alloy (neutral, clear)
Echo (male, warm)
Fable (British, expressive)
Onyx (deep, authoritative)
Nova (female, friendly)
Shimmer (female, soft)

Change your default voice in Social Media Settings → OpenAI tab.

Settings Reference

OpenAI tab

  • API key (sk-...)
  • Text model (gpt-4o-mini recommended)
  • TTS voice
  • Max generations per article
  • Max daily generations

Branding tab

  • Website URL
  • Facebook / Instagram / YouTube handles
  • Default closing line
  • AI disclosure text
  • Tone presets (serious vs community)

Hashtags tab

  • Default hashtags (all stories)
  • Per-county hashtag sets
  • Hernando, Citrus, Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sumter

Platforms tab

  • Facebook Page Access Token
  • Facebook Page ID
  • Instagram Business Account ID
  • YouTube Channel ID (for future direct posting)
Open Settings
Tips & Best Practices
Write a good summary first. The AI uses your article's title, summary, body, and tags. A clear, detailed summary produces much better social content than a vague one.
Add a latest update before generating. For developing stories, add the update first — the generator will automatically use it as the primary source for all platforms.
Use gpt-4o-mini for speed, gpt-4o for quality. For breaking news where speed matters, gpt-4o-mini is fast and cheap. For feature stories or complex crime coverage, gpt-4o produces noticeably better writing.
Always review safety-flagged packs. When the status shows "Needs Review," read the warnings carefully before copying any content. The AI is cautious by design — but you're the editor.
Customize hashtags per county. In Settings → Hashtags, set up county-specific hashtag sets. The generator automatically picks the right set based on the article's county tag.
Cost awareness. Each full pack generation costs roughly $0.002–$0.015 depending on article length and model. Check the Analytics page to track usage and costs.
Open an ArticleSettingsAnalytics