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Hello and welcome to the 192nd edition of Fresh Salmon.

If you’re new here, swim back through past issues 👉 they’ll get you caught up.

If your content’s reach has fallen off a cliff, you’re not alone. The playbook from even six months ago is stale.

Feeds are a firehose, AI has 100×’d volume, and viewer tolerance for “just another talking head” is near zero.

Today’s edition: the new rules of social in 2026, what’s actually working, and the 3C System (Content → Connection → Conversion) the top 1% use to dominate - sustainably.

Meet our primary partner for today’s edition: Roku. Check them out 👇

Find your customers on Roku this Black Friday

As with any digital ad campaign, the important thing is to reach streaming audiences who will convert. To that end, Roku’s self-service Ads Manager stands ready with powerful segmentation and targeting options. After all, you know your customers, and we know our streaming audience.

Worried it’s too late to spin up new Black Friday creative? With Roku Ads Manager, you can easily import and augment existing creative assets from your social channels. We also have AI-assisted upscaling, so every ad is primed for CTV.

Once you’ve done this, then you can easily set up A/B tests to flight different creative variants and Black Friday offers. If you’re a Shopify brand, you can even run shoppable ads directly on-screen so viewers can purchase with just a click of their Roku remote.

Bonus: we’re gifting you $5K in ad credits when you spend your first $5K on Roku Ads Manager. Just sign up and use code GET5K. Terms apply.

Use code GET5K now

Why the Old Playbook Stopped Working

• Saturation ≠ no opportunity - it means low-effort content is dead.

• Viewer preference shifted - people want specifics, stories, and substance, presented with energy (B-roll, text overlays, scene changes, POV).

• AI leveled production - so your point of view (POV), packaging, and pacing are now the differentiators.

Translation: surface-level “3 tips to…” + static talking head = scroll-past.
Opportunity: the bar for quality + clarity is higher, but clear operators can still win big.

The 3C System (2026)

The content that compounds follows a simple operating system:

1. Content (signal): a single, specific story or insight only you can tell

2. Connection (affinity): weave in personal context so people stick around

3. Conversion (signal collection): a middle step prospects want - not a leap to “book a call”

Get these three working and volume becomes leverage, not a burn rate.

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1) CONTENT: From “How To” → “How I”

New rule: General advice is generic. Personal specifics are scarce.

Template 1 - The “How I” Flip

• “How I added $18k MRR in 63 days using a 2-email sequence”

• “How I lost 22 lbs in 45 days by killing one habit”

• “How we tripled replies by swapping this one sentence”

Template 2 - Meet Them Where They Are

• “If your videos keep dying under 500 views, watch this.”

• “Overwhelmed by rates and low inventory? Here’s how we’re buying anyway.”

Template 3 - The 8-Mile Hook (own the flaw first)

• “I lost $5,000 botching this contract. Here’s exactly what went wrong (and the fix).”

Editing rule: Front-load the punchline.
If the strongest line is at 0:22, move it to 0:00. Opus/auto-clippers are linear; your job is not. The game is inches - small edits = big lift.

Packaging checklist (shorts/reels):

• Bold statement on frame 1 (text on screen)

• Your face + a dynamic background (not the same wall, every time)

• 1-3 B-roll cutaways (typing, whiteboard, life moments)

• Captions baked in (fast, readable)

• End with one next step (“Full story linked / Comment ‘guide’ / Watch the long-form”)

Meet our primary partner for today’s edition: Roku. Check them out 👇

CTV ads made easy: Black Friday edition

As with any digital ad campaign, the important thing is to reach streaming audiences who will convert. Roku’s self-service Ads Manager stands ready with powerful segmentation and targeting — plus creative upscaling tools that transform existing assets into CTV-ready video ads. Bonus: we’re gifting you $5K in ad credits when you spend your first $5K on Roku Ads Manager. Just sign up and use code GET5K. Terms apply.

Use code GET5K now

2) CONNECTION: The Missing 20-30%

Most creators do Content and Conversion. They skip Connection then wonder why views don’t become buyers.

People don’t travel for “three tips.” They travel for you.

The 5F Affinity Grid (pick 2-3):
Food, Faith, Family, Fitness, Fashion (swap one for your thing: hiking, gaming, music, cars, biohacking, sports teams).

• Wear your tribe (Cowboys cap; hiking trail; carnivore day; concert tee).

• Post what used to live in Stories to the feed (Reels have shelf life + reach).

• Show “how you work” and “how you think,” not just “what you know.”

POV > Polish:
AI can clean copy and cut clips. It can’t clone conviction. Take a news screenshot your audience cares about and add your take. You don’t have to be first; you must be honest and useful. Respectful, not performative.

Relatable is (still) contrarian: When everyone flexes, your vulnerability stands out. Share the miss, the redo, the fix.

3) CONVERSION: Stop Selling the Thing They Don’t Want

Most B2B teams try to sell calls on social. The audience doesn’t want a call (yet). Sell signals.

The Dating Method (micro-commitments):

• You want: a sale

• Just before that: a conversation

• Before that: an event, a guide, a webinar, a teardown, a mini-series

• Sell THAT as if it’s the only thing.

Examples

• “Comment HOME for the free ‘2026 Buying Playbook’ - I’ll DM it.”

• “Free 45-min teardown: I’ll audit your content system live - 10 seats.”

• “Join the 30-minute power session Friday - ‘Reviving dead Reels’ (live tests + hooks).”

Why this works: you’re collecting interest signals. The best marketers aren’t chasing sales in the feed - they’re designing middle steps that earn permission to sell later.

The “3C” Weekly Cadence (doable and compounding)

Monday - Content (ICC: Ideal Customer Content)

• “How we turned 7 low-view videos into 3 SQLs last month”

• Specific, useful, you-only story (talking head + B-roll + text)

Wednesday - Connection

• One 5F post (fitness check-in, family moment, food ritual, faith thought, fashion cue)

• Tie back to your operating principles (“Discipline over dopamine,” “Systems not sprints,” etc.)

Friday - Conversion (Signal Collection)

• “Comment ‘WORKSHOP’ for the 6-page cheat sheet + invite link.”

• Or: short event pitch (Zoom / IRL) with a crisp promise and one outcome.

Long-form (bi-weekly / monthly):

• Turn your best “how I” into a 10-20 minute deep dive.

• Front-load the bold line. Chapters in description. End with the one middle step.

Advanced: Two Lanes to Keep Your Head Straight

• Lane A - ICC (Ideal-Customer Content)
  Lower view ceiling, higher revenue intent. Measure pipeline impact, not likes.

• Lane B - NWC (Niche-Wide Content)
  Broader within your niche (mindset, tools, meta-lessons). Higher reach, brand lift, future demand.

If views are rising and revenue isn’t, you’re feeding ego, not business. Adjust the ratio.

Quick Wins (implement this week)

1. Rewrite 3 hooks from “How to…” → “How I…”

2. Front-load your boldest line in your next three clips

3. Post one Connection Reel to the feed (not Stories)

4. Design one middle step (guide/webinar/teardown) and sell that for 7 days

5. Comment keyword DM (no links in captions) to track signal easily

Myths to Retire in 2026

• “It’s saturated.” It’s saturated for low-effort content. Most people won’t do the inches.

• “Viral will fix my business.” Viral can lift brand; it rarely fixes revenue without a middle step.

• “AI ruined everything.” AI killed lazy. It amplified taste, POV, and editing discipline.

The Key Takeaways:

• Content: Specifics beat generalities. “How I” beats “How to.”

• Connection: The 20-30% that makes people stay. Shared identity compounds trust.

• Conversion: Sell signals, not sales. Add the middle step. Track comments, DMs, replies - not just clicks.

The top 1% aren’t louder. They’re clearer.
They do inches the feed can feel.
They publish before they’re “ready,” then iterate in public.

That’s it for this week! If you found this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend.

See you next time!

Do what is good for your soul ❤️

All the best,

Vivek

PS. Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways in which I can help you and your business:

#1: B2B Marketing and Go-To-Market Advisory for your business.

#2: 1-on-1 Personal Coaching and Mentoring on anything related to Marketing and Go-To-Market Strategies for you.

#3: Promoting you or your brand via this newsletter.

For any of these things just shoot me a reply, and we will arrange a time to chat.