10x10 Content Study
Reverse-engineer 100 proven posts before choosing your content format
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 99%
Choose ten accounts you respect, compete with, or repeatedly revisit. For each one, collect its ten strongest posts, producing a study set of one hundred examples. Separate views from engagement, then dissect each post: opening hook, visual hook, audio, caption, pacing, midpoint, rehook, subject, value, and call to action. The goal is not to copy finished posts. It is to identify recurring mechanisms and formats that have already earned attention with a relevant audience. The analysis can also reduce camera anxiety by revealing viable alternatives such as voiceovers, carousels, montages, interviews, or employee-generated content. Turn the findings into original tests and keep learning from performance.
Origin
Camille Moore names this the 10x10 rule and recommends treating social media analysis with the same seriousness as a subject studied at school.
Core principles
- 01Social content is a discipline to study
- 02Performance patterns are more useful than vague inspiration
- 03Borrow mechanisms without copying expression
- 04Research can reveal formats that fit the creator
How to run it
- 1
Select 10 accounts
Choose creators, competitors, or brand accounts whose work is relevant and consistently worth revisiting.
Pro tip Match audience, business stage, or content constraints where possible.
Watch out Do not benchmark a startup only against brands with radically larger budgets.
- 2
Capture the top 10
Save the ten strongest-performing posts from each account and record the available performance signals.
Pro tip Track views and engagement as distinct indicators.
Watch out Do not rely on memory or a few recent posts.
- 3
Dissect the components
Break each post into its hooks, format, pacing, subject, value, rehook, caption, and call to action.
Pro tip Write down what appears to make the post work rather than merely labeling it good.
Watch out Observed performance does not prove which single component caused it.
- 4
Find repeatable patterns
Compare the one hundred examples and identify mechanisms that recur across strong posts.
Pro tip Look for patterns shared by several accounts, not one isolated hit.
Watch out Do not confuse surface styling with the underlying mechanism.
- 5
Build original tests
Adapt the useful mechanisms to the brand's own point of view, audience, and practical strengths.
Pro tip Test several suitable formats instead of forcing on-camera video.
Watch out Steal the structure, not another creator's words or identity.
In the wild
A camera-shy founder studies ten relevant accounts and finds that several top posts use voiceovers and carousels. She analyzes their hooks, pacing, and calls to action, then creates original posts in those formats around her own expertise.
→ The founder begins testing content without making direct-to-camera delivery a prerequisite.
Common mistakes
Copying the finished post
The method is for extracting mechanisms, not reproducing another creator's work.
Choosing irrelevant exemplars
Patterns from unrelated audiences or resource levels can lead to unsuitable tactics.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for founders who need evidence-based content formats and ideas for a personal or company brand.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when the selected accounts serve unrelated audiences or operate with incomparable resources.
From the transcript
“I call it the 10 x10 rule”
“take 10 people that you respect online”
“Don't copy it. Steal like an artist.”
From the episode
583: The Branding Expert Behind Dior, L'Oréal & Mercedes
Camille Moore