Picking the example comments that teach Allen your voice

Allen learns your voice from examples more than from anything else. Three good ones beat ten random ones.

What makes a good example

• A comment, not a post. Comments are short, responsive and conversational. Posts are not. Allen is writing comments.
• Something you were pleased with. Go to your LinkedIn activity, filter to comments, and find the ones that got a reply or that you still like.
• Different kinds. One where you added a fact. One where you disagreed politely. One where you asked a question. That teaches Allen your range, not one trick.
• Your real length. If you write two sentences, give two-sentence examples. Allen will match it.

What to leave out

• "Great post!" and congratulations. They teach nothing.
• Anything you wrote in a corporate voice that is not really you.
• Comments full of hashtags or emojis unless that is genuinely how you write.

If you have never commented on LinkedIn

Pick three posts from people in your industry, right now, and write a comment on each as if you were talking to them at a conference. Do not post them; just write them. Paste those three. They are you, which is all Allen needs.

Rules that pull their weight

Rules are for the tells that bother you. Common ones that work:

• Never start with "Great post" or "Love this".
• No exclamation points.
• No emojis.
• Never use the words "leverage", "unlock" or "game-changer".
• Keep it under 60 words.
• Write like a text to a colleague.

Keep feeding it

Every edit on Today is saved, and every rating counts. After twenty or so ratings most people stop editing at all. If you change how you write, paste new examples; Allen uses the latest.