DIY Setup Guide: Automated Social Media Content Publishing Workflow

Turn one idea into ready-to-publish posts across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, and YouTube Shorts — automatically.

Available in the 10xAI Business Club members area.

🚀 Why Automate Your Social Media Publishing?

Posting consistently across multiple platforms is one of the fastest ways to grow your brand — but it can also be time-consuming and repetitive.

This automated workflow turns your ideas into ready-to-publish content with platform-specific text, AI-generated images, hashtags, and calls-to-action, then routes everything through a simple approval step before publishing.

Once set up, it becomes your own Social Media Content Factory, running quietly in the background while you focus on strategy, clients, and growth.

⚙️ What This Workflow Does

• Takes in a single topic or idea from you.
• Generates tailored content for: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), Threads, and YouTube Shorts.
• Creates an AI-generated image for your post using Pollinations.ai.
• Prepares draft posts and saves them (e.g. to Google Drive or other connected apps).
• Routes everything through an “Approve Content Before Proceeding” step so nothing goes live without your confirmation.
• Publishes to each social channel once approved.
• Optionally sends notifications or summaries via Gmail or Telegram.

Think of it as a virtual publishing team wiring your content to every platform from one central hub.

🔧 Step-by-Step DIY Setup Guide

Step 1: Install n8n

1. Go to n8n.io and install n8n on your machine, cloud, or via Docker.
2. If you prefer a hosted option, create a free n8n cloud account.
3. Once installed, log in to your n8n editor at http://localhost:5678 or your cloud workspace URL.

Step 2: Import the Workflow

1. Download the JSON workflow file from the members area: Download Workflow.
2. In your n8n dashboard, click Import → From File.
3. Upload the JSON file and you’ll see the full workflow canvas with all preconfigured nodes.

Step 3: Connect Your Social Accounts

The workflow publishes to multiple platforms. Update the credentials for each service in n8n under Credentials and then link them to the corresponding nodes:

• X (Twitter) → connect via twitterOAuth2Api.
• Facebook & Instagram → connect using facebookGraphApi.
• LinkedIn → connect via linkedInOAuth2Api.
• YouTube Shorts → connect through your Google account.
• Gmail (optional) → for approval emails and notifications.
• Telegram (optional) → to receive success/error messages directly in chat.

Once each connection is created, open the relevant nodes in the workflow and select the right credential from the dropdown.

Step 4: Enable Image Creation

This workflow integrates Pollinations.ai to generate AI images for your posts.

• No extra setup is required for basic image generation.
• If you want to host and save images externally (e.g., via imgbb.com or Google Drive), you’ll need an API key.
• For imgbb hosting, add your API key to your n8n environment as IMGBB_API_KEY and reference it in the relevant node.

Step 5: Customize Content Rules Per Platform

The system prompt controls how posts are written for each platform — tone, style, length, hashtags, and CTAs. Typical defaults might look like:

• LinkedIn: professional, insight-driven, thought leadership posts.
• Instagram: shorter, visual, more emojis and lifestyle tone.
• Facebook: friendly, community-style updates and invites.
• X (Twitter): punchy, max 150 characters, sharp hooks.
• Threads: conversational, discussion-focused prompts.
• YouTube Shorts: short hooks, quick tips, tutorial-style intros.

You can edit these directly in the System Prompt sticky note / node description on the workflow canvas (the “social media creator” configuration).

Step 6: Test the Workflow

1. In n8n, manually trigger the workflow (or use the chat input trigger if you’ve connected it).
2. Enter a topic or idea in the input field — for example: “Tips to automate small business marketing”.
3. The workflow will:
   • Generate tailored content for each social media platform.
   • Create an AI-generated image to go with the post.
   • Save drafts to Google Drive or your chosen location.
   • (Optional) Send the drafts to you via email for approval.
   • Publish the posts automatically once they are approved.

✨ Key Features & Benefits

• One Idea → Many Posts: Turn a single topic into platform-specific content in minutes.
• AI Images Included: Generate visuals automatically for higher engagement.
• Centralized Approval: Review everything in one place before going live.
• Consistent Branding: System prompt ensures your tone and messaging stay on-brand.
• Scalable: Add or remove platforms as your strategy evolves.
• Great for Teams: Combine with Google Drive, Gmail, and Telegram for smooth collaboration and reporting.

💡 Pro Tips for Best Results

• Always approve content first before enabling full auto-posting. Use the “Approve Content Before Proceeding” step as your safety net.
• Start small: connect just one or two social accounts first, test thoroughly, then add more platforms.
• Refine your hashtags: customise them in the system prompt to reflect your niche, industry, and target audience.
• Batch your ideas: feed multiple topics into the system once a week and let the workflow create a content queue for you.

📩 Contact an AI Business Consultant

Want help customising this Social Media Content Factory or integrating AI into your existing marketing stack?

Email: janechew@10xaibusiness.com

🎉 You’re Ready to Build Your Social Media Content Factory

Once everything is connected, your workflow will run like a small publishing team in your pocket — generating, approving, and posting content across platforms while you focus on higher-value work.

Explore more AI workflows, tools, and training inside the 10xAI Business Club.