Wes Kao's Buy-In Framework: A Creator Breakdown

Wes Kao's Buy-In Playbook (and Why It Spreads)

I stumbled on Wes Kao's profile while looking for creators who don't post much, but still get outsized attention. And I mean it: 118,927 followers, a 38.00 Hero Score, and only 0.2 posts per week. That's basically one post every month, yet the engagement efficiency is top tier. Pretty impressive, right?

So I wanted to understand what makes that kind of "low volume, high impact" thing work. I compared Wes with two other strong creators with almost identical Hero Scores: Talia Wolf (37.00) and Stephen Klein (37.00). After looking at how they position themselves and how their writing feels in-feed, a few patterns jumped out.

Here's what stood out:

• Wes wins with clarity and decision-grade frameworks, not hot takes
• All three creators get results by teaching one level above the audience (but in very different voices)
• Wes's biggest advantage is trust density: fewer posts, but each one feels like it came from a real operator

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Wes Kao's Performance Metrics

Here's what's interesting: the numbers suggest Wes isn't playing the "post every day" game. The Hero Score of 38.00 (which is basically engagement quality relative to audience size) hints that when Wes does post, people stop scrolling. And the low cadence actually supports the brand: you start to associate Wes with "worth reading" instead of "always online".

Key Performance Indicators

Side-by-side snapshot (the part I couldn't ignore)

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What Makes Wes Kao's Content Work

Wes's headline tells you the game: "founder turned executive coach" and "helping tech operators improve their executive communication, leadership, and influence." That word influence matters. This isn't "write better". It's "change decisions." Now, here's where it gets interesting: Wes communicates like a calm, experienced operator, not a motivational speaker.

1. Decision-grade frameworks, not vague advice

So here's what Wes does: instead of telling you to "be more concise" (cool, thanks), Wes shares frameworks that make you think, "Oh, I can use that in my 1:1 tomorrow." In the style sample we have, Wes mentions "favorite communication frameworks" and "a checklist of questions" to maximize buy-in. That's the core move: turn social posts into usable tools.

Key Insight: If your post can't be turned into a 3-step checklist, it probably won't get saved.

This works because busy operators don't want inspiration. They want something they can copy into a doc, use in a meeting, and feel smarter in 15 minutes. And "buy-in" is a career pain point that never goes away.

Strategy Breakdown:

2. A calm voice that feels like a trusted coworker

Want to know what surprised me? Wes's writing is upbeat, but not "internet loud." The style sample uses short fragments like "Excited to share..." and "Would love to hear what you think." No heavy storytelling, no drama, no gimmicks. It reads like a smart coworker sending you something useful.

And that tone is strategic. When your niche is executive communication, your writing has to demonstrate the thing you're selling. If Wes wrote like a hype account, it would break the spell.

Comparison with Industry Standards:

3. Scarcity that doesn't feel forced

Wes posts about 0.2 times per week. That's not a typo. And honestly, it helps. If you see Wes rarely, you don't get fatigue. When a post finally shows up, it feels like an event.

But here's the thing: scarcity only works if the content is consistently strong. Wes can get away with the low cadence because the posts are built around durable problems: alignment, buy-in, executive presence, and leadership communication.

A quick comparison here is helpful:

4. "Soft" CTAs that keep status high

Wes doesn't shout "comment below". The sample has: "Would love to hear what you think." and "Link in the comments." That sounds small, but it's a big positioning move.

If you're teaching leadership and influence, your CTA can't sound needy. Wes keeps it invitational. You feel like you're joining a discussion, not feeding an algorithm.

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Their Content Formula

Wes's posts (based on the writing style sample) follow a simple sequence: enthusiastic opener, clear value description, gentle engagement ask, logistics. No extra decorations.

Content Structure Breakdown

The Hook Pattern

Wes opens with emotional clarity, not mystery. It's basically: "I'm excited, here's the thing, here's why it matters." And because the rest is tight, it works.

Template:

"Excited to share [resource or insight]. I cover [framework/tool] to help you [outcome]."

A couple variations you can borrow (same vibe, different use cases):

"Excited to share a framework I use for getting stakeholder buy-in. It's a quick checklist for your next proposal."

"Just recorded a conversation on executive communication. We break down a simple way to get alignment without endless meetings."

Why it works: it tells the reader exactly what they're getting. No guessing. If the topic is relevant, they'll keep reading.

The Body Structure

Wes doesn't wander. The body tends to do one job: name the tool and tie it to a professional outcome. Then stop.

Body Structure Analysis:

One more thing I noticed: Wes uses short sentences after the longer value sentence. That pacing is sneaky effective. It creates a natural rhythm in-feed.

The CTA Approach

Wes closes like a peer, not a marketer. Psychologically, that matters because the audience (operators, leaders, exec-adjacent folks) is allergic to feeling "handled." A soft CTA keeps the reader in control.

If you want to replicate it, try this structure:

"Curious what you think. If you try it this week, tell me what changed."

And timing-wise, ViralBrain's data suggests best posting is late afternoon around 17:00 UTC. For Wes's audience, that lines up with "end of workday reflection" energy, when people are more open to leadership lessons.

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Where Wes, Talia, and Stephen Differ (in a useful way)

I don't want to turn this into a scoreboard, because the real value is seeing different paths to the same result: a Hero Score in the 37 to 38 range.

Positioning comparison: the promise each creator makes

If you want the punchline: Wes teaches you to win internal decisions, Talia teaches you to win external conversions, and Stephen teaches you to win the narrative around AI.

Content "texture" comparison: what it feels like to read them

And yes, these are guesses based on positioning and how similar creators operate, but they're useful guesses. Because they point to the same meta-lesson: your posts should be built for a specific kind of forwarding. Team chat. Slack. Group email. "Read this."

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3 Actionable Strategies You Can Use Today

1. Write for "buy-in" moments - Pick one recurring meeting (status update, roadmap review, pitch) and post a checklist that makes that meeting go better.

2. Use the 2-sentence value stack - Sentence one: what you made or learned. Sentence two: the outcome it creates. Then stop before you start rambling.

3. End with a soft CTA - Try "Would love your take" or "Curious if this matches your experience" instead of "Comment below". It keeps you sounding confident.

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Key Takeaways

1. Wes Kao's edge is trust density - Fewer posts, but each one reads like it came from experience, not content brainstorming.
2. Hero Score parity doesn't mean strategy parity - Talia and Stephen match the engagement efficiency, but their positioning and "share triggers" are totally different.
3. Frameworks beat opinions for business audiences - If you want saves and shares, give people tools they can reuse at work.
4. Soft CTAs keep authority intact - Especially in leadership, the closer should feel invitational, not demanding.

Give one of Wes's patterns a try this week, even once. Post a checklist you actually use. Then watch what kind of comments you get. Different vibe.

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Meet the Creators

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This analysis was generated by ViralBrain's AI content intelligence platform.