The rules at a glance
| Rule | What it says | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| 70/20/10 | 70% content with value (educate, entertain), 20% other people’s content, 10% promotion. | Practitioner rule of thumb, no clear author · source |
| 5-3-2 | Of 10 posts: 5 curated from others, 3 your own, 2 personal. | Spread through marketing blogs · source |
| 4-1-1 | For every self-promotional post, share four new pieces of content and one re-share. | Andrew Davis (Tippingpoint Labs) and Joe Pulizzi (Content Marketing Institute), around 2012 · source |
| Rule of thirds | One third your own content and promotion, one third other people’s content, one third personal interaction. | Described among others by Andy Crestodina (Orbit Media) · source |
| 5-5-5 | Every day, like 5 posts, comment on 5, and start a conversation with 5 people. | Nicole Pyles, 2011, originally for Twitter · source |
Other numbers such as “5-3-1”, “3-3-3” or “30/30/30” show up in searches. We found no original source for any of them; “5-3-1” usually means the 5-3-2 rule.
What they agree on
- Most of what you post should help or entertain, not sell.
- Promotion stays a minority: 10% to one third, depending on the rule.
- Engaging is part of the job. Posting without ever commenting leaves half of it undone.
Where they fall short
- They count posts, not results. A ratio can’t tell you which topic works for you.
- They come from the era of Twitter and blog links (4-1-1 around 2012, 5-5-5 in 2011). Short video, where reach comes from today, isn’t in them.
- “Share other people’s content” does little on Instagram and TikTok, which mostly show original videos.
What to do instead
- Start with 70/20/10 and tag every post with its kind: value, others’, promotion.
- Post for four weeks and note views, saves and enquiries per post after seven days.
- Shift the mix: more of the kind that brings the most per post.
- Spend a few minutes every day commenting and replying, as the 5-5-5 rule suggests.
Ansamble measures every post and plans from it.
The mix comes from your results, not from a ratio.
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