# Slide count picker

Mapped to the Bible's 10 carousel-type playbooks. The default for *most* carousels is **8 slides (the Magic 8)** — hook + 6 content + CTA.

> *"You basically lose two slides — first one and last one. Focus on the Magic Eight."* — AIDA Technique

## Quick decision matrix

| Carousel-type playbook | Slides | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| **Tip / Value** (default) | **8** | Hook · Why · 5 tips · CTA |
| Story / Transformation | 9 | Hook · Before · 3 journey · 2 result · Lesson · CTA |
| Curation / Listicle | 10 | Hook · 8 items · CTA |
| Same-Meme Different-Meaning | 6-10 | Same template, swapped labels |
| Quote Collection | 10 | Hook · 8 quotes · CTA |
| Video Postcard | 9 | Title · 7 clips · Closing |
| EDC / Product Breakdown | 9 | Hero · 7 items · CTA |
| Two-Slide Hook | 2 | Hook · Content (best for repurposed reels) |
| Brand Story | 9 | Hook · 7 chronological · Takeaway |
| Gamified / Interactive | 10 | Challenge · 8 game · Reveal |
| **Transformation only** (rare) | 2-3 | Before · After · CTA |

## Cross-reference: by raw topic type

When the user hands you a topic (not a playbook), use this to pick the playbook, then take its slide count.

| Topic shape | Playbook to pick | Slides |
|---|---|---|
| "5 things to do X" | Tip / Value or Curation | 7-10 |
| "How I [achieved Y]" | Story / Transformation | 9 |
| "My favorite tools / books" | Curation / Listicle | 10 |
| "Step-by-step [process]" | Tip / Value (Playbook arc) | 8-10 |
| Framework / system | Tip / Value (extended) | 9-10 |
| Hot take / opinion | Quote Collection or Tip | 6-8 |
| Comparison "X vs Y" | Tip / Value (verdict-first) | 7-8 |
| Roadmap / phased plan | Tip / Value (phased) | 8-10 |
| Behind-the-scenes / launch | Brand Story | 9 |
| Photo dump / lifestyle | Video Postcard | 8-15 |
| Product showcase | EDC / Product Breakdown | 9 |
| Repurposed viral reel | Two-Slide Hook | 2 |
| Quotes / mantras | Quote Collection | 10 |
| Multi-identity meme | Same-Meme Different-Meaning | 6-10 |
| Interactive / DM-bait | Gamified | 10 |
| Before / after only | Transformation | 2-3 |

## When to break the rules

- **Topic needs more than 10 slides?** → Split into 2 carousels with linked CTAs, OR escalate to YouTube/long-form. IG hard cap = 10.
- **Topic needs fewer than 6 (and isn't a Two-Slide Hook or Transformation)?** → Ship as a single image or a tweet. The swipe friction outweighs the payoff.
- **Mixed playbooks** (e.g. Tip + Story)? → Pick the dominant one. Frameworks usually win because they need the overview-then-detail structure.

## Sanity check before drafting

For your chosen slide count and playbook, ask:

- Does each slide carry **one breath / one idea**?
- Does S1 land in 1-2 seconds (3-7 words)?
- Does S2 stand alone if seen first?
- Is the **densest value at slide 3**, not buried at slide 8?
- Does the last slide reward the completer with a specific deliverable?
- If you removed 2 slides, would the carousel still make sense? If yes, remove them. (Tighter = more saves.)

If any answer is "no", rebuild the slide list before writing copy.